Think and Grow Rich – Think Tank Talks
Before you ask, its not about the highly proclaimed book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, but it is the premise behind this book that propelled me to rant about an objective that needs to happen on every construction fit out for successful and beneficial scope of work.
After numerous years in the field as a network cabling technician, a project manager, an estimator, a data cable designer, and currently as a Partner at Think Modular, I am still perplexed that relevant and important details for the overall flow of work are not always shared with the key individuals working on the project.
I recently attended a site visit for a particularly large fit out that Think Modular was awarded, and since it had to do with, you guessed it, the network cabling infrastructure, we met with the General Contractor and the IT company to discuss the LAN room layout. At least that’s what I thought. With my Google Pixel and Pen in hand to take fit out notes, I was totally taken aback that the lead IT person and team, had never visited the site, never seen the IFCs (Issue for Construction) drawings, their importance, or the LAN room layout.
Thinking they would have (3) network racks instead of (2) and lacking the proper (3ft) clearance in front of the network racks to safely install their equipment, they are now going back to the consultant to redesign the LAN room, ouch! We are deep into the project with a costly change order coming that will not only affect Think Modular but other trades as well and most importantly, the client. Think and Grow Rich is about collaboration, bringing stakeholders together, helping each other succeed and having a clear pathway to the end goal, much like a charrette.
Funneling through one person or company in a hierarchical manner, leads to miscommunication, frustration, and extra cost to the client that could have been avoided. In this Think Tank Rant, I am compelled to ask the question, “why wasn’t the IT company included in any of the initial meetings prior to IFCs being published, especially when this fit out was heavily network focused?”
Just sayin’
Steve Duguay
Thinker & Managing Partner
Think Modular
