Interview

The following is an interview with my mentor Dennis Udell on July 8, 2010

What types of challenges they face?
Construction deadlines, budget, city zoning and codes, laborers, juggling every group that is involved on a project and there people.

How do they deal with deadline stress, difficult people, and internal politics?
One day at a time, because of my position everyone answers to me and or comes to me when problems arise. Communication with the firm Kennedy Design Build and with everyone else involved helps with problematic situations however everything always has a resolution. With the stress of deadlines, again you deal with the situation as best as you can, right now we have students moving into the dorms on the August 7, the company that we have ordered 58 mirror medicine cabinets from can no longer guarantee that the cabinets will make it here in time, this is a huge deadline stress because I do not want to have to go back into the rooms after students already started inhabiting them to install these mirrors.

What do they like or dislike about their positions?
Working outside in Phoenix in the summer months.

What do they feel can be done to make work go smoother?
Communication is essential to succeed in this field. I feel that good communication is so important especially when you are dealing with so many different contracted groups and people on one project. You have your designers and architects, you have your building inspectors, commissioners, and then you have your laborers who are all in different groups as well. You have one group doing framing, one doing tile, one de-molding, one carpeting, and the list goes on and on, but without communication the project would not come along as well as we are currently experiencing here out at the tower. I am really happy that we have been able to establish great communication here.

How do they feel about working with others?
Out on the current site, Thunderbird Tower we are one big happy family, teamwork is essential in this field and I am very happy that everyone has been putting their all in and getting along with everybody else.

Do they enjoy working on group projects?
Yes, every project I have done over the past thirty years has been a group project, in this field that’s all there is, group work.

What is their ideal work environment?
A cooler one.

How has their education and experience prepared them for their current job?
Well after two years of Arizona State University, I dropped out to get a full time job and I have been employed and highly respected in the construction field for over thirty years. An education is a great start but really experience out in the field is where I learned the most.

Have they reached out to mentors and has the mentorship system worked for them?
I would not be where I am today without my mentors of the past.