Identifying And Working With A Smart Alec Client

So, the guy wants to build a new energy efficient house ... or it could be the one that wants to add on to an existing facility, or even the one that wants to build a new house at the same site where the old one burnt down, and so on.

The client calls you and asks for your immediate help ... and especially if this is the one whose house burnt down, you really feel for the client, and want to really help.

You are willing to help, in fact you want to go out of your way to help, you ask for all the details, you make suggestions, you want to help the family that has been displaced from the house and has been put in a tiny apartment.

You offer to go to the Building Department, inquire how best to expedite, ask how the authorities can help in putting the client back into the new home as soon as possible. However, you don't seem to be making much headway. Well, at first you think the client is confused -- but that doesn't pan out; then you think perhaps the client does not know -- but no the client appears to be and claims to be pretty smart, and on and on this goes.

You muster all the patience you can, and you say to yourself -- the client deserves all your attention, you say the Customer is King, and all that good stuff to assure yourself that you must keep moving forward in the right direction.

However, regardless of how much you want to help, you feel you are spinning your wheels, you are making no headway at all, because the client is swinging back and forth between

• asking question about an issue ... and then giving you all the information on what the client asked about
• being extremely humble to being obnoxious
• claiming to be totally helpless to being fully capable
• having an extremely tight budget to having an unlimited budget
• badly needing your help and not needing your help at all
• having an extremely tight time schedule to having no time limit at all
• ...

So, if you are trying to figure out what are you missing? why can't you really understand the client's needs? have you really hit the wall ? and would a little more effort help you sort everything out? ... I am sorry to say
You Have Met A Smart Alec!
Well, you ask ... If my clent is a Smart Alec -- What does it mean?
A Smart Alec is ... One Who Is Too Clever For His Own Good!
But You Want To Help ... What Should You Do?
Don't Be Too Anxious To Help ... As I Said ... A Smart Alec Is Too Clever For His Own Good!
Dealing with a Smart Alec is not easy. Keep your guard on, and don't let the Smart Alec drive you crazy.

You could come across a Smart Alec in any form or shape ... it doesn't have to be just a client ... and now that I have your attention, we should also not lose sight of the fact and of course watch out that we ourselves don't ever start behaving irrationally like a Smart Alec!.
Oh Yes, and do visit with me via my website http://www.energyefficientbuild.com where I cover my recent projects and a whole lot more.

Energy Efficient Building Projects ... An Objective Look At What Engineers Do!

Working with other professionals on an energy efficient building project, I came across a situation where two professionals, normally good friends, got really hot under the collar in regard to who was going to do what on this project. It became a pretty hostile situation where they were not only not willing to work together but were ready to go for each other's throat.

I was really surprised that the energy efficient building project, that precipitated the whole thing became a secondary issue. So, I talked to each one individually and discussed that we work at pretty complex projects ... and reminded them of what engineers really do.

If one were to say, Civil Engineers design and build Civil Engineering projects, Electrical Engineers work on electrical engineering projects, Mechanical Engineers design and build mechanical engineeting appurtenances, and so on, ... that would be correct -- but it will not be the complete picture. And if you ask why is that? ... so let me elaborate:

Engineers solve problems!

Engineers do indeed solve problems that people have, whether to cretate or build a product, facilitate doing something simply, with lesser effort, more cost effectively, and so on and so on.

Now back to the situation on hand, I suggested to both of them, here we have a problem between the two of you, there is a disagreement, or a misunderstanding, or some other issue that has resulted in this conflict, so why don't we look at this as a problem to be solved, and ...

Engineer A Solution!

Well, yes we did get together, and I moderated the discussion amongst them using in progression, the

• Red Hat thinking
• White Hat thinking
• Green Hat thinking

and came upon an understanding that was mutually acceptable.

So, what is Red Hat thinking, White Hat thinking, and Green Hat thinking you ask ... well I am going to leave that for discussion on another day.

Oh Yes, and do visit with me via my website http://www.energyefficientbuild.com where I cover my recent projects and a whole lot more.

Choosing ICF Construction For Energy Efficiency And More

I have been working on a Lakefront here in Southeastern Michigan -- the Water Winter Wonderland -- tough site issues, flood plain, and wetland issues. The design of the foundation needed some innovative solution to take care of the site-civil issues. The house has been designed with ICF walls all the way through, concrete floors, steel joists, metal roof, Geothermal, and all the good stuff for a thoroughly energy efficient house.

The whole team's attention was focussed on getting the site-civil issues resolved and pass the review and the scrutiny of the Building Department and the authorities. Just as soon as we got the site-civil approval, we applied for the building permit.

Now, here is beginning of August 2008 and plans are to start construction say beginning of September 2008. Now, as the owners are beginning to look at their financing and what they have budgeted for the house construction, and the potential contractors experience or lack of it with ICF construction, question has come up why choose ICF ... can't we build with 2x4 or 2x6 studs with styrofoam on both sides ... that would be less expensive -- isn't that right?

Well, yes building with 2x4 or 2x6 studs with styrofoam on both sides would be less expensive, but more important it would be cheaper too ...

because, on top of that comparing with ICF construction, it would not

• be as energy efficient
• stop air infiltration
• have the thermal mass
• have as effective sound insulation
• have low bacterial and fungus growth
• have as good a resistance to mold and mildew
• be as strong
• ...

and of course I could go on and on.

If you want a cadillac, don't take just the body of the cadillac and fit it with a yugo engine -- you may end up with some thing that looks like a cadillac, but would it drive like a cadillac?, would it perform like a cadillac? -- and if you said no, it would not drive like a cadillac, and it would not perform like a cadillac, I Would Have To Agree With You.

I am also thinking ... if you want to buy a cadillac, would you want to go to a yugo dealer ... of course not -- you will go to a cadillac dealer... now that's SMART!

And those of us who are wondering what a yugo is -- well we will have to pick that up another time.

I also want to leave you with the thinking of some of the real ICF enthusisats ...

If You Are Not Building With ICF ... Why Are You Building?

Oh Yes, and do visit with me via my website http://www.energyefficientbuild.com where I cover my recent projects and a whole lot more.

Angelicas Place Assisted Living in Romeo Michigan

Monday, August 4, 2008

Angelicas Place Assisted Living Facility -- an energy efficient facity is a beautiful new facility in the heart of the historic Romeo Michigan. The building has ICF walls in the basement and is being built with energy efficiency in mind for the entire facility. The building is nearing completion and should be ready for occupancy in the next couple of months
Posted by yogia at 8:20 PM 0 comments
Labels: Energy Efficient Building












Oh Yes, and do visit with me via my website http://www.energyefficientbuild.com where I cover my recent projects and a whole lot more.