Interview Story - Solved a Problem
As the assistant site manager for Construction Co, I worked on several projects related to restoring a large facility that accommodates a high-profile government tenant involved in national security. The roof replacement project was one of these projects.
The facility manager believed the roof had exceeded its life span by at least five years. Yet, the facility manager also did not want to do any work that could disrupt this tenant and felt that “since it has lasted this long, then it could last a little longer.”
I was responsible for assessing the condition of the roof and for using my project management skills to put together a compelling case for what needed to happen.
First, I assessed the situation by reviewing the available information. I went over 5 reports focused on the structural integrity of this roof. Three reports identified a range of potential issues—some relatively minor, like snow load exceeding the design capacity and requiring shoveling. Two of them did not identify any issues at all. After reviewing these differing reports, I realized that I needed to go up to the roof and evaluate its condition in person.
When I got up there, I saw that this roof was clearly detrimental to the safety of the occupants. It needed replacing as soon as possible. Once I recognized that there was a real problem, I had an even greater challenge: getting the facility manager and his entire organization to take action.
It took me months to supersede a large company’s standard and rigid processes. I realized that the only way I could be successful was to put all of the decision-makers in one room at one time, help them see the severity and urgency of the problem, and get their approval for immediate action.
To schedule this meeting, I needed to bypass a number of gatekeepers and follow up relentlessly with phone calls, emails, and occasional drop-ins over a period of 8 weeks. At the same time, I needed experts who could scientifically prove the issues that I saw on my site visit.
I asked the top 6 facilities management consultants and construction engineers that I knew to attend this meeting and present their expert evaluations. To do this, I had to go against the company’s protocol of competitive bidding on all projects. Yet, given the mixed quality of previous reports, I recognized that the standard procedures were clearly not serving this facility well. During this meeting, these consultants and contractors were able to persuade the facilities company to take action.
Within 3 months, we shut down the building, successfully relocated the tenant, and began repairs. And in less than a year, the tenant moved back into the building without a problem.
As soon as we began the renovation, we realized how lucky the tenants had been and how important it was to have taken immediate action. There were roof units that were placed directly on the roof ad hoc when they should have been framed on a structural curb, not directly on the roof structure. The rock ballasts intended to protect the roof were loose and at risk of falling through. Had we not taken action when we did, the roof units or rock ballasts would likely have collapsed the roof during the next big storm or snowfall. Through this project, I realized the importance of being organized and persistent, particularly when it relates to the safety and welfare of others.