4.1.1 Cross shift backup

1. Can a company have two CEOs? Can a country have two presidents? At what level can you setup two positions doing same work at same time? Who is to setup, coordinate and facilitate the two or more positions? If you put two tigers in one cage without monitoring, they will kill each other. A good management is to turn the team member relationship from the one like ancient Rome gladiator into the one like modern Olmypic NBA team.
2. Cooperation at same level is based on agreement. Hiring a cross shift backup without supervision by higher level management is a waste of money. One person plus one person is less than theoretical two people.

4.1.2 Clock vs Watch

If there is no common wall mounted clock in the meeting room, team members have to look at their own watches.

4.1.3 As-built Drawings

Before construction, engineering drawings direct installation. Those drawings are called IFC (Issued For Construction. During construction, due to project schedule and coordination, minor changes could be made and recorded in the redline copies of drawings. Quite often those markup drawings are kept by field engineers or by contractors. Resource is limited on site. Field people do not have drafting software and skill to update redline drawings. When project is closed, people get demobilized, redline drawings are forwarded to EPC company. EPC is to update redline drawing and issue as-built drawings. Usually as-built drawings reflect "as-built" status. But it is not true always. EPC company and P.Eng have no leverage to verify the redline drawings. This is a gray area in as-built drawings. Who is to be responsible? It seems everybody is responsible. It seems nobody is responsible in many projects.

4.1.4 Master Copy, Authority, Check and Balance

1. Perdestrian, biker, automobile at street intersection traffic light

In the western country traffic rules, it is clearly defined that perdestrian has highest privilege over biker and automobile vehicle.

2. Master Copy

In the document control, we see sometimes copy A is master copy. If people update copy B and later no change is reflected on copy A. Immediately mastercopy loses meaning. The common law case, precedence will mislead future people.

3. Authority, US White House

When you do something, you need authority. When white house was designed, people talked about balance. It should be built like a king palace or just like a home. It is difficult to maitain dignity if just like a home. It is not a democratic society if built like a king palace.

4. Check and Balance

Without check and balance mechanism in place, anyone will become a dictator. Without authority in place, a group of people will become riots.

4.1.5 Communication

1. Definition

In Latin language, it means exchange of information.

2. How to say nose?

I am always wondering how first generation of Europeans communicated with local aboriginals.

You can not touch the nose. It is rude in the beginning. Use more words plus body language. Nose is a human being organ. You use it to breathe air in and breathe air out. It is below your eyes and above your mouth. At some moment, your team members are suddenly aligned, oh, I know. oh, I see.

3. In a team work, communication is very important. Communication needs ask & tell. In some companies, communication is broken. There is almost no talk at all. Culture is formed from top to bottom and shifted over time. It is human race nature.
4. Do you like Charlie Chaplin silent movie?

In the silent movie, there is no language. Charlie communicated with audience very well because he made efforts to let people know. See 5.2 Air Liquide CNRL Horizon2 Hydrogen Project, Photo 02: Whiteboard Illustration


5. Soldier to soldier, general to general. First try office room, then you are entitled and have opportunity to get something done in the meeting room.
6. Fort McMurray

If you say Fort McMurray, people may not understand. If you say a city 430km north of Edmonton, many people will get the point. Therefore, the way to communciate is important.

4.1.6 Document Management, Well organized

I am a well organized person. After I am hired onboard, I gather documents, read them, group them. Little by little, my personal library is better than company library.

1. Leave history behind, do not change history, do not forget history.

When I worked in one company, I made the infrastructure of project document log.

2. Standardization.

These pens are normally used in my office desk. The mechanical pencil is made in Germany. I bought by myself and carried around when I worked for new employers.

4.1.7 Strategic Thinking