Ever looked at a crack in the wall of your house and wonder when did that happen?  For some people the fix is quick and easy, patch it and forget about it.  A few months go by and lo and behold another crack needs mending.  Maybe a few more months later and you wonder when did that door become hard to open?  For the average Joe, the thought that they need to deal with their foundation doesn’t hit until well after every room in the house is impacted by the shifting forces.  Left unattended, we have all seen old houses whose walls are gone and roof is so pitched, it would be unsafe to walk under it!

Ever have a moment getting out of a chair or up out of bed and wonder, is that a new pain? When did that start?  Well your body has a foundation also, the pelvic girdle.  It connects with the legs at the hips and also the spine at the SI (sacroiliac) joints.  So if the hips have “shift”, it is not unusual for the forces to be off all the way up the spine!  Your body has a goal for your head to remain facing forward and to keep your eyes fairly level.  So if one side of the pelvis changes position, there is an alteration in the “foundation” and the rest of the body has to adapt by shifting as well.  You may experience this anywhere in the kinetic chain; meaning that you may feel tightness and pain in your shoulders, neck, head or even the jaw.  Yes, your “TMJ” issue may be coming from your hips and pelvic girdle.  Think about it, your “foundation” shifted and left unattended your “roof” can no longer handle the change in forces.  Most of the time these “compensatory” injuries show up on the opposite side of the body.  Try a little experiment, stand up and place all of your weight on one leg.  Feel how the rest of you has to move to keep the balance?  Why would anyone not notice? In the course of a life you have to get things done so you keep going.  Most of us wouldn’t recognize this shift as an injury.   We begin to consider it “normal”, and don’t seek to correct the foundation problem.  So the next time you get headaches a few days in a row or your shoulder “suddenly” doesn’t want to do what you ask ~ have a professional check your hips/pelvis to make sure you don’t need a “foundation repair”.  And, oh, by the way, taking a pain killer is like patching the crack, sure you don’t see it anymore but that doesn’t mean you’ve fixed the origin of the problem! 

Ever looked at a crack in the wall of your house and wonder when did that happen?  For some people the fix is quick and easy, patch it and forget about it.  A few months go by and lo and behold another crack needs mending.  Maybe a few more months later and you wonder when did that door become hard to open?  For the average Joe, the thought that they need to deal with their foundation doesn’t hit until well after every room in the house is impacted by the shifting forces.  Left unattended, we have all seen old houses whose walls are gone and roof is so pitched, it would be unsafe to walk under it!

Ever have a moment getting out of a chair or up out of bed and wonder, is that a new pain? When did that start?  Well your body has a foundation also, the pelvic girdle.  It connects with the legs at the hips and also the spine at the SI (sacroiliac) joints.  So if the hips have “shift”, it is not unusual for the forces to be off all the way up the spine!  Your body has a goal for your head to remain facing forward and to keep your eyes fairly level.  So if one side of the pelvis changes position, there is an alteration in the “foundation” and the rest of the body has to adapt by shifting as well.  You may experience this anywhere in the kinetic chain; meaning that you may feel tightness and pain in your shoulders, neck, head or even the jaw.  Yes, your “TMJ” issue may be coming from your hips and pelvic girdle.  Think about it, your “foundation” shifted and left unattended your “roof” can no longer handle the change in forces.  Most of the time these “compensatory” injuries show up on the opposite side of the body.  Try a little experiment, stand up and place all of your weight on one leg.  Feel how the rest of you has to move to keep the balance?  Why would anyone not notice? In the course of a life you have to get things done so you keep going.  Most of us wouldn’t recognize this shift as an injury.   We begin to consider it “normal”, and don’t seek to correct the foundation problem.  So the next time you get headaches a few days in a row or your shoulder “suddenly” doesn’t want to do what you ask ~ have a professional check your hips/pelvis to make sure you don’t need a “foundation repair”.  And, oh, by the way, taking a pain killer is like patching the crack, sure you don’t see it anymore but that doesn’t mean you’ve fixed the origin of the problem!

 Matthew Nolan B.Sc., LMT, MTI, CEP, CPT, holds a Bachelor of Science from State University of NY, College at Cortland, 1982.  Major:  Physical Education (Kinesiology) with emphasis in Exercise Science, and is a Certified Personal Trainer, Licensed Massage Therapist, Massage Therapy Instructor, and Continuing Education Provider, Texas.  Matt has over 1,000 hours of training in a variety of massage and bodywork techniques.  He has taught in Texas, Montana, and Wyoming, and offers continuing education classes and consulting in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas.  Specializing in Clinical and Orthopedic Massage, his practice is located in Richardson Texas (a northern suburb of Dallas) both in private practice as well as partnering with area chiropractors in assisting their patients. Clients include athletes as well as people from all walks of life.  Contact Matt at www.p2kfitness.massagetherapy.com, email p2kfitness@aol.com, or 214-676-8512.  His office is located at 2060 N. Collins Blvd, #201, Richardson, 75080.

The structure of the Eiffel Tower was based upon the structure of the human body.

By Matthew Nolan B.Sc., LMT, MTI, CEP, CPT 

Ah, Paris in springtime, and what would a trip to Paris be without visiting the Eiffel Tower?  The creation of Gustave Eiffel is the tallest building in Paris at a height of 324 meters (1,063 feet for Americans).   Gustave sought a way to build a large structure of iron that would not collapse with the weight of iron required to build it so tall.   Few people realize that he turned to the human structure for his answer.  He studied bones, primarily the femur (thigh) bone for inspiration and answers.  The end of each long bone is made of “spongy bone” or trabecular bone tissue.  This particular bone tissue is less dense than the bone making up the shaft of the bone and it has more surface area.   One of the amazing factors of the design is the ability to withstand the forces of gravity on the body in motion.  The trabeculii help to dissipate the forces so that we don’t break our legs every time we jump or run!  This is what Gustave understood and used to design a tower that although is made from iron has “a lower density than a cylinder of air occupying the same dimensions as the tower”[1]  Truly amazing and wonderful.  Our human body is an architectural wonder from the arches of our feet to the pulley systems of our tendons.  Take your form out and say thank you, perhaps by sipping French Roast in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower?

[1] Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower

 Matthew Nolan B.Sc., LMT, MTI, CEP, CPT, holds a Bachelor of Science from State University of NY, College at Cortland, 1982.  Major:  Physical Education (Kinesiology) with emphasis in Exercise Science, and is a Certified Personal Trainer, Licensed Massage Therapist, Massage Therapy Instructor, and Continuing Education Provider, Texas.  Matt has over 1,000 hours of training in a variety of massage and bodywork techniques.  He has taught in Texas, Montana, and Wyoming, and offers continuing education classes and consulting in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas.  Specializing in Clinical and Orthopedic Massage, his practice is located in Richardson Texas (a northern suburb of Dallas) both in private practice as well as partnering with area chiropractors in assisting their patients. Clients include athletes as well as people from all walks of life.  Contact Matt at www.p2kfitness.massagetherapy.com, email p2kfitness@aol.com, or 214-676-8512.  His office is located at 2060 N. Collins Blvd, #201, Richardson, 75080.

‘Reach out and touch someone’… some of you may be old enough to remember when AT&T used this as their marketing slogan.  In these more modern days we have a number of technological advances that allows for us to remain in ‘contact’ with our friends, families and well, just about anyone and everyone!  While high-tech has made it possible to keep up minute-by-minute with the world, our need for plain, old-fashioned touch is just as important.  In his landmark book, ‘Touching’, Ashley Montagu calls touch the ‘mother of the senses’ and states that it is the first of our senses to become ‘functional’ during fetal development.  He also recounts how in the early 1900’s doctors in medical institutions could not understand how mortality rates for infants admitted was almost 100% for each institution.  It wasn’t until Dr. Fritz Talbot was visiting a hospital in Germany that he discovered a ‘secret’.  He witnessed an old woman carrying around a baby on her hip and when he inquired as to who she was, found out that when a baby wasn’t doing well and the medical team did everything they could, they called her in and she would ‘turn the child around’.   Dr Talbot brought back to the U.S. the concept of touching infants; holding them, rocking them, stroking them.  Amazingly infant mortality rates dropped from about 35% to just10% in one year!

Dr. Tiffany Fields established the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School Of Medicine in 1992.  Her goal:  to really understand the importance of touch by creating studies that look at the impact of touch throughout a lifespan.  Touch is so powerful that she list the benefits on the website (www.miami.edu/touch-research) and includes this statement:  (touch) “enhances attentiveness, alleviates depressive symptoms, reduces pain, reduces stress hormones and improves immune function.”

In 1996, a study was completed that looked at the effect of a 15 minute chair massage vs. just relaxing in a chair for 15 minutes.  The study compared EEG patterns and math computations.  The results showed that while both groups showed signs of relaxation, the massaged group increased their accuracy on math computations as well as the speed of the computations!  Additionally, the massaged group scored lower on job stress at the end of the five week study.  

Even ‘casual touching’ can be important.  In a study that has been replicated numerous times in different settings, people rate service higher if there is some form of touch involved.  In one such study, cashiers are instructed to place a person’s change directly in their hand and for the next customer just place the change on the counter.  Researchers then stop the customer and ask about the service they have received.  People receiving the change in their hand rate the service higher than the person who had to pick up their change from the counter.  An article published in the New York Times (Feb 23, 2010) outlined even further evidence of the power of touch.  In that article they describe a research paper that studied NBA teams and the interactions within teams.  The authors of the paper, Mr. Michael Kraus, Ms. Cassy Huang and Dr. Keltner reported that ‘good teams tended to be touchier than bad ones.  The most touch-bonded teams were the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers.’  

I dare say that if the better performers are touching more than lesser ones, perhaps we should emulate the winners… can I get a high five here? 

 Matthew Nolan B.Sc., LMT, MTI, CEP, CPT, holds a Bachelor of Science from State University of NY, College at Cortland, 1982.  Major:  Physical Education (Kinesiology) with emphasis in Exercise Science, and is a Certified Personal Trainer, Licensed Massage Therapist, Massage Therapy Instructor, and Continuing Education Provider, Texas.  Matt has over 1,000 hours of training in a variety of massage and bodywork techniques.  He has taught in Texas, Montana, and Wyoming, and offers continuing education classes and consulting in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas.  Specializing in Clinical and Orthopedic Massage, his practice is located in Richardson Texas (a northern suburb of Dallas) both in private practice as well as partnering with area chiropractors in assisting their patients. Clients include athletes as well as people from all walks of life.  Contact Matt at www.p2kfitness.massagetherapy.com, email p2kfitness@aol.com, or 214-676-8512.  His office is located at 2060 N. Collins Blvd, #201, Richardson, 75080.

Learn to identify the ‘styles’ of your staff (or committee) members to improve communication.

In any workplace, there are eight classic styles of behavior:  commander, drifter, attacker, pleaser, performer, avoider, analytical, and achiever.  By learning how to identify the general characteristics of each style, managers can optimize their interactions with staff members.

In particular, you will learn what motivates each style of behavior; how to give effective feedback to each behavior style; and tips for getting the best out of each behavior style.

Management isn’t a cookie-cutter process; each person is motivated differently and responds to communication methods differently.  And a good manager knows which method works for each employee.  Here, then, are the eight classic types of behavior in the workplace and how to deal with each one:

The Eight Behavior Types

Commanders.  Demanding and domineering, commanders are stereotypical control freaks.  They’re extremely bossy.  Abrupt to the point of rudeness, they speak in crisp, direct, hard-hitting tones without bothering to be tactful.  But being rude isn’t their intention.  It’s just that they’re usually mentally engaged in some issue or another, and the softer side of human interaction isn’t a priority.  They are uncomfortable with and aggravated by phrases such as “I feel” or “Let’s share.”

Their greatest strength is their ability to implement, regardless of what barriers may exist.  Commanders can be relied upon to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Commander subordinates will be either your greatest blessing or your worst management nightmare, depending on how you manage them.  Because commander behavior is motivated by the need for control, it is not unusual for managers to feel threatened by commander employees.  Behavior you may view as an attempt to take away your authority is, in the view of a commander, a demonstration of drive and initiative.  If you chastise them for not “knowing their place,” they will go around, over or through you – or will go out the door.

Delegate to your commander. Assign projects by being specific about the desired result and letting them figure out the how-to’s. When providing critical feedback, speak in terms of desired results, outcomes or objectives and avoid talking about feelings. When reasonable, include them in strategic planning sessions. Take a few moments to prepare for interaction with your commander, so your communications will be clear, direct and concise. Value and validate their ability to overcome obstacles and get the job done.

Drifters. Free spirited and easy going, disorganized and impulsive, drifters are virtually antithetical to commanders. Their extremely short attention span means they don’t pay attention to details, they fail to follow up and frequently miss deadlines. They have difficulty with structure of any kind, whether it relates to work hours, policies, procedures, dress codes or commitments. Their behavior, though wrapped in personal warmth and friendliness, causes extreme exasperation among their colleagues, making the drifter one of the most difficult subordinates to manage effectively.

Their greatest strength is innovation and creativity. Able to improvise on a moment’s notice, they are extremely flexible.

Successfully managing the drifter requires that you inject as much fun and variety into the workday as possible. Integrate short but more frequent team meetings where updates or interesting tidbits are announced. Try to “lighten up” – at least in front of your drifter. Include your drifter in the entertaining of clients or other social activities. Keep assignments short, and try to build variety into the tasks that your drifter must perform. If possible, provide for a “roving” capacity in the drifter’s job.

When it’s time to give critical feedback, remember that if you tense up, become angry or stressed, your drifter will simply “zone out” until you are approachable again. Instead, try delivering the feedback outside the office. Drifters respond well to personal appeals, so tuck your comments into the context of how improving their work will help you personally. Value and validate their “out-of-the-box” thinking. And keep it short. Make sure that when you are done, you’re re-animated, talking about a non-business related topic such as an upcoming party, sports event or other social activity.

Attackers. Angry and hostile, cynical and grouchy, attackers often are the most demoralizing influence in the workplace.  They are highly critical of others in a demeaning and condescending tone. With biting sarcasm, their attacks on others are personal in nature, tantamount to verbal abuse. When something goes wrong in the workplace, attackers have a real need to know who is to blame. Attackers view themselves as superior and are continually expressing contempt and disgust for the incompetence and inadequacy of their fellow workers.

The problem for managers is that they usually are unaware of their attacker’s behavior. Other subordinates may complain to the manager, but it’s not likely that the manager has ever witnessed the attacker’s abusive behavior. Your initial vulnerability therefore lies in a demoralized, embittered staff. Your immediate strategy is to make sure your staff knows how to cope with attacker behavior. Essentially, this will involve enabling your staff to behave in android-like fashion, no matter what behaviors the attacker manifests.

Attackers interpret any critical feedback as a sign of disrespect. Although this may be precisely what they’ve earned, the direct approach will not be effective with the attacker. What does work is to ask the attacker self-convicting questions such as, “What do you believe to be the most important characteristics of teams-manship?” or “How do you plan to evidence these over the next review period?” or “In your opinion, what is the quality of interaction among the members of Team X?  What can you do to positively impact team interactions?” Value and validate their apparent resilience and their willingness to do the ugly, unpopular jobs that no one else wants to do.

Pleasers. Thoughtful, pleasant and helpful, pleasers are easy to get along with on a personal basis. They want the approval of others, so they give in easily, feigning agreement to maintain harmony. Pleasers view their work associates as a family, remembering special occasions and expressing interest in their outside activities. By indulging their familial natures, pleasures use up time needed to complete their work assignments.

Exacerbating this problem is the inability of pleasers to say “no” to the requests of others. They won’t ask others the tough questions necessary to get the job done, and they won’t complain if they are badly treated by others. Pleasers won’t provide information necessary to the effective management of your department if providing that information will get someone else in trouble or upset others.

Their greatest strength is that they humanize the workplace. Pleasers nourish a congenial atmosphere and a fundamental caring for others.

It is actually the very kindness of the pleasure that makes their managers most vulnerable. Essentially, managers allow themselves to be held hostage by the very nature of pleasures and fail to give them the critical feedback pleasers need to grow and develop. Giving feedback to pleasers is done most effectively through the “sandwich technique,” in which you insert a criticism between two compliments. You begin and end with praise, while ensuring that the remedial need is adequately addressed.

Being familial with your pleaser – knowing the names and activities of their family members, remembering special occasions and being personally thoughtful – will be helpful because it establishes a “savings account” of good things against which you can make withdrawals or critical comments without it begins so devastating. Value and validate the assistance they provide in helping to balance professional and personal lives.

Performers. Flamboyant and loud, jovial and entertaining, performers are often the most favorite personality in the workplace. They make us laugh; they seem to roll with the punches, finding humor even in bad news.

In fact, performers are actually self-performing hustlers who use others as stepping-stones on their path to the limelight.  They create a false impression of their own status and importance by always seeming to be in a hurry and talking about their high-profile projects. In fact, the reason performers are in such a hurry is that they’ve been so busy promoting themselves that their workload really has backed up.

The motivator for performers’ behavior is the need for recognition. Always the first to volunteer, they will over-promise to look good. Managers need to monitor their performers to ensure they deliver what they promise. If they don’t reach their goals, performers will deny responsibility, blame others or rationalize away their failure to produce.

The greatest strength of performers is their ability to establish – not to maintain – relationships. Their wit and mental quickness equip them to charm and delight others with ambassadorial sophistication. But, if you act on what the performer tells you without first checking the facts yourself, you’re likely to get egg on your face.

In giving critical feedback to your performer, try telling a story in which the undesirable behavior is assigned to someone you worked with in another company. The indirect approach works because it allws the performer – who really will get the message – later to be credited with discerning that your message was meant for him.

Because performers are notoriously poor with administrative details, managers will either need to shore up this weakness with strong support personnel, or build incentives into the review system to ensure compliance with administrative expectations. Value and validate their ability to establish new relationships.

Avoiders. Avoiders are the stereotypical wallflowers of world. Quiet and reserved, they create warm, cozy, nest-like environments and prefer to work alone. Fear is almost always a factor for avoiders. If forced to work on a team or committee, they speak only in superficial terms, in clichés or to validate what someone else has already said. This, they believe, protects them from saying anything that others might consider to be stupid.

Fear also prevents them from taking initiative. They shun both recognition and increased responsibility because both impose undesirable levels of visibility and accountability. Avoiders will sacrifice money, position, growth and new opportunities for safety.

The greatest strength of avoiders is their commitment to doing the job right the first time, every time.  can be relied upon to do exactly what they’re told – no more, it’s true – but no less either.

When giving feedback to avoiders, it’s important not to threaten them. What motivates their behavior is the need for security, so fear is disabling to them. When being critical, be careful to first assure the avoider that his job is not at risk and to reassure him of this at the conclusion of your remarks.

Always provide detailed instructions in writing. Don’t push positions of increased responsibility on your avoider or assign him to high profile projects. If either the work environment or the nature of your avoider’s job won’t permit the implementation of these ideas, you should consider reassigning him.

Value and validate your avoiders for their meticulous attention to your instructions, and express confidence in their ability to continue doing their jobs effectively.

Analyticals. Cautious, precise and diligent, analyticals proofread photocopies as they come out of the copy machine.  They are the personification of procrastination, checking everything thrice and over analyzing it. It is this near obsession with detail that incapacitates analyticals in times of urgency.

It seems that no matter what new idea anyone has, analyticals have a reason why it should be done. Although aware that others perceive them as socially awkward nay-sayers, not much pain is associated with this because analyticals prefer data to people. People have emotions, and emotions are not logical; data, on the other hand, have no emotions and are logical.

The motivator for analytical behavior is the need for certainty, which is why it takes people of this type two hours or more to answer your questions. They have to be certain they’re providing you the correct answer because they have to respond fully to every possible permutation of your question.

The greatest strength of the analytical is their ability to see several steps ahead and to anticipate the various potential risks.  If there’s a possible downside, analyticals can be relied upon to reveal it far enough in advance to avoid it.

To be effective in giving feedback to your analytical, you must have examples of the behavior you’re criticizing.  If you lack examples to back up your allegations, your input will be perceived as invalid.

To build a good working relationship with your analytical, show respect for details.  When he submits a project, go through and highlight sections and ask meaningful questions, and then express appreciation that you can rely on him for any other explanations needed.  Help your analytical meet deadlines more comfortably by having him break down projects into interim steps and assign his own deadlines to each of the interim steps.  Value and validate the analytical’s commitment to provide accurate information.

Achievers. Content, peaceful and pleasant to be around, achievers are self-confident without being arrogant.  Unlike other personalities who must exact something from others to establish their sense of self, achievers develop their sense of self through inner directedness and self-discipline.

Achievers exude a serenity and authenticity that illuminates the absence of hidden agendas, and they hold themselves accountable for their results.  Genuinely interested in the opinions of others, achievers actively seek feedback listening carefully for the value provided in criticism, and they find humor in their shortcomings and make appropriate adjustments.  The greatest strength is their ability to positively influence others.

Achievers don’t run around moralizing, philosophizing and admonishing others.  Instead, one merely observes achiever behavior and is influences positively.  Achiever subordinates are low-maintenance individuals.  They adhere to their own performance standards, which are likely to be considerably higher than those set by managers.  Achievers are not driven by personal gain, so they don’t make their managers vulnerable in any way.  Instead, managers can rely on their achievers to focus consistently on what’s best for the organization.  Value and validate the achiever’s objectivity and their ability to interact effectively with all behavioral styles.

No Absolutes

Of course, these descriptions are general and stereotypical.  Some of your associates may seem to fit a profile exactly, while others may reflect a combination of several of the eight styles.  You will have to borrow the strategies from each of the eight styles where appropriate and interject your own judgment when necessary.  There aren’t any absolutes in dealing with human behavior, but, used effectively, these strategies will help you get the most out of all your subordinates.

Francie M. Dalton is founder and president of Dalton Alliances, Inc., a business consulting firm providing a full range of services in the communication management and behavioral sciences, based Columbia, Md. She can be reached via the company website at www.daltonalliances.com or by calling 410-715-0484.

HR Magazine

Published by the Society for

Human Resource Management

I don’t know why I get into gunfights. I guess sometimes I just get lonely.
Billy Clanton from the movie Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)

Once upon a time in the West
The architect’s documents in this part of the world have always been inherently conceptual. Additional information has typically been required by the contractor from the architect during the construction phase. Up until the 1970s this information was transferred informally during face-to-face meetings or by telephone. Most construction contracts were lump sum and the concept of the contractor delivering a “complete” building was alive and well. No documentation of the discussions were needed or prepared.

The proliferation of lawyers and claims in the 1950s and 1960s, coincidental with the invention of professional liability insurance, gave rise to the need for increased documentation. The casual questions, once asked and answered, now apparently were determined to need a method for documenting “what, why, and when.” Thus the Request for Information was born.

A Request for Information (RFI) is most frequently and legitimately used by contractors to ask architects questions about the intent of the construction documents or to point out perceived omissions or conflicts in the documents. It began as a written document, now digital, and it is tracked through software management programs capable of producing detailed reports on the RFI status.

The contractor is solely responsible for bidding the work responsibly and for determining how the work will be divided among the trades. Accordingly, the contractor must coordinate the scope allocation for pricing and execution of the work of the various subcontractors to assure there is no gap in scope between the trades and that the work as it is constructed is coordinated. These are major elements of the contractor’s work plan.

As with any complex human endeavor there are likely to be questions about how the work will be coordinated and sequenced. In our experience, these subcontractor questions, once fielded almost entirely by the construction manager or general contractor, are now routinely passed through for the architect and engineers to answer.

Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything
Wyatt Earp

Lethal weapons
The need for effective communication notwithstanding, RFI’s can be very high risk documents because they are often used for the purpose of documenting or at least creating the illusion of negligence by the design professionals. When they are presented with a demand that the answer is needed as soon as possible, the implication is that any time beyond an immediate answer will delay the project.

If A201, Article 3.2.2 is followed wherein it requires the contractor to review the contract documents in advance to discover any missing or erroneous information, the RFI will be sent sufficiently in advance so that it will not be dependent on an immediate answer

…the Contractor shall, before starting each portion of the Work, carefully study and compare the various Contract Documents relative to that portion of the Work
… These obligations are for the purpose of facilitating coordination and construction …

Logically, it follows that if the contractor is demanding immediate answers to their RFIs, they are openly admitting that they have not followed A201.

Another popular contractor allegation is that, by virtue of having to ask the RFI question, there is an omission in the drawings. This approach does not recognize or acknowledge that A201 anticipates such questions.

Article 3.2.3: … the Contractor shall promptly report to the Architect any errors, inconsistencies or omissions discovered by or made known to the Contractor as a request for information in such form as the Architect may require.

And,

Article 4.2.14: The Architect will review and respond to requests for information about the Contract Documents … If appropriate, the Architect will prepare and issue supplemental Drawings and Specifications in response to the requests for information.

A201 addresses that the drawings and specifications do not contain all of the information required to construct the project. Contractors who comply with A201 have coordinated their project and developed their work plan early, and their RFIs should not be dependent upon an immediate answer.

You gonna do something or just stand there and bleed?
Wyatt Earp, from the movie Tombstone (1993)

Live ammunition?
Are RFIs Contract Documents? They are not generally considered so because they cannot change contract cost or time unless incorporated into a contract modification such as a change order. However, in the event the contractor adjudges the RFI to not change cost or time, then the RFI may well be considered a contract document under the terms of A201, which states in Article 7.4:

The Architect has authority to order minor changes in the Work not involving adjustment in the Contract Sum or extension of the Contract Time …

The architect should use G710 to document minor changes.

When a contractor determines that the RFI answer changes the contract sum or time, the contractor is prohibited by A201 from proceeding with that portion of the work without the proper change document. A201, Article 7, is very specific as to the documents required for changes in the work.

Changes in the Work may be accomplished after execution of the Contract … by Change Order, Construction Change Directive or order for a minor change in the Work …

This is the source of much dispute in the industry when the contractor elects to proceed with the work anyway, treating the RFI as though it is a Construction Change Directive. When these disputes become claims, contractors often allege that they were directed, by the architect’s RFI response, to do the additional work.

You may ask: Is it reasonable for the contractor to immediately know the RFI answer is increasing the contract sum? The answer is yes, if the contractor has adequately prepared a work plan and coordinated the trades.

The law is only a word unless it’s backed up by the truth.
William Barclay “Bat” Masterson, from the movie Bat Masterson, 1959

Firearm proficiency
The RFI should be used to obtain information that the requesting party cannot access through research, document review, or other reasonable means. Moreover, the RFI should address information that does not already exist in a discernable form, or is not reasonably inferable from the documents.

Information may not be specifically stated in the documents, but it may be inferable from them. That is, if a wall section is not cut in a particular area, but all other wall sections contain specific components, it is reasonable to infer that the same components are required for the area in question. A201, Article 1.2.1, is very specific in explaining this issue.

The intent of the Contract Documents is to include all items necessary for the proper execution and completion of the Work … The Contract Documents are complimentary, and what is required by one shall be as binding as if required by all; performance by the Contractor shall be required only to the extent consistent with the Contract Documents and reasonably inferable from them as being necessary to produce the indicated results.

However, some contractors seek to split hairs, alleging that if each similar condition is not specifically detailed, the work is not in their scope. Although this is contrary to A201, since “reasonably inferable” is to a degree subjective, it frequently becomes an issue in dispute.

You called the thunder…well now you got it!
Wyatt Earp, from the movie Tombstone (1993)

Potshots
Some of the ways that RFIs can be misused are:

Innapropriate questions: An RFI may ask for the size of fasteners to attach sheathing on the building. This is a proprietary issue that is typically determined by the product manufacturer.

Means and methods: Questions about means and methods are inappropriate unless the specifications have dictated such.

Substitution request: Contractors sometimes ask in an RFI if an alternate product model or manufacturer can be used instead of following the prescribed process for seeking substitution approval.

Ambiguous answers: Asking a question over and over in a different manner and claiming the repeated RFIs indicate that the previous questions were not adequately answered.

Biased reporting: The contractor’s RFI log will likely reveal that it is to track the architect’s shortcomings in addition to the routing and answers to questions. The emergence of document management software has aided and enhanced this objective. In project meetings these days between the owner, architect and contractor, reports from the RFI log are used to display the delinquency of the architect for all to see.

Interestingly, similar infractions by the contractor are seldom if ever tracked, documented or displayed. An item such as the submittal schedule, which is necessary for the architect to schedule and coordinate the submittal review process, is infrequently produced by the contractor as required by contract. Similarly, too few architects or contractors track how timely the contractor’s submittals are relative to the submittal schedule.

Inflated numbers and response time: Recently, some contractors have begun using an interesting approach that serves to artificially increase the number of RFI’s. For example, a contractor issues an RFI and the architect answers and returns it to the contractor the next day. Two weeks later the contractor sends another RFI to the architect asking for confirmation of the prior answer. The architect confirms the answer on the same day.

The contractor’s Web based database now reflects that RFI 100 was originally issued to the architect on February 21 but was apparently not closed out with an acceptable answer until the second RFI 13 days later. This technique serves to artificially inflate the number of RFIs and the apparent length of time the architect took to answer.

Another favored tactic to boost RFI count is to issue numerous RFIs asking essentially the same question. For example, the slab edge is not dimensioned around an elevator shaft. The contractor submits 4 RFIs for each the north, east, south, and west slab edges. One RFI would have sufficed.

Many RFIs using these tactics would be considered “frivolous” RFIs, even though the information requested was necessary, simply because of the abusive way the RFI was submitted.

I’m a gambler. Money’s just a tool of my trade.
Dr. John ‘Doc’ Holliday from the movie Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)

Dead on target: proposed solutions
Since the contractor should be the expert on means and methods, it follows that the contractor is also likely best suited to determine the appropriate solution to a troublesome condition. To facilitate this effort, AIA document G716, Request for Information, provides for a “proposed solution” to be included by the sender. This usually gives the architect a viable option to immediately consider, and it is frequently chosen as the best solution.

Returning fire
How long should it take to answer an RFI? When claims are made against architects a popular allegation is that the architect took too long to provide an acceptable answer and thus delayed the project. Some plaintiff’s experts actually take the position that the architect’s performance must be measured against when the contractor wanted the answer rather than a reasonable time relative to the RFI subject matter. This is a patently absurd proposition as it has nothing to do with realistic time limits, reasonable expectations, or the requirement for the contractor to plan the work in advance.

Obviously, how long it takes to answer an RFI will depend on the content of the question. For this reason architects should take care when agreeing to contract provisions or writing specifications that state: “The Architect will respond to RFIs in 10 working days”. Much more preferred is: “The Architect will respond to RFIs in an average of 10 working days. It is acknowledged and understood that some RFIs will take longer to answer than others.”

This section was added to A201 in 2007 to address the timing issue:

4.2.14: The Archithect will review and respond to requests for information abouot the Contract Documents. The Architect’s response to such requests will be made in writing within any time limits agreed upon or otherwise with reasonable promptness. If appropriate, the Architect will prepare and issue supplemental Drawings and Specifications in response to the requests for information.

I want your blood. And I want your souls. And I want them both, right now. Johnny Ringo, from the movie Tombstone (1993)

Fire power: How many RFIs?
Contractors and owners frequently seek to make a claims issue based on the number of RFIs on a project. The overall quantity of RFIs is not necessarily a measure of the quality of the construction documents or the architect’s services. They can just as easily reflect the poor quality of the contractor’s services or they may be an attempt to obtain clarifications that the contractor in the course of planning and coordinating the work should have made. An unsophisticated or inexperienced contractor may request more information than one with more resources and experience. The simple fact is that contractor-generated RFIs are not presumptively valid.

It is the timing of the RFIs and the nature of the information requested that determine the impact to the project and not the total number. RFIs are a common communication tool in the industry today, and the overall quantity is just as likely to be a measure of the way the contractor or construction manager administers the work as to be a measure of the quality of the construction documents or the architect’s services.

Simply trying to cite statistics without presentation of RFI content and a detailed cause and effect analysis is no justification of damages or delays. Further, it is the timing of the RFIs and the nature of the information required as well as the cause and effect relationship that determines the impact to the project.

Obviously, the architect’s documents, if insufficient, can cause more RFIs. Just as obviously, insufficient contractor services, or intentional prospecting for RFIs by the contractor can cause more RFIs.

However, be assured that contractors who do not want a large number of RFIs generally do not have a large number. They strive to find the information they need to build the building without the cumbersome and time consuming RFI process. You will find that they employ some, if not all of the approaches listed below.

• Experienced employees
• Effective contractor’s work plan
• Thorough research
• Efficient meetings
• Effective trade coordination
• Early project buyout
• Early issue resolution
• Pre-installation conferences
• Good relationship with owner and architect
• Claims avoidance.

A contractor can use the RFI process as a way to increase profit instead of for its true intended purpose, to enance quality and efficiency. It is interesting that some contractors who proliferate RFIs seem unconcerned about their reputation or their track record in project delivery. It would be interesting to see the results of a project where a primary objective of the project team was to have the fewest RFIs possible.

Have you ever wondered why you and I have been part of so many unfortunate incidents, but are still here?
Doc Holliday to Wyatt Earp, from the movie Wyatt Earp (1994)

Who fired that shot?
The first RFIs originated from contractors, and since contractors require more information and clarifications during construction, they send more RFIs. However, information is required by every team member, and the owner and architect can also send RFIs. In fact, using RFIs to request and track information responses is the best way to maintain documentation on time driven activities. AIA Document G716, Request for Information, clearly states on the instruction sheet that the document can be used by all parties.

Go ahead, skin it. Skin that smoke wagon and see what happens.
Wyatt Earp, from the movie Tombstone (1993)

Draw
Requests for information are a common tool frequently used between contractors and architects in the design and construction industry today. Some contractors use them to facilitate communication with the architect, and some use them to facilitate making claims. Contractors who want to send RFIs seem to generate more, and contractors who do not want to send RFIs seem to generate fewer.

A high number of RFIs on a project does not always indicate shortcomings on the part of the design professionals. Inexperienced construction staff who struggle with reading the drawings, accelerated project schedules, and poor preparation by the contractor can be among the causes of increased RFIs.

RFIs are an acute source of consternation for design professionals when they are used in a frivolous or unfair manner. Send us your war stories. Tell us how many RFIs are reasonable. Do you have a procedure for controlling the number of RFI’s on your projects? Share your experiences with others in an effort to develop strategies for use in the “Corral”. The next time you’re staring down the barrel of some tough looking RFIs, remember to be calm, be sure your holster is clipped on your belt and your Blackberry is secure inside, and please heed our warning, be careful out there.

This article was originally published by Texas Architect.