Well, “March Madness” is here again! You may call it “Bracketology” or “The Big Dance”. Whichever, it is all good as long as your team is in the mix. As soon as your team gets beat, or did not even make the “first four out” list, life will quickly get back to normal. But for those whose team stays in, it will be a fun three weekends. Whoever your team is: wear the colors, root them on, and enjoy the ride.
All this talk about March Madness makes me think about what it takes to win; whether that is on the basketball court or on your next building project. The answer is: Preparation, Team Chemistry, and Execution. I heard Bob Knight say years ago, “It is not if you have the will to win that makes the difference, it is the will to prepare to win”. Even when you are prepared, if you do not execute, you will find yourselves on the losing end of the game. I believe team chemistry is what makes preparation and execution work. Team chemistry is about everyone on the team working together for the common goal of making the endeavor a success. It is not about an individual team member winning or losing. This is true in building projects where the team always includes:
The Owner. The Owner sets the goals and objectives for the project. He then approves adjustments to those goals and objectives based on real life conditions (codes, regulations, existing conditions, etc.)
The Professional. The Engineer/Architect provides solutions to meet the Owner’s goals and objectives. He then produces documents to communicate those solutions to the contractors.
The Contractors. The Contractors blend the skill sets of their workers with the materials from their vendors to form a working unit to build the project and meet the Owner’s goals and objectives.
When all the members of the team are working together well, you will be “cutting down the nets” at the end of the project and celebrating another successful run. We would love to be there with you.