Construction Brothers

Norine Bagate is a teacher–not by profession but in practice. Professionally, she’s the founder of NWB Consulting, a technology-based firm that develops software aimed at helping owners ensure that projects are completed as smoothly as possible.    Here’s a quick rundown of Norine’s professional history: 

• Earned an architecture degree from University of Texas at Austin
• Moved to New York and worked in construction as a project manager
• Managed capital projects in the corporate world, which included working with an in-house design team 
• Worked in the realm of construction law (in a non-lawyer role)  

  During her time in various aspects of construction, Norine came to realize that there was a problem with “Spearin risk,” which relates to the burden of legal liability in relation to owners and contractors. (If you’d like to learn more about the technicalities of Spearin doctrine and risk, read this article. If you’re not up for that adventure, you can just call it scope risk.) She decided to do something about that.   One way to look at it is that Norine helps people define the boundaries of responsibilities. This means planning thoughtfully in the earliest possible stages of projects. She recites a quote whose original source is uncertain: “The best plans rarely survive first contact with the enemy.”   Norine believes that the burden of discovery rests with the owner. The owner is the source of the financial incentives for all other parties in the construction process.   Norine shares a vivid analogy involving a shotgun and owners who are at risk of shooting themselves in the foot. Norine offers to hold the shotgun safely. She anticipates problems that nobody else sees or wants to face. She brings those to the front and addresses them proactively.    Norine says that owners need to digitalize their contracts, not just digitize them. Here’s an explanation of the difference.    Meta-governance helps in this process. It sets up a situation where you can share information without accepting risk from another party.    She helps companies work toward a content-based information system where information can be shared across silos while maintaining proper liability links. It’s about thinking in more than 2 dimensions and seeing a web of connections.    Why take so much time in advance to do this? Because it prevents battles. It makes everything move more smoothly and predictably.    Eddie asks Norine to discuss the dynamics of information silos. She argues that silos are healthy as long as governance is handled properly. Her company’s software translates structural engineers’ insights so they can be understood by architects and vice-versa.   We discuss the role that Ai might be able to play in this pursuit of increased communication and efficiency.   Norine believes “we have too many [software] applications of very low value.” She sees way too much time and energy being spent on cross-platform interpretation and believes we should work toward a more seamless solution.    We discuss these concerns from the perspective of wasted intellectual energy. So much time is spent figuring, comparing, and arguing.   Norine’s Megaphone Message: Building-project risk does not begin or end with construction. If we can internalize that, we’ll understand that you have to push discovery upstream to the earliest stages of planning. If there’s an unknown that can be made known, it’s best to know it and address it as soon as possible. Start interrogating early. Start doing robust due diligence early. Continue that culture of observation, interrogation, and validation throughout the entire process.   Find Norine Online: LinkedIn - NWB Consulting   Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Long-time listener, first-time caller–like the actual, very first caller! A couple weeks ago we announced our new Construction Brothers call line and invited you to leave a voicemail with a question or insight. A few of you stepped up, and today we address one of those questions. The question: In regard to leadership, which matters more: relationships or results? We discuss the fact that the clear answer is both. As we know, though, that’s often not possible.  Eddie presents two answers to this question–one from his 28-year-old self and one from his today self.  28-year-old Eddie was driven mostly by his competitive tendencies and was focused almost exclusively on results. He was trying to determine whether the construction field was where he belonged.  Over the years, he hasn’t necessarily grown less competitive. He has, however, experienced a decrease in the need for everyone to look around and see Eddie Campbell in the front. As a result, he’s come to value building a team that enjoys each other’s company.  Tyler finds that his focus fluctuates throughout a project and within a given day, being much more task-oriented at some points and more relationally oriented at other times. He gives an example of how he navigates conflict with greater consideration of his team members’ humanity. We wrap up with Tyler setting up Eddie for a demonstration of humility. Eddie steps up and graciously compliments Tyler’s leadership style.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We start with some light chat touching on “the crud,” night-snacking kids, and nosey people who tell you to eat salad.    Then we get to today’s substance: how to fix a stalled project.   Smooth progress determines profitability. So we try to work ahead, but before you know it… here come the RFIs.   Next comes a list of items that can hold a project hostage:  

• Operating-room lights
• Operable partition walls
• Decorative curtain walls 
• Design elements tied to seismic regions
• Grid lines that disagree

Then the questions arise: 

• Who gets the last look? 
• Which teams can start early? 
• Who already did start early and got the cart before the horse? 
• What can team x do while waiting for team y to do their thing?

So why do these tensions and timing misalignments occur? Of course, the exact answer to that is different every time.    The effect of these stalls goes beyond logistical havoc. It drains motivation and trust. It affects how likely you are to work with a given contractor.    Our guess as to how often this happens? At least 1 in 5–at least 20%.     Eddie talks about the popular contractor-grudge game he calls “You Gave Me an Excuse.” Projects that aren’t moving forward smoothly end up being pushed even further to the back burner because. Most contractors are looking to spend their time on something that brings in money.    And thumb-twiddling doesn’t bring in money.    This means that there’s the legitimate stall and there’s the “snow job” stall, when one party is just not even trying to get you back on the front burner.    Eddie discusses the different types of project managers and which ones simply know how to get things done.   So, what do we do? 

1. Pick your people very carefully. 
2. Get to know your people–know them well enough that you can read their stress levels and navigate problems together. 
3. Use finesse. In other words, know where the questions need to go; know who's back needs to be scratched. 
4. Communicate about communication. Ask people who have the answers you’re seeking.
5. Work on developing instincts. Start with humility; then study interactions and learn. 
6. Be a helper. When you’re helping those above and below you in the project, you’ll generate an atmosphere of smooth progress. 
7. Evaluate yourself when you’re about to ask a question. Measure the importance of your request before you proceed.

Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we start out by stepping into our time machine and looking at contrasting growth spurts in the Campbell home. We see 4-foot-11-inch teenager Eddie diligently chucking up those three-point attempts.   Then we fast-forward a few years. There we see 14-year-old, Tyler, making the most of his 6 feet and 2 inches not on the driveway basketball hoop, but on the violin.    Nature’s timelines can seem unfair. The same is true of professional timelines. It can leave you feeling left behind.   Our message: Cut yourself some slack! Stay the course! Don’t rush it!    Keep learning, and watch for opportunities to combine your passions, skills, and experience into something meaningful.     That’s the nugget of insight we offer in today’s Five-Minute Friday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(This episode contains several visual elements. Although we’ll provide some links below, consider watching the Youtube version if possible.) Welcome to The Headbanger’s Ball, where we talk about the fashion, the price, and the effectiveness of construction headgear.    Between 2003 and 2010, 2,210 construction workers died because of a traumatic brain injury (CDC.gov).   Dr. Michael Bottlang was born and raised in Germany. He then moved to the US to attend school, and went on to start a research lab in Portland, Oregon, where he explores brain-injury prevention. Dr. Bottlang reminds us that we have one brain, and it affects everything we do.   When it comes to helmet research, Dr. Bottlang says there has been a serious disconnect: The data shows that the vast majority of brain injuries occur through rotational force, but all testing is done with straight-line impact. He compares it to the agitator in a washing machine, which does its work through a long series of quick surges.   Slips, trips, and falls cause the greatest number of injuries on the job site. With these kinds of accidents, the head often hits the ground or another surface and then the neck flexes, resulting in rotational force to the brain.   To discuss this rotational force, Dr. Bottlang often used computer animations. After being disappointed with audience responses to the animations, Dr. Bottlang followed the recommendation of a friend and created a physical simulation with egg yolks in a simulated skull.    OSHA reports more than 54,000 cases of severe head injury a year, but this doesn’t include the cumulative effects of repeated small traumas to brains in sports and on worksites.   With government funding, Wavecel has been able to develop tests that more accurately simulate the dynamics of an actual head impact--including the tiny bit of rotation that often does the most damage.   Dr. Bottlang explains that the foam inside of a type II hard hat protects your skull effectively but can actually increase the rotational force that causes damage to the brain inside of that skull. That’s why he and his partners developed the Wavecel technology that allows the head to rotate slightly upon impact. The cushioning material inside a Wavecel helmet resembles the bendy part of a plastic drinking straw.    Of course, we touch on the topic of style. Wavecel material can go into any style of helmet. As far as construction workers, though, the vast majority still prefer the traditional brimmed style of helmet.    Dr. Bottlang discusses the surprising research results that says the climbing-style helmets are not as effective as type II hard hats when it comes to side impacts. He recommends that you turn your helmet over and see if it’s rated type II.    We proceed to talk about price. Dr. Bottlang draws an analogy to buying a car for your child and said that most of the employers who see the egg video are happy to shell out a little extra money for the Wavecel technology.    Dr. Bottlang’s Megaphone Message: Question what no one else questions. Don’t just assume. Check the rating of your helmet and then dig into what causes most brain injuries. Watch the egg video and realize that most brain injuries are caused by rotational force.    Find Bottlang online: LinkedIn -  Legacy Research Insititute - WaveCel    Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we take a break from our usual Friday routine to talk to Ken Flannigan and welcome Dell as a partner of the podcast.    Ken worked in construction for several years before transitioning to work on the software and work stations that enable the industry to do what it does.    Eddie shares about the computer choices he’s made as a small business owner. He’s always aimed to keep the best equipment possible on the desks of his employees.    Ken discusses the challenges of software demands leap-frogging hardware capabilities. He touches on the multiple profiles of employees who need different things from their computers.    We discuss some specific challenges we’ve encountered with GPU capabilities that aren’t properly aligned with the task and the software, whether it’s Enscape or Twinmotion.   Our experience with these challenges is the reason that we’ve decided to welcome Dell as a sponsor. You can check them out here! Dell.com/Precision   Find Ken Online: LinkedIn   Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rich Racz has been working as an engineer within the construction industry for seven years. He started out in Massachusetts and then jumped over the entire continental US to settle in Portland, Oregon.   We start today’s conversation with some talk about engineering classifications. Rich is a PE working on an SE. This means his license is in professional civil engineering, but he is on his way to qualifying as a structural engineer.    Most of Rich’s projects involve steel, concrete, and masonry. These projects are usually broken down into two phases:

• The design phase, in which you work with the owner and architect to design the frickin’ thing
• The construction-administration phase, in which the engineer works hand-in-hand with the contractor to  build the thing

  Rich works closely with the architect on each project, who usually hires him to help pursue the owner’s vision. Often, the owner and the architect have a rough vision that requires a great deal of clarification with help from the engineer.    Rich points out that architects’ desires for structures are often focused on “spanning further with a thinner profile.” The job of an engineer is to help the architect achieve as much of that vision as possible safely.   We discuss the value of questions going both ways in the engineer-contractor relationship. Rich says he likes it when contractors ask questions. He appreciates the desire this shows to synchronize efforts.    We ask Rich to share some advice with contractors. Here are his thoughts: 

• Preparing RFIs: Have a possible solution in mind before you point out a problem. 
• Submittals: Be sure to do your due diligence during the submittal phase. Avoid the need for a revise-and-resubmit. 
• Prioritizing RFI’s and issues onsite: On this point, Rich is more interested in hearing a designer/contractor’s perspective rather than sharing his own insights. Eddie says that he would find it helpful to have a more honest, forthright project schedule. What is truly critical. How can we reduce the sense of false urgency. (Easy rule: If there’s a crane onsite, it’s truly hot.)
• Pick up the phone: If the engineer fails to acknowledge a truly hot RFI, pick up the phone and talk to him or her about it. You might be surprised at how this builds relationships.

  Eddie asks if engineers are “trained in the art of ‘no’.”  Rich shares his thoughts, leading to a discussion about billable hours, profit margins, and hundred-year accountability.    Eddie asks if the scope of design needs to grow and expresses his support for a shared-savings model. We kick around some possible different approaches to pricing engineering and design work (including consideration of PITA fees).   Rich’s Megaphone Message: Don’t be afraid to branch out into your areas of weakness. Attack those in order to become a more well-rounded professional. Don’t pigeonhole yourself because you’re scared. (Tyler’s paraphrase: “Discomfort=growth.”) Find Rich online: LinkedIn  Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“You used to call me on my cell phone…” Well, you didn’t “used to,” but you can now.   The Construction Brothers are now available by voicemail!    “By voicemail?” You say?    Yes, by voicemail. Here’s what we have in mind with this dedicated phone line: We want to hear from you. We want to know…

• What problems are you dealing with on the jobsite?
• What’s causing headaches in the office? 
• What industry trends have you excited–or concerned?
• What funny workplace situations have you experienced recently?  

  The number is 512-THE-BROS (512-843-2767) Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The story of Andrew Brown’s life in construction starts on September 11, 2001. Andrew was a 23-year-old IT worker on Wall Street. When the towers fell, Andrew and a friend decided that they had to help. They headed toward Ground Zero and somehow made it through all of the checkpoints.    After watching so many tradespeople pour themselves into the rescue efforts–most of them with little PPE, Andrew found himself wondering what he could do to support these hardworking people. A couple months later, Andrew put in his two-week notice and started a business with his brother. Together, they started an online tool company.     Last year, Andrew decided to post some videos sharing what he’s learned over two decades of behind-the-scenes work in the construction industry. The videos gained more and more views, and then one went viral. He realized he was on to something. Tyler shares his appreciation for the simply informative, non-promotional tone of Andrew’s videos.   We ask Andrew to share some thoughts about the labor-shortage issue within the construction world. He says that the narrative needs to change in homes and schools. We need to flip the script on the old-school threat that poor academic performance will sentence you to a life in the trades. That outcome needs to be seen as the reward that it is rather than as a punishment.   We ask Andrew to outline what he thinks can increase the number of young people who aspire to learn a skilled trade. Andrew suggests giving them the bigger picture of where construction fits into the big picture. Then it’s important to help them see the opportunities for working your way up the ladder—possibly toward owning your own business.   Tyler points out that a significant number of people who are currently in the field of construction didn’t even zhead that direction purposefully. Many have kind of stumbled into it from peripheral fields or through jobs they thought would be temporary.   Andrew piggybacks on that idea and emphasizes the importance of looking for people who might enter the skilled trades through unorthodox routes. The various in-roads must be made clear. Construction companies need to make a concerted effort to sell young people on how a career in construction contributes to society.    Eddie shares about a recent high school event he attended where 30 high school seniors shared their career plans. He got the sense that most of them had simply Googled the salaries for various jobs. There was an inordinate number of nurse anets… nurse aneth… nurse anesthetists. (Why don’t they just change that term, for Pete’s sake. Even some of these people who work in the field struggle with it.)    Tyler says that it’s important to help people see not just a promising salary but to also help them see a positive workplace experience. Andrew shares his opinion that most young people want immediate gratification. He says that the challenge is for the industry to communicate a cohesive message about the opportunities. He also makes the argument for returning shop class to school.    Eddie refers to the sense of pride, confidence, and long-term comfort that comes with mastering a broad range of basic construction skills. When you know the basics of plumbing, electrical, framing–all of these things position you not just for employment but also for self-sufficiency.   We step away from the skilled trade conversation for a minute and ask Andrew about the coolest tool he’s seen recently. He mentions a robotic rebar-tier.    Andrew’s Megaphone Message: We have a skilled trades gap. We can’t be reactive. We need to be proactive. We need to be out there discussing the benefits of plumbing, welding, and the other trades. From teachers and guidance counselors to parents and industry representatives, we need to show young people the picture of what success can look like in the skilled trades.   Find Andrew online: LinkedIn - Toolfetch - YoutubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Tyler shares about a specific moment that sticks in his memory. Numerous tasks and deadlines were bearing down on him, and the pressure culminated in a mysterious leakage from his eyes.    Nobody’s immune to being overwhelmed. What matters is how you decide to cope. Tyler’s advice:

1. Talk to someone. Acknowledge the weight you’re feeling. List the parts of the load that’s creating the overwhelm. Listen openly to the objective insights that person can share about how you can address your current challenge. 
2. Pick a lane. Address the one element of the load that can most easily be addressed.
3. Put systems in place to prevent the return to the state of overload. There are ways to avoid it. 

  We wrap up this episode with a debate about whose analogy works best for the sensation of being overwhelmed. Feel free to share your own analogy if you are unimpressed with ours.    Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn   If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.