10 Awesome Things to DO That Will Improve Your Life

 

 

 

1- "I finally got started!"

You have plans. You have goals. You have ideas. Who cares? You have nothing until you actually do something. Every day, we let hesitation and uncertainty stop us from acting on our ideas. Fear of the unknown and fear of failure often stop me and may be what stops you, too. Pick one plan, one goal, or one idea. And get started. Do something. Do anything. Just take one small step. The first step is by far the hardest. Every successive step will be a lot easier

2- "It's totally my fault."

Everyone makes mistakes. That makes it easy to blame others for our problems. But we are almost always also to blame. We did (or did not) do something we could have done differently or better. Instead, take full responsibility, not in a masochistic, "woe is me" way, but in an empowering way. Focus on being smarter or better or faster or more creative the next time.

3-  "That wasn't nearly as bad as I thought ..."
The most paralyzing fear is fear of the unknown. (At least it is for me.) Yet nothing ever turns out to be as hard or as scary as you thought it would be. Plus, it's incredibly exciting to overcome a fear. You'll get that "I can't believe I jumped out of an airplane!" rush, an amazing feeling you haven't experienced for too long. So go do something you were afraid to do. I promise it won’t be as bad as you thought.

4-  "You're awesome!"
No one receives enough praise. No one. Pick someone who did something well and tell them. And feel free to go back in time. Saying, "I was just thinking about how you handled that project last year" can make just as positive an impact today as it would have then. Maybe a little more impact, because you still remember what happened a year later. Surprise praise is a gift that costs the giver nothing but is priceless to the recipient.

5-  "Can you help me?"

Asking someone for help instantly recognizes the person's skills and values and conveys your respect and admiration. That's reason enough to ask someone to help you. The fact you will get the help you need is icing on the achievement cake.

6-  "Can I help you?"
Then flip it around. Many people see asking for help as a sign of weakness, so they hesitate. Yet we can all use help. But don't just say, "Is there anything I can help you with?" Most people will automatically say, "No, I'm all right." Be specific. Say, "I've got a few minutes. Can I help you finish that?" Offer in a way that feels collaborative, not patronizing or gratuitous. And then actually help. You'll make a real difference in someone's life and take a solid step toward creating a real connection.

 

 7- "I did something no one else is willing to do." Pick one thing other people aren't willing to do. Pick something simple. Pick something small. Whatever it is, do it. Instantly, you're a little different from the rest of the pack. Then keep going. Every day, do one thing no one else is willing to do. After a week, you'll be uncommon. After a month, you'll be special. After a year, you'll be incredible, and you won't be like anyone else. You'll be you.

 

8- "That's not my job--but who cares?"

Job descriptions are fine until they get in the way of getting things done. No matter what your role or what you've accomplished, you're never too good to roll up your sleeves, get dirty, and do a little grunt work. No job is ever too menial, no task too unskilled or boring. The next time you see something that needs to be done, just do it. Not only will it get done, you'll feel better about yourself for doing it.

 

9-  "I'm really glad I tried their way."

 Sure, we’re all individuals. (OK, I'm not.) Most of the time, we should set our own courses and follow our own paths. But sometimes the best thing to do is copy what made someone else successful. Pick someone who has accomplished what you would like to accomplish and follow that path. Don't always try to reinvent perfectly good wheels.

 

10-  Nothing 

Self-talk is awesome, but sometimes, at the end of a day when you've worked incredibly hard and kicked serious ass and still made time for friends and family and done everything possible to make sure all the important pieces of your world are in place and taken care of, look in the mirror, smile, and nod at the person looking back. Sometimes the best way to end a great day is with a silent acknowledgment of achievement and, more important, fulfillment.

 

Jeff Haden

Ghostwriter, Speaker, Inc. Magazine Contributing Editor

10 Reasons the Best Employees LOVE Their Jobs

Pay is obviously important. So are benefits. But pay and benefits are also expected. So what makes a job more than just a list of duties?
When you actually care about what you do -- and care about the people you do it with and for.

We go the extra mile when we feel we belong to a team, that we're pursuing a higher purpose, that we're working with people who care about us as individuals and not just as employees. Then we want to come to work because that work is more rewarding.
Caring gives work meaning and helps us love our jobs.
But caring has to start with the employer. We don't genuinely care about our company until we first know our company cares about us -- by showing it.
How do great companies do that?
1. They provide freedom.
Detailed internal systems are important, but unique people create unique experiences. Smart companies allow their employees to be individuals. Obvious example: Zappos, a company that sets overall guidelines and then allows employees to express their individuality within those guidelines.
Assigning authority is important, but true responsibility comes from feeling not just in charge but encouraged and empowered to do what is right -- and to do what is right in the way the individual feels is best.
Give me a task to do and I'll do it. Tell me it's mine, and tell me to use my best judgment to get it done, and I'll embrace it. I'll care, because you trust me.
And I'll trust you.
2. They build a true sense of team.
Go to any swim meet or track meet and you'll see it happen: Kids swim or run faster in relays than they do in individual events. They know other people are counting on them -- and they don't want to let them down.
Everyone loves to feel that sense of teamwork and esprit de corps that turns a group of individuals into a real team. The key is to show how each person's effort impacts other people, both at the team level and more broadly throughout the company.
Great companies help employees understand how their efforts impact others, especially in a positive way. We all work hard for our boss, but we work harder for the people beside us -- especially when we know they count on us.
3. They set logical expectations.
Only one thing is worse than being criticized for doing something you thought you were supposed to do: not knowing what to do.
While it might sound contradictory, freedom and latitude are important but so are basic and understandable expectations. Good companies create and post best practices. Great companies absorb best practices, almost organically, because their employees can easily understand why certain decisions and principles make sense.
When you create a guideline or process, put twice as much effort into explaining why as you do explaining what.
Tell me what to do and I'll do it. Tell me why and I'll embrace it -- and in the process care a lot more about doing it well.
4. They foster a unique sense of purpose.
Just like we all want to feel part of a team, we all like to feel a part of something bigger than ourselves.
Feeling a true purpose starts with knowing what to care about and, more importantly, why to care.
Your company already has a purpose. (If it doesn't, why are you in business?) But a step farther and let your employees create a few purposes of their own, for your customers or the community.
You may find that what they care about becomes what you care about -- and in the process makes your company even better.
5. They encourage genuine input.
Every employee has ideas, and one of the differences between employees who care and employees who do not is whether they are allowed to share their ideas -- and whether their ideas are taken seriously. (Reject my ideas without consideration and I immediately disengage.)
Great companies don't just put out suggestion boxes. They ask leading, open-ended questions. They don't say, "Should we do this, or this?" They say, "Do you know how we could make this better?" They probe gently. They help employees feel comfortable proposing new ways to get things done.
And when an idea isn't feasible, they always take the time to explain why -- which often leads to the employee coming up with an even better idea.
Employees who provide input clearly care about the company because they want to make it better. Make sure that input is valued and they will care even more, because now it's not your company -- it's our company.
6. They see the person inside the employee.
We all hope to work with people we admire and respect.
And we all hope to be admired and respected by the people we work with. We want to be more than a title, more than a role. We want to be a person, too.
That's why a kind word, a quick discussion about family, a brief chat about the triathlon I just finished or the trip I just took or the hobby I just started -- those moments are infinitely more important than any meeting or performance evaluations.
I care about you when you care about me -- and the best way to show you care is to show, by word and action, that you appreciate me as a person and not just an employee.
7. They treat each employee not just equally but fairly.
Every employee is different. Some need a nudge. Others need regular confidence boosts. Others need an occasional kick in the pants.
Some employees have earned greater freedom. Others have not.
Equal treatment is not always fair treatment. Employees care a lot more when they know a reward or discipline is, under unusual circumstances, based on what is right, not just what is written.
8. They dish out occasional tough love.
Even the best employees make mistakes. Even the best employees lose motivation.
Even the best employees occasionally need constructive feedback. Sometimes they even need a reality check, to know they are not just letting the company down but are letting themselves down. (A boss once shook his head and said, "You're better than that." I was crushed... and I vowed to prove that I was better than that.)
Shoot, sometimes expressing a little anger is even appropriate.
In the moment an otherwise great employee may hate a little tough love, but in time will realize you cared enough to want her to achieve her goals and dreams.
9. They give frequent public praise.
Just like every employee makes mistakes, every employee also does something well. (Yes, even your worst employee.)
That means every employee deserves some amount of praise. So do it. Find reasons to recognize average performers. Find ways to recognize relatively poor performers. Sometimes all it takes for an employee to turn a performance corner is a little public recognition. Some will want to experience that feeling again; others will want to live up to the faith you show in them.
Public praise shows you care, and that's reason enough--but it also gives employees another reason to care.
10. They create genuine opportunities.
When does a job most become just a job? When there is no possibility of that job leading to greater things, inside or even outside the company. When there's no hope, it's just a job.
Every employee wakes up every day with the hope of a better future. Show them you care by helping create a path to that future.
Good companies assume their employees will benefit when their company grows. Great companies understand that building a better future for the company is directly dependent on building a better future for their employees.
First show you really care about your employees; only then will start to really care about your company.
That way everyone wins -- and isn't that the kind of company every employer wants to build?
Now it's your turn: What makes you love your job? (And if you don't love your job... shouldn't you be actively looking for something else?)

by Chris Weatherford, AEC Solutions Engineer, Hagerman & Company, Inc.

BIM for Project Managers – Workflows, Roles and Deliverables

The Construction Industry Institute estimates that there is up to 57% non-value added effort or outright waste in previous construction business models. That translates to over $600 Billion in waste and costly delays in the construction industry each year.          

It is also estimated that lack of interoperability between AEC software costs the industry another $15.8 Billion across the board in years prior to adoption of interoperable software solutions. Funds that could be used to make more efficient and sustainable projects, invested in expanding practices, purchasing new technologies and employee training, are being wasted with inefficient processes. Increasing project complexity and clients demanding more to be done with less as well as the need for teams to work remotely but remain connected are factors pushing the construction industry to discover new opportunities for increasing efficiency and productivity.

The adoption of BIM has raised more questions for the decision makers and project management than it has provided answers from pre-BIM workflows. Many assumed that shifting to a 3D design program was just a software change. The assumption was that BIM would fit within or piggy-back existing workflows that have been standard practice for decades. Even when design shifted from the drafting board to CAD back in the 80’s, the end product and processes of producing 2D drawings and how they were used to construct projects were almost exactly the same as they were pre-CAD. The reaction from the industry at the time, was that CAD was just a drafting program and the mistakes in coordination still happened due to the lack of communication between trades and inaccuracies in drawings not being caught prior to construction.

A successful transition to BIM requires much planning and a completely different approach to project design and management. It requires development of new processes that support the coordination of all parties involved. Choice of project team members, design and collaboration platforms, in addition to new project delivery methods, become critical to managing an efficient and profitable building project. BIM means different things to each party involved but we will look at the Project Managers perspective and the things that should be considered when venturing into unfamiliar territory.




Many BIM guidelines exist and can be tailored to any type of project that is being produced and delivered in BIM. Identifying the goals of BIM in your project, developing and documenting a BIM Execution Plan that addresses project tasks, roles, responsibilities and deliverables is integral to a well-managed and lucrative project. While there are many different types of projects, each with their own conditions, this is a general overview of things Project Managers should consider when approaching a new BIM project.

Workflows

Building Information Modeling isn’t just a program nor is it simply a 3D model. It is a database that contains not only the model elements but the vast amounts of information that makes up the project. Whereas previous workflows relied on multiple file formats and disconnected processes that quickly became out of sync when changes were made, BIM workflows allow for a much more dynamic and synchronized approach to project management.

Model creation, Visualization and Simulation utilities can help ensure that the project is staying within guidelines established by owners, architects, engineers and sustainability managers. Documentation and coordination tasks are done within a suite of interoperable programs and information can be shared with a broad range of people within a project team. Built in communication and efficient conflict resolution tools can ensure that all information remains part of the project and can drastically reduce response and resolution times and impact project timelines.

The phases of a BIM project are also much different than a typical Pre-BIM process. The Schematic Design phase is longer for BIM projects and many decisions are being made earlier in the project due to the amount of usable data the model contains and the ability to explore multiple designs quickly. This extended initial phase is usually much more effective since many Pre-BIM projects would have to revisit the early design after DD and CD phases were completed, resulting in ‘back to the drawing board’ reworking when designs were not met with approval or were deemed too expensive.

BIM allows for much more streamlined and informed decision-making and reduces wasted efforts. Design Development usually requires a little more time than Pre-BIM however, much more information is being embedded into the model and many cost and coordination issues are addressed prior to construction. Design and coordination driven changes and the dreaded Value Engineering tasks can be reduced, making the next phases go much smoother.

The next most noticeable change is the relatively short Integration Documents phase in comparison to Pre-BIM. Since the documents are part of the model and are coordinated with the current status of the design, document reviews, when changes are needed, have been greatly reduced or eliminated altogether. The ID’s can also be produced with fewer, more highly skilled personnel than the old days of CAD when an army of ‘warm bodies’ were needed to generate the many detailed drawings required for project construction.

The BIM process will impact almost every facet of the project from the initial discussions to design and construction, to well after the keys are handed over to the owners and facility managers. The information contained in the BIM model will evolve during each project phase and can be accessed and sorted in ways that make it much more effective to manage assigned tasks. Project programming and specification-driven design being done in Revit can be shared to Navisworks for coordination and creation of scheduling models that maintain interoperability with a vast array of coordination, communication and data management solutions offered by Autodesk on mobile and cloud based platforms.

Roles

The next major consideration for a Project Manager is the selection of their team and what roles each will play throughout the project lifecycle. Factors such as modeling proficiency, technical aptitude and leadership skills are things that should be analyzed when choosing your BIM team. Employee training as well as coordination with HR should be considered when hiring BIM experienced people to add to your team. It is usually a good thing to have the team train together just-in-time to begin the project. In fact I have seen team training double as project set-up where a BIM/Revit trainer would work directly with the PM and project setup was done as a function of the team training. This helps the team get more comfortable with the project as well as the software and processes that many will be unfamiliar with. It can also help facilitate team building that will be crucial as the project develops. You will often identify those people within your organization who possess natural aptitudes during training and I have seen people that have risen to leadership roles based on abilities discovered during training.

The organization of your BIM project will be the responsibility of your team. The design of the model and factors such as projected model size and work-splits should be carefully considered when working with extended teams that may be in different locations and on different parts of a project. It is common to have a model split by Core, Shell and Interiors, all with separate teams in different locations coordinating daily to contribute to the larger BIM model. Having trust in your people to perform to the requirements of your project is based on everyone knowing what their role is and what they are responsible for. Let’s look at a few skill sets and how they fit into the project structure.

Project Manager – No Revit experience required usually but will need to use mobile technology and data exchange applications to communicate with his team. A PM may need to know how to navigate a model and create schedules or extract other BIM data but there are short classes on the functions of Revit they will need to use. The PM will be responsible for specifications and keynotes that will be added to the project and will need to work with his or her team to get them properly entered into the design model. The PM will also coordinate with the other contributors to the design such as their Structural and MEP counterparts on the extended BIM project team.

Design Team Leader – This will be your most experienced Revit/BIM team member and will work directly with PM/PA on initial model setup. They will work directly with IT and Design Applications staff to overcome technical challenges or help specify equipment and infrastructure requirements for new programs/processes. This person will work directly with your team and should be involved in meetings with clients and contractors to establish relationships with the players in the project they are responsible for. They need to be able to ‘rally the troops’ when required and be able to make decisions within given latitudes set by the Project Manager. They will be with the project through much of the lifecycle of design and through construction assisting the coordination of other BIM players.

Modeler II – This will be your next most experienced Revit/BIM team member. You will need at least 2 people in this position throughout the project, but more should be considered during the Design phase. They will oversee model management, maintenance and archiving. They will create and manage project families and communicate with the other team members when families are needed to avoid duplication or versioning of similar models. Other BIM duties can be delegated to this person.

Modeler I – This will be your least experienced Revit/BIM team members. He or she will be responsible for setting up views, sheets, details etc. and will be responsible for archiving, model clean up and generation of exchange files such as NWC files used in collision detection or MAX files for visualization. You can fill the rest of your team out with this level of modeler and more can be added as the CD phase is entered and drawings are being generated. Many experienced CAD operators are qualified for this position after basic Revit training and should already poses good drafting skills.

BIM/VDC Manager – This will be a high level position with a deep understanding of BIM and how it affects the project. He or she will have some involvement in initial phases and may assist model setup but their role will ramp up during Design Development and should be consulted if there is a need to split a model or when other BIM players are contributing to the project model. They will perform collision avoidance and work with the rest of the team to make whatever changes are required to eliminate the conflict by coordinating with other disciplines. They will work closely with the PM during Construction Administration and report needed changes back to the PM/DTL for as built model updates. It is common for this person to manage multiple projects in various phases simultaneously.

Deliverables

When discussing project delivery, the old design-bid processes must be cast aside. The Integrated Project Delivery method is a shift from the traditional processes and carries a whole new vocabulary of project terms. The traditional phases are modified to better describe the activities associated with a BIM project.



The deliverables associated with early phases are done with electronic exchange and interoperability with a variety of applications, schedules and processes should be established with the stakeholders in BIM documentation in the very beginning of the project. Acceptance of electronic formats is expanding and we envision a near paperless future in project delivery. Electronic data exchanges are utilized for most submissions and when needed, prints can easily be published and shipped to requesting parties. A vast majority of the project data is delivered in the form of a model and Level of Development definitions have been established to simplify data exchanges.

Level of Development, also referred to as Level of Detail, is a way to describe how much detail the BIM model contains. When used with a Model Progression Spec, it helps to define what information is needed and for what purpose. Below is an overview of the different LOD definitions and what each is expected to contain as defined by BIM Forum.

LOD 100 – The Model Element may be graphically represented in the Model with a symbol or other generic representation, but does not satisfy the requirements for LOD 200. Information related to the Model Element (i.e. cost per square foot, tonnage of HVAC, etc.) can be derived from other Model Elements.
LOD 200 – The Model Element is graphically represented within the Model as a generic system, object, or assembly with approximate quantities, size, shape, location, and orientation. Non-graphic information may also be attached to the Model Element.
LOD 300 – The Model Element is graphically represented within the Model as a specific system, object or assembly in terms of quantity, size, shape, location, and orientation. Non-graphic information may also be attached to the Model Element.
LOD 350 – The Model Element is graphically represented within the Model as a specific system, object, or assembly in terms of quantity, size, shape, orientation, and interfaces with other building systems. Non-graphic information may also be attached to the Model Element.
LOD 400 – The Model Element is graphically represented within the Model as a specific system, object or assembly in terms of size, shape, location, quantity, and orientation with detailing, fabrication, assembly, and installation information. Non-graphic information may also be attached to the Model Element.
LOD 500 – The Model Element is a field verified representation in terms of size, shape, location, quantity, and orientation. Non-graphic information may also be attached to the Model Elements.
There are other deliverables, associated with a BIM project that are beyond 3D model information and should be defined at the beginning of the project. 4D Scheduling and 5D Cost projections can facilitate construction resource planning to determine resources needed for labor, equipment and financial requirements throughout the entire project. Owners will take the BIM model and use it for maintenance and operations and will want to keep their model up to date. When the time comes in the future to expand or demo a project, the BIM model will already be there and those projects will go much faster and will help to realize a long term relationship with the owners.
There are many sources for BIM planning and project delivery and Autodesk® offers a full line of BIM enabled applications to design, coordinate and manage even the most complicated projects with complete confidence.

Autodesk, Autodesk BIM 360, AutoCAD, ATC, Buzzsaw, Civil 3D, DWG, Navisworks and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. Images courtesy of Autodesk.
© 2014 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

submitted by Chris Weatherford, AEC Solutions Engineer, Hagerman & Company, Inc.