46 Keynotes May 2024 aloa.org Planning After the site survey, I had a few things that were going around in my head, and I knew that there would be a few obstacles that I would have to navigate around with this project. I wanted things to go smoothly, so I needed to think this through thoroughly and come up with a plan so I could prepare as much as pos- sible. Preparing would allow me to make sure that I could successfully execute and make the most efficient use of my time while maintaining the safety of myself and others as well as comply with all the instructions given to me. It was time to smoke my pipe. If you do not know what I mean by that, read my March 2023 Key- notes article “Smoke Your Pipe!” Even though the job itself was straightforward, there were things to consider and prepare for, and after smoking my pipe, I knew that I would be facing a few hurdles — none of which would be a showstopper as long as each was carefully thought out and planned for. My goal was to make sure that things went smoothly and to try to avoid sur- prises. I really, really hate surprises. I realized that I had five components of the project that I would have to figure out if I wanted the job to go without a hitch. With some thought, planning and prep work, the following is what I came up with. The Five Challenges Parking Parking in Washington, D.C., can be a challenge, especially with a service vehi- cle. The first thought that came across my mind was: Would parking be available for my service vehicle? If not, would I be able to park near the building? I would have to scope out parking garages in the area, and if none were available, hopefully I would be able to find metered parking. And of course, how many hours would I be allowed to park at the meter, and what about an app? Would I need to get yet another parking app for my phone? I have had my service vehicles broken into and vandalized a few times in the past, and I have been a little jumpy about parking in areas that I am not familiar with ever since. When downtown, I try to only open my service vehicle when necessary because I do not like the public “people on the street” to see what I have inside. I do not like to make myself an attractive target for theft. Leaving my service vehicle in an unfamiliar location just adds to my daily stress, which is something I prefer to do without. What a nightmare parking can be sometimes become. Start Time I knew that I needed to start early in the morning to get out of the common areas before people started to come inside the building, or at least be out of their way by 9 a.m. Ideally, I needed to start as early as possible. My question was, how early would they allow me to start? Tools and Equipment I wanted to keep all my equipment with me at all times. This meant that I would have to move all my equipment in one trip. I knew that I would need a lot of tools and equipment, but how could one person (me) bring all of it to the jobsite in one trip? Also, I needed to keep every- thing with me the entire time because I did not want to leave them out of my sight. I always like to think the best of people. However, as unfortunate as it may be, I have learned the hard way that when tools are left unattended, they tend to go missing. Another reason for keeping the tools close by me was for my work to be as efficient as possible. Walking back and forth getting tools and equipment is a huge time killer and not something that I wanted to do. Unattended Door I did not want to ever leave a door unat- tended that I was working on — not even for a split second. If that happened, then I may be responsible or liable if some- body sneaked into the museum or, even worse, got out with some exhibits or art. I needed to come up with a solution that would always keep me at the door until I had completed my work, secured and locked the door and moved on. Time Management Efficiency. I needed to make sure that I used my time wisely and effectively. There needed to be productivity with every move I made. When I have trained employees in the past, I have always told them, “I want to always see something in your hands; you should never be walking on a jobsite with nothing in your hands.” For example: when going back to the service vehicle to get something, I would tell them to always find something that was no longer needed for the project and carry that back with them to put it back in the service vehi- cle. This enabled them to use their time more efficiently and complete a task that they would have to do later, shaving some time off the job. Every action needs to be thought out. Planning, prioritizing and performing are three important Ps in time management. Time management in business can make or break you. Poor time management can result in decreased productivity, missed deadlines and poor quality of work, among other things. I did not want any of those, so I needed to make sure that I followed my own rules. Miter saws can be extremely dangerous if improperly used.
