Last year I created a method to divide my unread books by categories (fiction, non-fiction, spirituality, self-help, art).
Recently I’ve taken a different approach (most likely because we got an ebook reader, which made the entire world’s library easily accessible).
I’ve started sorting my to-read list by era:
Ancient – Older than 500 years old
Almost Modern – 1492 to 1776
Modern – 1776-1945
Contemporary – 1945 onward.
When I wrote the first draft, the reading list was:
Bhagavad Gita (1000 BCE)
Journey to the West (1592)
Walden (1854)
Oranges (1975), The Tao is Silent (1977), and a couple photography monographs
I had a sneaking suspicion that something might change, but I thought this loose structure was another good way to create a cross-section through my library.
Unfortunately, something did change. Since August, I’ve become obsessed (addicted) to an online implementation of the card game Magic the Gathering. Naturally, this has drastically reduced my reading time. I may need to quit that habit so I can go back to my old ways. Maybe an entertainment diet is in order for the new year.
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(notes on) Half Time
This book is quite similar to Simon Sinek’s Start with Why. Both books address a singular “life problem”, but neither gives practical down-to-earth advice on how to tackle this core problem.
Even so, I found this book an enjoyable listen.
Most likely because I am the exact target audience, a middle-aged professional who has reached a certain level of success. With two young kids, it’s hard to believe I’ve hit “half time”, but mathematically I’m dead center between graduating college and retirement. Now that I’m halfway down the path described in the book Aging Well, it’s time for a little guidance on the matter.
I think Bob Buford’s inclinations are correct. I don’t have much more to prove as an Architect. There are certainly some stretch goals that might be nice to grab. But they aren’t worth a significant input of effort that steals time away from my kids.
I’ve seen how much extra work and stress pile with each step up the hierarchy. A promotion would be flattering, but it would be hard to justify the extra time at the office. Then again, I didn’t get to this point by coasting and I certainly don’t plan to spend the next two decades just chillin’ in my cubicle. So there is a paradox that I need to resolve in my career plan.
While this book is short on practical advice, it has named the problem and defined it clearly. For that, it’s worth a read.
I should note that this book is written from an evangelical Christian perspective and Buford liberally quotes the Bible. Even though I’m no longer Christian, I spent plenty of time studying the good book so the scriptural references felt comfortably familiar. Indeed it highlighted a blind spot in my omnivorous reading appetite with my focus on eastern philosophy. The instant familiarity that comes with Christian fare can be useful in quickly grokking an author’s perspective. Maybe I should check out more of these books in my self-help meanderings.
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A Question
How are you adjusting for the second half of your career?
Hit reply and let’s chat!
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A Link
Losers, Pretenders, & Scoundrels is a new podcast by Andrew Heaton and Andrew Young. The episode about Victor Lustig who sold the Eiffel Tower (twice!) is a fun listen. The tenuously relevant portion (to this OPM Letter) comes at the end when they discuss Lustig’s “Ten Commandments for Conmen”, which is good general advice for developing rapport with strangers.
Thanks for reading the OPM letter! I’d love to have a conversation if you have any feedback. I hope you found some prompts to stretch your craft and relationships as a curious Owner PM. See you next week!
Stay humble, be kind, and keep experimenting! Justus Pang, RA
It was completely self-inflicted. I’ve always wanted to develop the laziest possible process for making sourdough so I kept trying to use old dough to start the next loaf several times. (I also tried this last year with the same dismal results).
After a month of gummy loaves, I returned to the basic process. Use a clean starter and refresh it a couple of times. Once the starter is popping, then mix the dough. I also went back to my usual 2% salt after trying a low salt mix.
Unsurprisingly but reassuringly, the results also returned to their old success.
My boy unwittingly trolled me when the first good loaf came out. He looked at the big poofy thing in the oven and asked why I started making mommy’s (yeasted) bread. He was so surprised at this new development that he repeated the question several times, even though I kept explaining that this is what my sourdough should be.
By the way, the bread was also as tasty as it looked. Going low salt is might be good for blood pressure but a few grams makes a huge difference.
With multiple refreshes per loaf, I now have a bit of starter floating around. However, it’s not a big deal. Weekend pancakes can eat up a lot of starter for breakfast and we’ve also started making pizza for lunch.
The pancakes have been covered several times before, but the pizza is equally as simple. Take 150g of starter (1:1 hydration) and add 75g of flour. That changes the dough to a 2:1 ratio (67% hydration), a pretty standard mix for bread. Let the dough proof for as much time as you have available. Spread the dough out on an oiled cast-iron skillet. Throw on the toppings (cheese, oil, and miscellaneous veggies) and bake at 350 for about half an hour. Once the pizza is stiff, take it off the skillet and let it bake another 20 minutes on the rack.
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Interview Notes
In job search literature there is a trope that the interviewer is just as scared as the interviewee.
It’s true.
Two years ago I was a voting member for a colleague’s project. This year I interviewed firms for my own project. Both experiences were surprisingly difficult.
The morning started with jitters even though I wasn’t going to be on the hot seat. The interviews went well enough that afternoon, but it was a difficult decision and I didn’t fully wind down until long after dinner – after an impromptu therapy session with a colleague who took my call that night.
Maybe it was the video chat format. Plus, working from home grants zero decompression time on the way home. Maybe I identity too much with these folks. I know how badly I would have wanted this project. Maybe it’s just because this is all still new to me. Then again, some old hands told me it doesn’t get easier.
We saw presentations by four great architects, any of whom would have been a great pick for this project. As such, this interview should have been a cakewalk. A wrong decision was impossible.
Who thought a gimmie would be so tough?
For any architects who may be curious about how their presentations are received by the client. It’s pretty simple. The speaker matters much more than their words. The hard part is developing that relationship enough so the client already knew you before the interview.
Before posting this letter, we conducted a second round of interviews for our Construction Managers at Risk. It was not as emotionally draining as I expected, even though the contract at stake is much higher. I’m not sure why. Because there wasn’t a professional affinity with the Contractors? Or maybe I’m just getting less sensitive with practice.
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A Question
How do you manage your interviews?
Hit reply and let’s chat!
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A Link
This video about Armor weaves together technology, decoration, politics, craft, and history. It is very much an analog for the world we navigate as Architects and OPMs.
Thanks for reading the OPM letter! I’d love to have a conversation if you have any feedback. I hope you found some prompts to stretch your craft and relationships as a curious Owner PM. See you next week!
Stay humble, be kind, and keep experimenting! Justus Pang, RA
I’ve used Dixit cards to play with my girl many times. We would admire the art and pick out the cutest cards.
However, we’ve never played Dixit as a game.
A few months ago, I searched boardgamegeek.com and found a cooperative variant which deals twelve cards in two rows (six on each side). Each player places a token pairing each of their six cards with the other player’s six cards. We then score a point for every pair that matches what the partner selected.
This is a good game.
It’s a really interesting exercise to pair up the cards and compare your mind with your partner. I suspect this is something that we can play long after the cute wars have ended.
Highly recommended, we went through the entire deck (five packs worth). And we actually scored 6 out of 6 on our last chance!
It is impossible to play Dixit with a child. They don’t understand the balancing act of giving away just enough information so that only some people will correctly guess your clue.
But beautiful cards must be played.
So we invented a variant called Cute War. As the name implies, this is a variant of the old card game War.
Pull out a Dixit deck and twelve poker chips (six for each player). Split the deck in half for each player.
Every round, flip a card over. Instead of comparing numbers, discuss who flipped the cuter card. The winner takes both cards.
If there is a stalemate, a player may offer a chip to buy both cards. The other player may ante their own chip. They may raise each other. If neither player offers a chip or they stalemate at a tie, then flip over the next card and judge accordingly (winner take all, of course).
After someone has won a match, the losing player may offer a chip to buy one of the cards from the winning player. The winning player may accept the chip and give up the card. Otherwise, they must counteroffer with an equal quantity of chips. The losing player may take the counteroffer or up the bid, back and forth until someone acquiesces.
We never go through the deck more than once so there isn’t ever truly a “winner”. This is more of an activity than a game – the chips add a gamey patina but are really just a way to crystallize someone’s valuations.
One day, we’ll get around to playing “real” Dixit. Until then, we have fun with this opportunity to plumb the aesthetic preferences of my daughter.
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(notes on) Find Your Why
Sinek’s first book was a TED talk that was bloated to book-length. This is the book that Start With Why should have been.
The first chapter of Find Your Why is a perfect encapsulation of its more famous predecessor. The rest of the book completes Sinek’s “why-how-what golden circle” concept, fleshing out the idea within the standard structure of the self-help genre:
Introduction: Sell the Concept (Start With Why)
Body: Instructions for the reader actualize the Concept in their lives.
Conclusion: Reiterate the Concept with final encouragements.
The Find Your Why method asks you to recount the moments in your history that lit you up inside. Then you process these memories with their method to develop a why statement formatted as:
TO <blank> SO THAT <blank>.
“TO inspire people to do the things that inspire them SO THAT, together, we can change our world.”
Sinek’s own why statement
Unfortunately, the Find Your Why process requires a partner for half a day to talk about yourself and probe your memories. I generally avoid self-realization exercises (even though my experience with Golden Parachute was fairly illuminating), much less burdening those around me.
The authors claim their process isn’t possible to execute by yourself, so I’m not going to try. But if I were to take a stab doing their program, I would first try it on my own to probe the weak points of their method, before forcing an acquaintance (spouses aren’t recommended for this exercise) to participate in my navel-gazing.
If you’re curious about discovering your why, and if you have someone who owes you a big favor, it’s worth checking out. And even if you don’t, this is the better of these two “why” books.
I listened to this book at double speed, taking two and a half hours to “read” while doing chores. I don’t regret this minimal investment, however, if I were to do anything further, I would need to get a printed copy. I can’t imagine running this elaborate exercise without a visual reference. Then again, I haven’t felt any urge to find my why so over the past few months, so it is unlikely it will ever happen.
Even though I’m meh about both of Sinek’s “why” books, I very much enjoyed his other books Leaders Eat Last and Infinite Game. They are both excellent reads.
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A Question
Is the whole “why” thing is overrated?
Hit reply and let’s chat!
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A Few Links
ESPN occasionally commissions a great essay. This is a lovely portrait of a Will “Akuna” Robinson, a veteran who has hiked the three great trails in the United States.
Self help books may be a contemporary route to self knowledge, but I wonder if traditional wisdom books may be a better path. If my hunch is correct, I’d recommend Ecclesiastes, Dao De Jing, Analects, Bhagavad Gita, and Havamal. If nothing else, these have stood the test of time.
… and a photo.
Supersonic Wing Wind Tunnel Model – A three-quarter rear view of a wooden Langley display model in January 1958 showing the radical twist and camber of a supersonic arrow-wing design. Note the cobra-like raised nose at the upper right and the cambered, drooped trailing edges of the 75-degree swept wing. These features were inverted in the first seal design by Modarelli. (NACA L-00502), January 1958
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Thanks for reading the OPM letter! I’d love to have a conversation if you have any feedback. I hope you found some prompts to stretch your craft and relationships as a curious Owner PM. See you next week!
Stay humble, be kind, and keep experimenting! Justus Pang, RA
I must have read this book way when. How else would I have known this is a sad book? I think my parents had a copy.
After watching the movie, I borrowed a copy from the library to read it afresh.
The book is fully deserving of its acclaim. It is a heart-aching fable with spare watercolor sketches.
It is a subtle and nuanced meditation of childhood and the loss of adulthood (unfortunately, the movie bowdlerized the message by shoving it in your face).
Grown-up normalcy is shown to be absurd.
But.
Only an adult would see the message.
That said, I’m not going out to find more recreational sadness even though this book was totally worth it.
This is a lovely film, especially the sequences that mimic a stop animation with paper cutouts. Maybe a little heavy-handed in its fear of adulthood, but it means well.
Growing up isn’t the problem it’s forgetting.
As an inveterate planner in my current job, I must admit that I was impressed with the big board that Mom made for tracking her daughter’s summer of achievement. However, her mistake was not in planning out the current summer, but in scheming for the next summer.
Maybe the problem is planning.
Planning and forgetting are synonymous with avoiding the present. It’s important to have an idea for the next couple of days, but peering beyond the haze is a futile task. Even worse than wasting time, you’re overlooking the richness right in front of you.
Give yourself room.
Mom’s other mistake was not planning slack in her schedule. Along with indulging the farce that one can divine what’s around the corner, having no fluff time is a recipe for overlooking the important.
Don’t plan too far, give yourself time to smell the roses, and maybe growing up won’t be so bad after all.
Happy Thanksgiving, all the best in your travels and gatherings.
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Unnecessary Steps
For our last couple of projects, we added envelope consultants to the team.
One of them recommended conducting a whole building air test at the end of the project even though it is essentially impossible to do anything actionable with the results.
Since I had extra money in my budget, I went ahead and approved the extra work so we could judge if it would be valuable for future projects. After getting the results, I think the test turned out to be a good value – both for long-term data collection and during construction.
When the team knows there will be a final exam, the game is played a little sharper. Even though this test had no teeth (there were no contractual consequences to failure), the team was well aware of its looming eventuality.
Of course, it is far more important to have contractors who take pride in their work and their attention to detail, backed up by a proactive envelope consultant who made regular site visits. But then again, it didn’t hurt to know that would be a big double-check at the end of the job.
Sometimes technically unnecessary tasks are ultimately productive.
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A Link
The concept of “additional productive steps” to work in the office, is one of the fundamental principles of Cal Newport’s book A World Without Email. Diving into the inbox might be fast, but may not be the best workflow for knowledge work. Even though it’s an extra step, one may be well served by taking the time to shuffle actionable emails out of the inbox to a separate task management system before actually executing the billable work.
This concept has also made me reevaluate one of the crowning achievements from the past couple of years – assisting the implementation of digital signatures. Even though contracts are now processed much quicker than before, it has resulted in a lot of extra paperwork for the Owner PMs. By making it easier for us to execute administrative work, we’ve now been granted the task, distracting us from our primary duty of managing projects (not pushing contracts).
Of course, we’re never going back to hard copies and snail-mail. So the next step is to get these improved processes reassigned to our admin staff who used to manage these documents so we can return to focusing on issues that require architect and engineer licenses.
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A Question
Does your team have quick processes that might be improved by adding extra steps?
Hit reply and let’s chat!
… and a photo.
Vivian Leroy Crisler (1885-1953), an acoustics researcher at the National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C., looking over a loudspeaker horn used in sound penetration tests, Harris & Ewing, photographer, ca 1923 and 1929]
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Thanks for reading the OPM letter! I’d love to have a conversation if you have any feedback. I hope you found some prompts to stretch your craft and relationships as a curious Owner PM. See you next week!
Stay humble, be kind, and keep experimenting! Justus Pang, RA
