Brian,

In this book I am reading it says of the Prussian military reform of the 
19th c "these leaders and their men were also of a new model: thinking 
soldiers who followed the spirit of command rather than its letter; who 
were capable of of understanding the unfolding battle and responding."

On an ongoing project I was asked early on how we were going to do 
something. My response was that I had no idea but that we were going to 
buy a whole lot of stuff, enough stuff that we would be able to work it 
out. So far we seem to be working it out. The end result was never 
clearly defined, and could not be, and remains subjective. That 
subjective perception is not in our direct control. And there is a whole 
lot of social interference in the process. Having good people that can 
think their way through changing site conditions and the evolving 
clarification of end-goals helps. What does not help in the least is an 
articifial drop dead date for completion. The difficulty I see is 
managing everyone's expectations of each other and keeping up morale. It 
is really hard for anyone to work in an indeterminate process. It seems 
human nature to want to have an idea of where we are going, even if it 
is not where we are going. It is that situation of feeling out of 
control and wondering if a bear is going to jump out from behind the 
next tree and eat us. The difficulty is when I say that we are going to 
A when in fact I am not yet sure if we are going to A+E or B+D. Or if 
the other 'commander' in a joint-venture says to their crew go to A and 
the privates for both divisions interpret the communications as everyone 
to go to A when in fact I know my crew needs to go to X or all hell will 
break loose.

Then try to do this 'thinking' approach in an at-large world that does 
not think very well, that goes by various formula and thresholds, and 
effectively does the best it can to blot out what it does not comprehend 
or understand.

I will often show up on a job with new tools. It is a balance between 
wanting to not look too shabby on one hand and the fact that since we 
are dispersed in little cells all over the countryside that half the 
time I don't know where the tools are at or if we even still have them. 
Much easier to go buy another new one than look for one. I had to 
recently cut a hole in a stone wall for a security panel. I had to cut 
the hole as the crew is tied up elsewhere. I could only find our dinky 
chipping gun and our ancient Hilti drill. It worked fine enough up to 
near the end. The configuration of the stone was such that there was 
this big chunk that as much as I drilled and chipped it was taking me 
forever and I was getting worn out. So I stopped. It took us a half hour 
to locate our large chipping gun and two days to get it to the site. It 
took a half hour for me to finish the hole, but add onto that 2 hours to 
drive into the city and 2 hours to drive out... and deal with fear of 
getting a parking ticket or having tools stolen out of the back of the 
truck. This was a 'free' hole done as a courtesy to our client. I do not 
mind doing a free hole now and then but I am adverse to negative math.

The free hole became demonstration art as curious ppl walking along on 
the sidewalk kept stopping to watch me. The general contractor and the 
crew on the project were in awe that anyone would come along and cut a 
hole in the stone. It was good theater. The stone I am certain was set 
with natural cement. The GC admitted that thay had been afraid of the 
hole cutting for months... so as I am laboring along and their super is 
standing behind me watching when a small chip outside the lines falls 
out and I say loudly, "Oh, F!" Part of the treatment scheme of the 
facade was to leave in the unmatching but relatively sound 
non-structural cement patches as an element of the history. So whatever 
outside the lines there is on the hole is nothing much to worry about.

][<en

> I love to tell folks that I don't know much about anything but that I 
> can figure out a hell of a lot if given time to gather info and 
> observe what is going on. Having the benefit of time is often the 
> issue. Folks want cookbook or cookie cutter formulas in order to save 
> time. That is where I have seen numerous heartaches begin.      

--
To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to:
<http://listserv.icors.org/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html>