Line Meets Curve

Just when we think managing a complex construction project has become almost impossible, a new problem crops up.  It could be the weather, or it could be a materials shortage, or perhaps some difficulty in getting materials to the site.  Maybe our contract personnel are grousing about the remote location, and their drive times and gas consumption involved in getting there every day.

Well, why don’t you just bookmark this link to a video about a construction job in the Antarctic to help you to refocus and appreciate the things about your project that are actually not that bad.   With only about four months of available work time, during the arctic summer, it doesn’t seem so bad if you’re getting rained out a few days every month.  Talk about pressure for staying on schedule!  A delay of a week could put the entire project completion late by an entire year.

We can also appreciate the milder wear and tear on our equipment, as well as the ability to get a part or mechanic on site in less than a couple of weeks.   The video speaks to the type of problems this project manager faces, with the failure of a crane to start being a huge calamity.  It’s enough just to think about the harsh temperatures this equipment must endure, but there isn’t a spare one in town to rent when there’s a problem.

The next time you’re lamenting the problems of the day, just remember that your project could be in Antarctica, and it should help to ease the pain.  Or, you could really have fouled up a project, such as building a hospital at a lower elevation than the reservoir supplying its water.   See, you just think you’re having a bad day.