OK lets look at the new landscape. Kevin Griffin is now the Statewide Engineer for Construction, I am the new Program Manager for Region One and Darin Duersch is the New Region One Preconstruction Engineer. Jason is working hard to find a new Traffic and Safety Engineer for the Region. The expectation is within a few weeks, maybe a little longer Jason will have someone selected to fill the Traffic and Safety Engineer position that Darin is vacating. Of course that will not be the end of the changes, as we all know there is a ripple effect as positions get filled.
I am excited about my new responsibilities and I am looking forward to the challenge of delivering the Region's Program. I am looking to continue and strengthen the partnership between the Project Management group and the Preconstruction group. As we work together to deliver improvements to our Transportation system in Region One.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Reflection, Vision, and Change
Reflection
Reflecting on the last few months has brought back memories of my childhood. The experience with the SR-193 design reminded me of the holidays with all of my Aunts, Uncles, cousins and grandparents. In the beginning we would all be happy to see each other and the excitement at first was exhilarating. Although at the end of the day everyone was ready to go home and yes in the end I just wanted it over and done.
There was the controversy of who ate the turkey leg before dinner and stuffed the remains under the couch cushion. Then we would have the traditional fight on who was going to set the table and who was going to wash dishes afterward. This was always a meaningless event because Mom and my Aunts with the help of Grandma would always end up setting the table and doing the dishes no matter who was assigned to do it. Uncle Bud would sneak out for a smoke behind the barn thinking no one knew. Truth told my Aunt was happy that Uncle Bud was not in her way. Grandpa, Dad and several other uncles would sit in front of the TV after dinner and snore. The cousins would compare scars they received while doing something spectacular or foolish depending on your point of view. The older kids would taunt and torture the younger ones until someone started to cry. At that point we were all punished and told to behave. It didn’t matter if we had done nothing wrong because it wasn’t about being fair it was about being quiet. I will admit comparing the design process to a holiday memory is a little strange, but yet I am reminded of those days long past every time I sit down to review a set of plans.
Vision
While watching an old science fiction flick on TV this weekend I kept thinking about what will be possible in the future of transportation? Intelligent cars and highways are always a topic of conversation when we talk about the future of transportation, but what is the future of roadway design and construction? Carlos Braceras has said that someday he would like to see no impact construction. He talked about the idea of rolling out the new roadway at night like a big spool of cloth but instead of cloth use either asphalt or concrete spools. This is one vision for the future of transportation. Although it may not seem possible today, cell phones were not considered possible back when Star Trek first aired on TV. Remember, Captain Kirk introduced the pocket size communicator while exploring new worlds on television back in the 1960s’.
Putting it into perspective is easy when you think that we are only two generations from the Civil War. I was alive when the last veteran of the Civil War died and all of you were alive when the last WWI veteran died. What did our Transportation system in Utah look like during the Civil War or WWI? How long did it take to design and construct a highway 20, 50, 100, or even 150 years ago? 20 years ago design of a highway could take anywhere from 1 to 5 years depending on the complexity, then it could take up to 3 years to construct. I don’t recall any large projects, during that time that didn’t take at least two years before construction was complete. Designing and constructing a highway back then is not the same as it is today. Today the process is more complex because the demands of our system have increased exponentially in the last 20 years. Yet we design and construct projects in half the time it took 20 years ago. We have had to become more efficient in our approach to meet the increased demands of the transportation system. Precast bridges with ABC construction and precast concrete pavement panels along with other innovations in design and construction will bring us one step closer to Carlo’s vision of rolling out the roadway overnight.
Then there is the idea of intelligent cars and highways that we will see in our life time. If you don’t think that it is possible just watch an episode of the old Star Trek and count how many things we have now that were not invented in 1965. Automatic doors, communicators (Cell Phones), portable computers, and big screen TVs’ to name a few items that someone envisioned as possible. Necessity is the mother of invention and if the recent demands for transportation improvements are any indication we will be inventing lots of new ways to work in the near future.
Changes
Change is the one constant in the universe and Region One is consistent with the universe. Preconstruction has said goodbye to Tom Hales, Ben Maughan, and Brad Loveless and are looking forward to bringing Thomas Roylance into our design team. Tom Hales has moved into Central Structures, Ben Maughan is the Region’s newest Resident Engineer and Brad Loveless will be working as a Field Engineer with Jace Meacham’s crew. Our Region Program Manager Kevin Griffin is also moving to another challenge at Central Construction. With these new changes come new perspectives, ideas and opportunities for growth.
"Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
—John F. Kennedy
Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.
- Benjamin Franklin
Reflecting on the last few months has brought back memories of my childhood. The experience with the SR-193 design reminded me of the holidays with all of my Aunts, Uncles, cousins and grandparents. In the beginning we would all be happy to see each other and the excitement at first was exhilarating. Although at the end of the day everyone was ready to go home and yes in the end I just wanted it over and done.
There was the controversy of who ate the turkey leg before dinner and stuffed the remains under the couch cushion. Then we would have the traditional fight on who was going to set the table and who was going to wash dishes afterward. This was always a meaningless event because Mom and my Aunts with the help of Grandma would always end up setting the table and doing the dishes no matter who was assigned to do it. Uncle Bud would sneak out for a smoke behind the barn thinking no one knew. Truth told my Aunt was happy that Uncle Bud was not in her way. Grandpa, Dad and several other uncles would sit in front of the TV after dinner and snore. The cousins would compare scars they received while doing something spectacular or foolish depending on your point of view. The older kids would taunt and torture the younger ones until someone started to cry. At that point we were all punished and told to behave. It didn’t matter if we had done nothing wrong because it wasn’t about being fair it was about being quiet. I will admit comparing the design process to a holiday memory is a little strange, but yet I am reminded of those days long past every time I sit down to review a set of plans.
Vision
While watching an old science fiction flick on TV this weekend I kept thinking about what will be possible in the future of transportation? Intelligent cars and highways are always a topic of conversation when we talk about the future of transportation, but what is the future of roadway design and construction? Carlos Braceras has said that someday he would like to see no impact construction. He talked about the idea of rolling out the new roadway at night like a big spool of cloth but instead of cloth use either asphalt or concrete spools. This is one vision for the future of transportation. Although it may not seem possible today, cell phones were not considered possible back when Star Trek first aired on TV. Remember, Captain Kirk introduced the pocket size communicator while exploring new worlds on television back in the 1960s’.
Putting it into perspective is easy when you think that we are only two generations from the Civil War. I was alive when the last veteran of the Civil War died and all of you were alive when the last WWI veteran died. What did our Transportation system in Utah look like during the Civil War or WWI? How long did it take to design and construct a highway 20, 50, 100, or even 150 years ago? 20 years ago design of a highway could take anywhere from 1 to 5 years depending on the complexity, then it could take up to 3 years to construct. I don’t recall any large projects, during that time that didn’t take at least two years before construction was complete. Designing and constructing a highway back then is not the same as it is today. Today the process is more complex because the demands of our system have increased exponentially in the last 20 years. Yet we design and construct projects in half the time it took 20 years ago. We have had to become more efficient in our approach to meet the increased demands of the transportation system. Precast bridges with ABC construction and precast concrete pavement panels along with other innovations in design and construction will bring us one step closer to Carlo’s vision of rolling out the roadway overnight.
Then there is the idea of intelligent cars and highways that we will see in our life time. If you don’t think that it is possible just watch an episode of the old Star Trek and count how many things we have now that were not invented in 1965. Automatic doors, communicators (Cell Phones), portable computers, and big screen TVs’ to name a few items that someone envisioned as possible. Necessity is the mother of invention and if the recent demands for transportation improvements are any indication we will be inventing lots of new ways to work in the near future.
Changes
Change is the one constant in the universe and Region One is consistent with the universe. Preconstruction has said goodbye to Tom Hales, Ben Maughan, and Brad Loveless and are looking forward to bringing Thomas Roylance into our design team. Tom Hales has moved into Central Structures, Ben Maughan is the Region’s newest Resident Engineer and Brad Loveless will be working as a Field Engineer with Jace Meacham’s crew. Our Region Program Manager Kevin Griffin is also moving to another challenge at Central Construction. With these new changes come new perspectives, ideas and opportunities for growth.
"Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
—John F. Kennedy
Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.
- Benjamin Franklin
Monday, June 21, 2010
Communication Expectations
While developing goals for our 2010/2011 performance plan I have been reviewing the Department's direction is several key areas. Communication has always been a key component to the success of any project or team. Communication is essential to the success of the department as a whole. The expectation from our leadership on improving Internal and External communications is defined in the following statement:
"Develop a full Department-wide Communications Plan mirrored to UDOT's Strategic Direction that is based on sound fundamental research. This plan will clearly identify communication goals, develop measurable objectives, and identify internal and external key publics or stakeholders. It will then develop strategies to educate, persuade, or inform those key publics. Finally, the plan will develop appropriate tactics to reach those publics and create an implementation calendar to guide those efforts."
The goal for Region one Preconstruction is to develop a communication plan that we are engaged in. I would suggest that our overall communication plan be revised so that it has FORM (Framable, Obtainable, Repeatable, and Measurable). Over the next few months we will be working to revise our communication plan to reflect the department's expectations.
Do you Remember the current Communications Plan?
Current Region One Preconstruction Communication Plan Summary
Phone Messages, Return Same Day
Maintain a phone log
Respond to E-Mails Within 24 hours
Written Communication that require a response, Respond within 3 days
Attend all scheduled meetings
Scheduling, Use GroupWise Busy Search to schedule resources/Maintain updated GroupWise Schedule
If over scheduled, priorities must be evaluated and delegation should be used
"Develop a full Department-wide Communications Plan mirrored to UDOT's Strategic Direction that is based on sound fundamental research. This plan will clearly identify communication goals, develop measurable objectives, and identify internal and external key publics or stakeholders. It will then develop strategies to educate, persuade, or inform those key publics. Finally, the plan will develop appropriate tactics to reach those publics and create an implementation calendar to guide those efforts."
The goal for Region one Preconstruction is to develop a communication plan that we are engaged in. I would suggest that our overall communication plan be revised so that it has FORM (Framable, Obtainable, Repeatable, and Measurable). Over the next few months we will be working to revise our communication plan to reflect the department's expectations.
Do you Remember the current Communications Plan?
Current Region One Preconstruction Communication Plan Summary
Phone Messages, Return Same Day
Maintain a phone log
Respond to E-Mails Within 24 hours
Written Communication that require a response, Respond within 3 days
Attend all scheduled meetings
Scheduling, Use GroupWise Busy Search to schedule resources/Maintain updated GroupWise Schedule
If over scheduled, priorities must be evaluated and delegation should be used
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Performance Model Meeting
Region Preconstruction Performance Model Meeting
10:15 – 11:15 a.m., June 2, 2010
Small Conference Room
Jason Davis
Tom Hales
Judie McDermott
Paul Egbert
Brad Humphreys
Brett Slater
Chris Lizotte
Welcome – Brad Humphreys
Brad welcomed the group and noted the purpose of the meeting was to find a defined direction for the Preconstruction Model.
Performance Measures 2010
Jason Davis, Region Director, attended the meeting and noted that he has completed a draft of Brad’s Preconstruction Performance Plan. Jason gave an overview of expectations of Preconstruction as outlined in his plan noting that the Department is going having goals that can be measured. His plan for Preconstruction is as follows:
· Projects Advertised and Awarded (hitting the dates)
· Accelerated Construction & Traffic Management Plan- (Get the jobs done quickly)
· Safety Spot Projects (looking at fatalities)
Jason noted Preconstruction could assist him on the following:
· How can Preconstruction help Maintenance save money?
· Innovation
· How to make other Regions better? Improve all of UDOT.
· FHWA document emailed to the Region on “Every day counts” Use this as a theme in all you do.
Every performance plan should have an individual component. Keep the plans concise – less than 10 more than three.
Environmental
Chris is concerned about environmental and time schedules – public has a different time expectation. Brad wants the group to identify base timelines and look at the average time for each part of the schedule. Then look at the baseline and see if improvements can be made. Brad asked the group the following question, “Based on the information from Jason and what we have as drivers – what do we want to accomplish as a basis for direction?”
Region One Preconstruction Direction (from group discussion)
1. Better internal coordination
2. Did we do the right things efficiently?
Summary
Brad asked the group to analyze the strategies listed above and find answers to these two questions and to the following questions (outlined his email announcing the meeting):
· What can we measure that could fit?
· How does it relate to the drivers that we have?
· What does it do to improve Preconstruction as a whole?
· What is success?
The responses will be discussed in the June 15, 2010 meeting. Brad’s email stated the purpose of this initial meeting as follows:
“You have been selected to be a part of the team that will develop a Region preconstruction performance model that can be used to track and improve preconstruction performance.
The team will concentrate on overall preconstruction performance based on the Governor's priorities, UDOT's Strategic goals, and UDOT project delivery themes. You will use a defined direction to develop measurable goals and objectives. Your task will be to define the direction first and then develop the goals and objectives.
Governor's Priorities:
Economic Development
Energy Security
Education
UDOT Strategic Goals:
Take Care of What We Have
Make the System Work Better
Improve Safety
Increase Capacity
UDOT Project Delivery Themes:
Accelerated Delivery
Decrease and Minimize MOT
Encourage Innovation
Get a Good Price
The first meeting will only define the direction, and then each of you will be assigned questions to answer about the defined direction before the next meeting. At the next meeting, scheduled for June 15th, you will be asked to establish at least four measurable goals.”
Adjourn
10:15 – 11:15 a.m., June 2, 2010
Small Conference Room
Jason Davis
Tom Hales
Judie McDermott
Paul Egbert
Brad Humphreys
Brett Slater
Chris Lizotte
Welcome – Brad Humphreys
Brad welcomed the group and noted the purpose of the meeting was to find a defined direction for the Preconstruction Model.
Performance Measures 2010
Jason Davis, Region Director, attended the meeting and noted that he has completed a draft of Brad’s Preconstruction Performance Plan. Jason gave an overview of expectations of Preconstruction as outlined in his plan noting that the Department is going having goals that can be measured. His plan for Preconstruction is as follows:
· Projects Advertised and Awarded (hitting the dates)
· Accelerated Construction & Traffic Management Plan- (Get the jobs done quickly)
· Safety Spot Projects (looking at fatalities)
Jason noted Preconstruction could assist him on the following:
· How can Preconstruction help Maintenance save money?
· Innovation
· How to make other Regions better? Improve all of UDOT.
· FHWA document emailed to the Region on “Every day counts” Use this as a theme in all you do.
Every performance plan should have an individual component. Keep the plans concise – less than 10 more than three.
Environmental
Chris is concerned about environmental and time schedules – public has a different time expectation. Brad wants the group to identify base timelines and look at the average time for each part of the schedule. Then look at the baseline and see if improvements can be made. Brad asked the group the following question, “Based on the information from Jason and what we have as drivers – what do we want to accomplish as a basis for direction?”
Region One Preconstruction Direction (from group discussion)
1. Better internal coordination
2. Did we do the right things efficiently?
Summary
Brad asked the group to analyze the strategies listed above and find answers to these two questions and to the following questions (outlined his email announcing the meeting):
· What can we measure that could fit?
· How does it relate to the drivers that we have?
· What does it do to improve Preconstruction as a whole?
· What is success?
The responses will be discussed in the June 15, 2010 meeting. Brad’s email stated the purpose of this initial meeting as follows:
“You have been selected to be a part of the team that will develop a Region preconstruction performance model that can be used to track and improve preconstruction performance.
The team will concentrate on overall preconstruction performance based on the Governor's priorities, UDOT's Strategic goals, and UDOT project delivery themes. You will use a defined direction to develop measurable goals and objectives. Your task will be to define the direction first and then develop the goals and objectives.
Governor's Priorities:
Economic Development
Energy Security
Education
UDOT Strategic Goals:
Take Care of What We Have
Make the System Work Better
Improve Safety
Increase Capacity
UDOT Project Delivery Themes:
Accelerated Delivery
Decrease and Minimize MOT
Encourage Innovation
Get a Good Price
The first meeting will only define the direction, and then each of you will be assigned questions to answer about the defined direction before the next meeting. At the next meeting, scheduled for June 15th, you will be asked to establish at least four measurable goals.”
Adjourn
Monday, April 26, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
2010 Preconstruction Retreat
I would like to thank everyone for attending and contributing to a successful retreat. The focus of the retreat this year was teamwork. A team cannot be successful without communication, both within the team and outside of the team. The one point that came up a few times was that all of UDOT is one team. It does not matter if you work in Project Development, Region one, two, three, or four, The Maintenance division, Construction division, or any other area within UDOT, everyone is considered by the public as representatives of UDOT. We need to find ways to help others on the team be successful no matter where they call home. If we work together with other areas we become more efficient and productive. Our Region group numbers only twenty people, but as a UDOT Team we number over Seventeen hundred. We need to use our resources effectively, so by taking advantage of other resources outside of Region One preconstruction we improve our performance and Transportation in Utah as a whole. Always remember what happens in other areas concerns all of us because we are one Team.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Malcolm Gladwell Feb. 2009
Why do some succeed where others fail? What makes high-achievers different?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh9ax4QvzoQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh9ax4QvzoQ
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