Choosing a LEED Dream Team

by Jonathan McGaha | February 2, 2014 12:00 am

We continue our quest to answer reader questions by shedding light on a pair of inquiries that was submitted by one of our readers in Texas:

If you could pick a LEED dream team, what role would each team member play?

and…

Will that dream team perform better using one project delivery system over another?

These are two really great questions. I am excited to see that readers understand that just because a dream team performs well on one project using one delivery method, it does not automatically mean that the same level of high-performance will be displayed if the exact same team is assembled for a different project using a different delivery system. There is no one dream team that will be a right fit for every LEED project; each unique project should have its own dream team. So, to truly answer these questions, I had to ask myself how I get the highest performance out of my delivery team.

“To thine own self, be true.” These are Shakespearian words to live by, especially when it comes to the development of a new or renovated building. The captain of a dream team (every team needs a captain) is key to building a successful team as he or she must deeply understand what the project needs to be successful and how to assess the abilities of each team member. A good captain knows that his or her organizational skills are seldom seen but are greatly valued. The captain knows his pride of being the captain takes a backseat for the good of the project and team.

When working with new team captains, it’s important to remember that they are placed into this team position for many different reasons. These include their rank within the company, experience with construction projects or ability to manage a budget, among other reasons. My first advice to all team captains is, as previously stated, “to thine own self, be true!”

Every team captain needs to look at what project or process he/she has been asked to shepherd. A project delivery captain may have years of experience and a great team in place for constructing a hard bid, metal structure, two-story commercial office building in the Southeast, but has no experience building a steel-framed skyscraper that is located in one of the big cities in the Northeast and has been delivered by a qualified design-build team.

The captain is going to look better if he/she sets out to build a team with the very best players! Equally important to knowing what players you need on the team, is the understanding that a team is made up of individuals, not just the companies in which those individuals may be employed. And the team captain is the one responsible for determining who is a part of his/her crew.

Firms are only as good as the people they employ. A good captain picks good firms because good firms hire good people. An exceptional captain will not be satisfied with good or good is good enough. The captain that others find exceptional will not stop or settle for anything less than the best, which is essential in building a LEED dream team for each particular project.

There is a misconception that the best has to cost more. At some point, the consumer in each of us has defined good, better and best with money, money and more money. But just as there are cases where this basic tenet of consumerism holds true, there are just as many instances where high quality can be found at bargain prices. This can be the case if the consumer/captain is willing to expend the energy and not make their final decision until they are convinced it is the best. Firms are made up of people, and each person has their own talent set. The captain has the power and the responsibility to investigate those who work for a firm. The best fit for a team could be one of the lowliest-paid people on staff. Now, if the principals of the firm also conducted business with a “to thine own self be true” mentality, then the investigation would be short, because you would have already been introduced.

To sum it up, every project is unique. What is essential for one team is superfluous for another. The value of the team captain is extremely important. But even more important is the knowledge a team leader has of what each team member can contribute and his/her realization that the needs of the project and project team will change over time.

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Thomas Taylor, a 30-year veteran of the construction industry and noted expert on sustainability, is the general manager of St. Louis-based Vertegy. His recent book, “Guide to LEED 2009: Estimating and Preconstruction Strategies,” provides step-by-step information about the LEED 2009 for New Construction process. To learn more about Vertegy or Thomas’ new book, visit www.vertegyconsultants.com[1] for more information.

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/choosing-a-leed-dream-team/

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