Work Trivia
I just spent the entire night playing around with Mailchimp to set up a separate newsletter feed for this OPM letter, for those who might not be interested in main catch-all Grizzly Pear newsletter.
As always, it was fun to muck around in the heart of the internet beast, playing behind the scenes of what we normally experience as information consumers. However, such amusement is tempered with the knowledge that I’ll forget everything I learn by the time I wake up tomorrow morning.
I’ve noticed a similar dynamic with architect-y things. I used to be pretty good with AutoCAD, but its been seven years since I used it professionally. Similarly, I always prided myself on my knowledge of the codebook – I was on the committee that reviewed the 2018 IEBC for any necessary amendments for Southern Nevada.
But skills atrophy quick. When I was the Architect of Record for a small kitchen demolition, I was shocked how much my skills had atrophied in just two years years. It was painful to put together a single sheet demolition plan. Every aspect was like walking in quicksand, drafting in AutoCAD, fluency in annotating the set, completing the code analysis.
Admittedly this isn’t my (normal) job anymore. The State pays me to be a multiplier. My responsibility is to effectively manage our great architects and contractors. What used to matter no longer does. As an OPM, it’s a good sign that those skills are diminishing. Let’s hope I’m picking some new ones in their place.
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What do you miss from your past career before becoming an OPM? What new skills and knowledge have you picked up as an OPM?
Hit Reply and lets chat!
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My OPM notes from March
I’ve shared this extended explanation about weekly check-ins to quite a few folks. I’m not sure if any of my recipients has read the post, but the use of a web task board with regular meetings is an absolute game changer and should become common practice within the profession.
Atomic Habits is an instant classic in the self help genre for good reason. It’s packs a helluva lot of promise for seemingly little effort. However, I slightly prefer BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits, though they complement each other well.
One from the Archives
Its crazy to think about the start of the lockdown just a year ago. In the moment, I wrote this post with some ideas about managing construction administration as remotely as possible. As we head out of the pandemic and this project is wrapping up, I’m happy to report it worked out swimmingly. Admittedly, it’s really because we had a great team.
… and a public domain photo.
