A Day in the Life of an Owner

Today we’re flashing back to an episode from May of 2022. 

We start out with some banter about Eddie’s kids giving Tyler a hard time. Then Tyler signs up for a marathon… Oh, wait, no he doesn’t. What a slacker. 

Nate Patrick is facilities project manager for Pennsylvania State University Office of Physical Plant. Before taking that position, he worked several years as a mechanical design engineer. Nate joins us today in the studio to share some practical tips for contractors, designers, project managers and others who need to coordinate with owners to handle the construction process more effectively. 

Nate manages between 15 and 20 projects at a time, ranging from $250,000 to $50 million. At the moment, he’s handing almost twice that load. He says that no two days are the same in his work. As you can imagine, it feels like juggling. 

We ask Nate to paint us a picture of what an owner’s life looks like. Here are a few of the insights he shares: -It’s about continuous reprioritizing.
-There’s lots and lots of data.
-It’s nonstop communication.
-It requires a great deal of coordinating between numerous parties.
-The calendar gets complicated because so many parties are involved–each of which might need you to communicate in a different way.
-It involves a bunch of meetings.

Tyler asks how project managers can be more proactive in communicating with owners. He says that it’s important to have a proposed solution before you share your problem. Thoughtful handling of RFIs is crucial. He also says that action/deadline dates, schedule impacts, and financial impacts should be communicated with each RFI so the owner can prudently prioritize.

We discuss the risk of crying wolf when it comes to prioritizing requests. It’s easy to get too aggressive and trigger vindictiveness in the other party. 

Nate says that building trust takes time. It’s something we all have to work on. Here’s his recipe for building trust (which he credits to a source that he has since forgotten):
-Tell someone what you’re going to do.
-Do what you told them you were going to do.
-Tell them that you did what you said you’d do.

Tyler compares this to being a good assistant. Have the tool that the person needs when you know they’re going to need it.

We wrap up with a discussion about the importance of clarifying expectations with all parties at the very beginning of a project. 

Nate’s Megaphone Message: Care for people. We’re all people. One of us is not more important than another. We all are a part of this. These projects will not be successful without all of us working together as a team. Respect other people for who they are–for what they bring to the table. They’re not resources; they’re people. Treat them that way. There might be things outside of work that affect the way that people react in a work situation. Show gratitude and respect.

Find Nate Online: Penn State University Website

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