CSU Engineers Professional Work “Across the Pond” Dr. Doug Aldrich Dr. Doug Aldrich CFM, IFMA Fellow CFM, IFMA Fellow.

CSU EngineersCSU Engineers

Professional Work Professional Work “Across the Pond”“Across the Pond”

Dr. Doug Aldrich Dr. Doug Aldrich CFM, IFMA FellowCFM, IFMA Fellow

No Question…..No Question…..

Technology people will work globallyTechnology people will work globally

Projects Projects willwill be different, challenging, be different, challenging, risky, and elusive opportunitiesrisky, and elusive opportunities

People People willwill test your skills and abilities test your skills and abilities to learn, contribute and succeedto learn, contribute and succeed

Two DimensionsTwo Dimensions

Projects: mutual goals, well-done Projects: mutual goals, well-done tasks and tasks and bona-fide resultsbona-fide results, , through your professional and through your professional and adept skillsadept skills

People: culture, customs and People: culture, customs and biases, with your biases, with your relationshiprelationship to to and and respectrespect for them for them

The ChallengeThe Challenge

PreparationPreparation

P^5P^5

Prior Planning Prior Planning

Prevents Prevents

Poor PerformancePoor Performance

Travel Tips Travel Tips (website)(website)

Getting ready and set to goGetting ready and set to go

Working and interactingWorking and interacting

Taking care of yourselfTaking care of yourself

Enjoying the timeEnjoying the time

LanguageLanguage

English for business/technologyEnglish for business/technology

Local words (100) + calculator Local words (100) + calculator

Pace, jargon and slangPace, jargon and slang

Legal papers and negotiationsLegal papers and negotiations

PrinciplesPrinciples

Read history, culture and customs Read history, culture and customs

Know and rely Know and rely kindlykindly on your host on your host

Understand and practice do’s-dont’s Understand and practice do’s-dont’s

Use ears and mouth in that Use ears and mouth in that proportionproportion

American ResponseAmerican Response

Getting Along - 1Getting Along - 1

ImpressionsImpressions– Dress, men and Dress, men and womenwomen– Business cards and titlesBusiness cards and titles– Foods and drinksFoods and drinks– Courtesies and giftsCourtesies and gifts– Body languageBody language

Getting Along - 2 Getting Along - 2

Business PracticesBusiness Practices– Language courtesiesLanguage courtesies– Introductions and small talkIntroductions and small talk– Questions first, then answersQuestions first, then answers– Metric measuresMetric measures

CommunicationsCommunications

WritingWriting– Better for understandingBetter for understanding– Documentation Documentation – Emails Emails

Speaking Speaking (slow and loud?)(slow and loud?)

Telephone Telephone (hours)(hours)

Meetings - 1Meetings - 1

Confirm goalsConfirm goals– Technology, costs and timingTechnology, costs and timing– Roles and responsibilitiesRoles and responsibilities

PlanningPlanning– Options and benefitsOptions and benefits– DecisionsDecisions

Meetings - 2Meetings - 2

Actions and expectationsActions and expectations– Technical and pilotingTechnical and piloting– Regulations and acceptanceRegulations and acceptance

Approvals Approvals (who and when?)(who and when?)

Plant tours Plant tours (housekeeping)(housekeeping)

Meetings - 3Meetings - 3

Tools Tools – Agendas and minutesAgendas and minutes– Charts and diagramsCharts and diagrams

Techniques Techniques – DiscussionsDiscussions– Conflict resolutionConflict resolution– DecisionsDecisions

Major ProjectsMajor Projects

Project #1: BelgiumProject #1: Belgium

Preceded by strategic planning and Preceded by strategic planning and lab consolidations lab consolidations

Followed by A/E selection, concepts, Followed by A/E selection, concepts, and design/engineering with costsand design/engineering with costs

Supervised construction, safety, Supervised construction, safety, start-up and move-in. start-up and move-in.

Linking........challengesLinking........challenges

Languages (bi- or tri-lingual)Languages (bi- or tri-lingual) Communicating Communicating valuevalue Common beliefsCommon beliefs Complex plans/budgetsComplex plans/budgets BoredroomBoredroom

Challenges: BelgiumChallenges: Belgium

Significant changes (offices and Significant changes (offices and locations, HVAC and sharing labs) locations, HVAC and sharing labs)

Influences of “two countries”Influences of “two countries”

Quality of services, materials and Quality of services, materials and construction workconstruction work

Resolutions: BelgiumResolutions: Belgium

Piloting of offices people could usePiloting of offices people could use

Value of sharing equipment and Value of sharing equipment and spaces seen by managementspaces seen by management

AC in labs, tempering in offices; AC in labs, tempering in offices; non-operable windows but smoking non-operable windows but smoking roomroom

Warning!Warning!

““Even if you’re on the Even if you’re on the right right track, you can track, you can still get run still get run

over by the train.”over by the train.”

Results: BelgiumResults: Belgium

High degree of satisfaction by all High degree of satisfaction by all users in post-occupancy auditsusers in post-occupancy audits

Excellent customer perceptions as Excellent customer perceptions as development and training facilitydevelopment and training facility

Significantly improved productivitySignificantly improved productivity

Project #2: ChinaProject #2: China

Preceded by assessment, needs Preceded by assessment, needs analysis and site plananalysis and site plan

Managed selections, documents, Managed selections, documents, estimating and approvalsestimating and approvals

Oversaw bidding, construction, Oversaw bidding, construction, safety, start-up and move-insafety, start-up and move-in

CodaCoda

““The true way of thinking about The true way of thinking about and dealing with the future is and dealing with the future is to plant trees.....under whose to plant trees.....under whose shade you do not expect to shade you do not expect to sit.”sit.”

Challenges: ChinaChallenges: China

Relationships and hurdlesRelationships and hurdles

Supply of goods and servicesSupply of goods and services

American business methodsAmerican business methods

Construction quality and safetyConstruction quality and safety

Resolutions: ChinaResolutions: China

Appreciation for but insistence on Appreciation for but insistence on rules and expectationsrules and expectations

Vendor and contractor selection Vendor and contractor selection and careful documentation and careful documentation

Correction of unsatisfactory Correction of unsatisfactory and/or unsafe work and practicesand/or unsafe work and practices

CodaCoda

““The true way of thinking about The true way of thinking about and dealing with the future is and dealing with the future is to plant trees.....under whose to plant trees.....under whose shade you do not expect to shade you do not expect to sit.”sit.”

Results: ChinaResults: China

Admired for DC’s first lab in PRCAdmired for DC’s first lab in PRC

Respect for knowledge and ethics Respect for knowledge and ethics

Appreciation for USA approachesAppreciation for USA approaches

First-time quality approvalFirst-time quality approval

RelationshipsRelationships

Slow or medium, not fastSlow or medium, not fast

Opportunities unfoldOpportunities unfold

Work and social timesWork and social times

Differences can be goodDifferences can be good

LessonsLessons

Consensus takes time and workConsensus takes time and work

History and cultural History and cultural dodo influence influence

Results Results andand the journey count the journey count

Respect is earnedRespect is earned

It’s a Technical World It’s a Technical World