Putting the Project First

KAST believes strongly in "putting the people first".  As a support department, and particularly as the Strategic Services Department, we are an instrumental part of making that initiative a reality.  Our approach to turning this into an actionable goal, specific to our department, is "Putting the Project First" (PTPF).  Since we are often seen by the project teams as part of "corporate", it is extremely important that the teams see us as the "helpful" people, not the "extra work" people.  That they think "thank God you're here" when we arrive, not "damn, they're here".

We must not forget that we are also "the people".  This initiative is not meant to turn Strategic Services staff into the project team's secretary, or making us do their work for them, although it may feel like it at times.  There is power in service, and if there is a task or a decision that is best for the project, and we are in a position to complete that task, we should do so.  Particularly when we are also the best suited, most knowledgeable, best trained, and most conscientious person to complete the task.  Providing service and value to our fellow KAST teammates builds relational equity.

We are expected to make the tasks at hand happen.  Whether that be trade coordination, site logistics planning, preparing marketing materials, training our people, implementing Procore, or the myriad other roles we fill, we need to do what it takes to make things happen.  We cannot draw a line in the sand and say "this goal wasn't achieved because of the work on the other side of the line not getting done".  "I was waiting on the project team" is never going to be an acceptable excuse with upper management, and it shouldn't be an acceptable excuse for ourselves.  We should know that we did everything we could to achieve the goal, in the best interests of the project, and not that we allowed ourselves to put the blame on someone else. 

We must view our role as more than "just BIM/VDC" and instead think of ourselves, our department, and our services as a key component of the larger goal of successful project completion, and the continued growth and improvement of KAST as a whole.

When confronted with a task or a choice, ask yourself first "what is best for the project?"  Similar, follow-on questions should include:

• What is best for KAST?
• What can we do to help the project teams?
• What can we do to help Precon?
• What can we do to help BD?
• What can we do to help the other support depts?
• Who is the best person to perform this task?
  • Can I do it?
  • Do I have the authority?
  • Do I have the necessary skills?
  • Do I have the knowledge?
  • Do I understand the issue better than anyone else?