In Construction, Setting Team Boundaries Makes Homebuilding Easier For Everyone
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By Bob Hoebeke
President, Hoebeke Builders
Bill Gates made a fortune by realizing all of the computer hardware staring him in the face wouldn’t just work by itself — he needed to tell it specifically what he wanted it to do. By programming the hardware using software he created, Gates was able to get exactly what he wanted.
In the last couple of installments, we identified the Project Team (architect, builder, interior designer, and landscape architect), considered each discipline’s function, and discussed how they all are interdependent. Now that we have our “hardware,” it’s time to program them.
As the Owner, this is your show!
By carefully defining goals and setting project parameters, your team should fully understand what your needs and expectations are for the project.
When thinking about the “programming,” let’s consider shaping a discussion covering two areas: goals, or the generalities which led you to undertake the project; and project parameters, or the specific milestones you want to achieve. Regardless of how you have the discussion, your team needs to hear from you, and the message needs to be clear. The method seeming to be most effective through the years is as follows:
Setting target goals for the project should be specific reasons for bringing you and your team to the design table. Through the years many of the most popular reasons have been “needing more space,” “wanting to down-size,” “adding elderly parents to the equation,” “higher energy efficiency,” or maybe something just as simple as “I promised my wife that one day we would build her the home of her dreams!”
Regardless of the reasons, your Project Team needs to understand why they are going through this exercise, and they need to see your passion for the project. In “macro” terms, your statement will give your project purpose and direction. Once you’ve painted the picture with broad brushstrokes, it’s time to get specific with:
Establishing Project Parameters
Project paramaters should be simple and clear enough that all team members understand exactly what you require.
These parameters will be the framework on which team progress is measured, and the basis for correction if not followed. The first parameter should be:
- Defining budget. We start here because your team needs to help you understand if this particular parameter is reasonable. Once you’ve given a very brief profile of your project (4 bedrooms; 3.5 baths; Great Room/Kitchen; outdoor living etc.), unless the team can come to a reasonable consensus on “guesstimated” overall price, there may not be a need to venture further. Caution: don’t let your team convince you they can get 10 pounds of stuff in a five-pound sack!
- Establishing project timelines. Seems like it’s always time and money. By “defining budget” we’ve taken care of the money part, now, how long is it going to take to design and build your home? Certainly, you’ll have your opinion on how patient you can be, but each discipline at the table will know how long his/her phase should take. Because you’ve taken the time to build a team, your timelines should be dramatically compressed. Challenge your team to consider overlapping disciplines – for instance, once the brick is on your home, let’s install sidewalks, get the lot graded, and start on the irrigation system.
- Demand a well-coordinated team plan. This is not your job – the team should come up with the plan, and specific action points. Logically, it always starts in design, so the architect should be setting the pace, calling the meetings, and determining who should, and who should not be there. At some point, he will have done his work, and focus will shift to the builder. Charge your team with figuring all of that out, and putting it on a piece of paper. Since you are paying for their expertise, have the team come up with a reasonable narrative of how they will function together, and what milestones you can expect.
OK, you’ve got your “hardware” and you’ve loaded it with “software.”
NEXT TIME: We are moving from definite boundaries into “transparent expectations.” Stay tuned!
From, developing a “Lifestyle Inventory,” to building and monitoring your Project Team, Hoebeke Builders Consulting Services has all the tools necessary to dramatically increase your project’s efficiency, while decreasing your project’s cost! www.hoebekebuilders.com
