Winning is crucial to the long-term survival of your job, your career, and your firm. It’s a life-and-death kind of a thing, so I’ll use the terms “game” and “play” advisedly. This is serious stuff. Keep that in mind.
For a coach, and for a new, Full Contact PM, as well, there’s nothing quite like watching his or her team play. The defense is on the field and the game is set to begin. The crowd goes wild, because your team has had a couple of bad years, but you now have a new coach, and a new philosophy, and even some great new players. Your opposition looks tougher than ever. Even so, there’s lots of anticipation-and expectation–for a better year for our team. As it turns out, the game we’re watching has already been played, but we have the game film. We’ll not only watch the film, but we’ll dissect and analyze each aspect of it. Here we go.
“When you step onto that field, you cannot concede a thing.” Gayle Sayers
The Parts of the RFI
As you look at an RFI (see Appendix C for sample), you realize that it’s actually a very simple document. It’s comprised of several boxes. You can easily adapt the sample to fit your own company. Just change the title block. You can use a digital image or even text. It’s not important which style you use-just use one! Pick the easier one if you like; just get it underway.
There are some critical aspects of the RFI, though, and you can’t miss these. Let’s deal with them, one-by-one:
| To: | Your single point of contact; often, the PM or CM for your client |
| Date: | Today’s date; this starts the clock running |
| Date Required: | When do you need this information? If you need it today, use today’s date; if you don’t need it for a week or two, say so; disregard what the specs say, if they want you to wait for 2 weeks; use your date! |
| Time Consequences: | Let your client know if the lack of this information can delay your work |
| Money Consequences: | Let your client know if it is probable that additional money may be required |
| Description of the Problem: | Use the format shown-short title in CAPS; state your issue; do not come to a conclusion or make a recommendation-you are not the engineer of work. If some suggestion doesn’t work, we don’t want it to be the suggestion we made! |
| Response: | Leave this space for your client’s directive |
| Question: | HOW SHALL WE PROCEED? Always ask this, or something very similar. This tells client that ball is in client’s court, and that contractor is waiting. |
Coach’s Tip: The key to success in the use of the Winning RFI lies in the time given for the RFI’s response. Give the date when you actually need the info-even if it’s today!
How does this all work? Why does it work so effectively? There are several parts to the RFI and, just like players on a team, they all have to be doing their jobs well-you need a team effort. This means that even the (seemingly) insignificant parts all play huge parts in the overall scheme.
“I don’t believe in team motivation. I believe in getting a team prepared so it knows it will have the necessary confidence when it steps on a field and be prepared to play a good game.” Tom Landry
For instance, regarding the date the response is required, we want to state it accurately, and we also want to track the amount of time it takes to get our answer. A good Full Contact PM keeps a log of all RFIs and the log tracks the date on which the RFI is asked and when it is answered. This log is routinely given out to the client at all progress meetings. Claims have been won simply because the logs demonstrated that a contractor had to wait entirely too long for answers or, indeed, never received answers at all! Phone call questions don’t give you control like this.
“People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society.” Vince Lombardi
Contractor’s Ultimate Power
Another bit of Coach’s philosophy is in order. Realize that a contractor has but one thing that his client wants, and it is not his friendship! The client wants the job done-now. Often, lots of other trades are stacked up, and can’t begin until more preliminary work is completed. What this means is that, when an issue arises-something which must be resolved in order for the project to proceed-the contractor is at maximum leverage. Put another way, if there is ever a time when the contractor can assert himself just a little bit, it is now! The client needs something-also now. The contractor has it-the ability to make something happen.
Realize that this is a negotiation. You have sent your RFI. The ball is in the court of the client. You aren’t stressed. On the other hand, your client probably is. That’s a good thing! Remember that this is a negotiation. This is not a time for you to show what a good team player you are, and offer to do the work now for free, or to do the work now and discuss it later. You are playing a high stakes game. You have been dealt a great hand: competent field people, proactive PM work, a stressed-out client, and time is on your side. As in most negotiations, the person speaking first often loses. You are to stand pat until you get a written response and/or directive from your client.
Change Order Verbiage
The following quotes, regarding the necessity of obtaining written change orders, are representative of actual requirements on several projects I’ve managed.
All such changes in the Work shall be authorized by Change Order and shall be performed under the applicable conditions of the Contract Documents.
No change in the Work, whether by way of alterations or additions to the Work, shall be the basis of any addition to or change in the Contract Sum or a change in the Contract Time unless and until such alteration or addition has been authorized by a written Change Order…issued in accordance with…strict compliance…of the Contract Documents.
Without proper written authorization, in advance of the work being performed, extra work tickets will not be honored, even if they are signed by the Owner’s superintendent.
As you can see, these contract docs are very restrictive, and don’t allow a contractor to proceed with extra work, even though the client, or the client’s construction manager, may insist upon it, unless and until a written change order has been issued. Your response: “We’d love to proceed, but your contract documents do not permit it.” There is extreme leverage for the contractor at this point.
Never forget that the client’s own specs, in the vast majority of cases, will actually prevent you from moving forward without written direction. It may possibly even require a written change order. Do not gloss over this. You have an MVP on your team. Use it wisely.
“When a great team loses through complacency, it will constantly search for new and more intricate explanations to explain away defeat.” Pat Riley
Your client normally has three options: ignore your RFI, agree with your RFI, or disagree with your RFI. All of these options can work for you. First, if the client ignores your RFI, you must be prepared to cease work, if applicable. But be careful here. If you have other in-sequence work which can still be performed, then you should not stop working on it.
However, if the issue mentioned on your RFI needs to be resolved in order for you to continue working, you might find it wise to stop. This step should always be discussed with the ownership or other top management of your company, as most clients will not like it if you stop working.
It should be stated, though, that a client who ignores an RFI which says that some issue must be addressed or it will delay the project, should not be surprised to find his project actually delayed-by the contractor asking the question. Often, this action will get the client’s attention. Likewise, when you have advised your client that you can’t proceed without direction, and no direction is given, the client will find himself looking silly for ignoring you.
As mentioned, your client also has the option of answering your RFI by agreeing with your position. See the very next chapter for how you play this one. Likewise, if your client disagrees with your RFI, then go to the following Session to find out how to run that play.