Masonry Magazine March 2008 Page. 65
COACH GARY SAYS:
The coaches are on the field waiting for you, and so is your team. They want you to become a leader, but they'll settle for having you just make practice.
Reality
Your boss expects you to represent the company on some of its projects. He needs you to watch out for the company's interests, because he knows the client probably will not be. You've got to step up, but you're not exactly sure how. It's tough to be QB1 if you've never touched a football before. Maybe somebody could at least show you how to hold the darn ball. We could start with that, and build from there.
Look, you know you need to do some PM stuff, and you know that Coach Gary has told you before that this is not rocket science. Don't worry about the first-string thing. You just get to practice. Lucky for you, practice session NO. I is simple and easy. Write a Request for Information (RFI).
Here's the deal: You are going to write some RFIs, and you are going to do these just for practice. Coach gives you permission to write an RFI or two, not even expecting anything to come of it.
But the RFIs do have to be based upon something real, so let's think of an example. Maybe the project specs say you are building a masonry wall, but don't detail the rebar positioning, size, or laps well enough. Even though you might know what the industry standard is, write a darn RFI anyway. Again, this is just an exercise. But, let the client know that his response to your RFI is critical to the project, and just see what happens.
The benefit of the exercise is that you will learn you have some actual power, and that when you write an RFI, the client is obligated to respond. It probably says so in your contract!
Now, here's how we're going to leave things for this month. You're going to do a few little practice exercises with RFIs.
COACH GARY'S CORNER:
What about 2008? Ready to at least attend practice? Determined to get better? Maybe become a leader? Then get Coach's free report on Winning RFIs. Leam how to pick up the ball! Go to the Web site at www.Full ContactBlog.com, and participate there with Coach. Check out the free audio updates and other info that will help your projects. Also, you can get Coach Gary's book, "Get Paid for a Change!"
You can go to FullContactBlog and look around for some info on writing the "Winning RFI." Heck, you can even get it from my book. Or, you can just sit back another month, and we'll go into this in detail in the April column. But you really ought to get to practice, right now.
Becoming a leader in this business isn't easy, but it is expected of you. You can do this. IMAS
Gary Micheloni is a working project manager, speaker, author and consultant. Got a question? Go to the Blog and ask him.
Copyright 2008 Gary Micheloni
Email Can Make You Twice as Productive
MASONRY NEWS CONTRACTOR TIP
If you want to deal with top contractors (customers) five years from now, you will have to do it through email. Using email can make you twice as productive at the office each day and more productive when you're out of the office, since you can work online. You simply can't afford not to use email to your advantage.
How can emall be a time saver as well as a tremendous benefit over using the telephone? In three big ways:
1. Email eliminates small talk, since most answers are simply yes or no, or entail short, definitive directions
2. You can communicate with several people at once
3. Since an email is written, it can hold the other person accountable for results.
Consider the advantages of using email during a typical day at the office. Instead of calling the general contractor or owner to ask what type of brick he wants on his building, you emailed him. How long did this major decision on the project take? You eliminated the small talk.
When you sent the email to the GC, you copied the owner, your estimator, your foreman and any other interested parties. You saved a tremendous amount of time not talking to them individually.
The email is on your computer, dated and in writing. If the owner takes six weeks to determine the type of brick he wants, he can't say you held up the project. You held the owner accountable for making a decision quickly. Since documentation is such a major part of business today, email is a powerful tool for you.
Talk about saving time! As I write this tip, I am in a hotel room in Las Vegas for the World of Masonry. I am connected through high-speed Internet to Lang Masonry headquarters. So, I am working as though I am in office in Waterford, Ohio. Once completed, I will email this tip to Misty at my office to approve, and she will send to Linda for print. I have already communicated with several people via email this morning. When I get back to the office, I won't be so far behind that I can't dig my way out.
If using email saves so much time, where should you start? You can learn quickly and easily at your local community college. First, take three, three-hour sessions in typing, and use the right fingers on the key pad of your computer instead of using the pecking method. Then, take three, three-hour classes in Microsoft Outlook. Afterwards, use email whenever possible as a means to communicate, so you can practice what you leamed in typing and emailing classes. I did this a few years back. What a world of difference two weeks can make.
Does it aggravate you that you have to leam to use computers to stay up with the times? If you don't agree, you can always give me a call. Better yet, save us both some time by sending me an email at diang@langmasonry.com.
Damian Lang is a mason contractor in southeast Ohio who has four companies that do combined sales of $18 million. Lang is also the author of "Rewarding and Challenging Employees for Profits in Masonry." To order a copy of his book or to attend one of his seminars held specifically for mason contractors, call Linda Hart at Lang Masonry, 800-417-9272.
Provided by Damian Lang, President of Lang Masonry Contractors, Inc., and EZ Grout Corp.