Bridget Pollard, PMP

What is a career pivot- and why should you care: Simply a career pivot is taking your skills and experience and applying them to a “less traditional” or less expected role. These are examples of my pivots  👇 Engineering project manager to virtual design and construction at a General Contractor Working in construction to Customer Success at a tech company. I didn’t think either of these was “tradition” when I applied. And many said: “You're throwing away your engineering degrees”  “What could you possibly offer this company?” They were so wrong. Every pivot came with growing my skill set.  Growing my understanding of the AEC industry  And so much more! But I won’t sugarcoat it. Pivoting it HARD! Besides the technical aspects,  There are the emotional ones. (Will I regret not being “a real engineer” or “will I regret this?”) This is why for the last 2 months I’ve been working on a career pivot guide. EVERYTHING I WISHED I had. Here’s what’s inside: Part 1: Is It Time to Pivot? Part 2: What to Pivot To? +CAREER QUIZ Part 3: Resume & LinkedIn Alignment Part 4: How to Nail Your Pivot Story in Interviews And a bunch of other bonuses! See the comments for a link with ALL the details! And the best part?  It’s available today!!!!!!!! Get yours this week because pricing will go up next week after the launch party is over 🚀 PS: This is my next pivot! And while this has been a dream to work on- I’m pretty nervous! Drop me a 🚀 in the comments to remind me that pivoting is scary and that we’ve got this! 

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We like design-build. It’s fast. Really fast. So fast, in fact, that it’s 102% faster than traditional design-bid-build projects. That’s more than twice as fast. Ask the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), they’ll tell you. But when it comes to construction, we’re always looking for even faster. That’s why we’re introducing our new design management service for design-build contractors. So you can spend less time on design, and more time on construction. Can you see how you just went from fastest to even faster?

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Yesterday we discussed bout the causes of construction project cost overruns by Client, let’s discuss what are the contractor-related causes today. 📅 Inadequate planning, scheduling, and resource allocation lead to inefficiencies and delays. 👨‍💻 Underestimation of costs associating with lack of contingency plans to cope with surprises with cost implications. 📈 Lack of real-time tracking in project management and issues may go unnoticed until it have caused significant time and cost overruns. 🛠 Inefficient use or maintenance of equipment can lead to breakdowns, delays, and additional repair or rental costs. 🧐 Poor quality control results in substandard work that requires reworks. 📶 Uncontrolled changes with failure to properly evaluate and manage change orders can result in scope creep, increased labour and material costs, and extended timelines. 🗣️ Poor communication between team members, trade contractors, and stakeholders can lead to misaligned efforts and errors, requiring costly rework or stop work and idling. Tomorrow we will continue to explore consultant-related causes. Leave comments and share your best practices in managing these potential profit leakages. #ConstructionProjects #CostOverruns #Contractors #CostManagement #ProjectManagement #RiskManagement #Profitability

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🚧 When project teams get in a rush or feel pushed this is one of the first things to go. But it is a mistake to do so. When things get tough we need more thought, more pre-planning, & more preparation, not less. Then we will flow. ▶ I am talking about the what some call a quality process, the 6 step process, a quality plan, or what I now call the Trade Partner Preparation Process. ▶ I am talking about a systematic way of buying out the right scope, orienting the trade partner, orienting the foremen to expectations, visually communicating those expectations and installing per the expectations in the field. 🔑 One of the key parts to this process is the Pre-construction meeting--the meeting you hold with all new trade partners that come on site to get them started on the right foot. This meeting should: ☑ Gather all relevant documentation for the work. ☑ Allow a detailed review of expectations from the Owner, plans, specs, the AHJ, and trade specific experience. ☑ Create a checklist or visual that the crew can use to install the work. ☑ Orient and onboard the Trade Foreman and Super to the work and project. ☑ Get the crew set up for success before they mobilize. The outcome should be to get the trades everything they need for their work package. They need: 👍 The information 👍 The expectations 👍 The proper environment 👍 The right culture 👍 The tools & equipment 👍 The materials 👍 The permissions 👍 And the layout ..To do their work. The Pre-con meeting is a gate the team can use to prepare the next step. And properly enabling the foreman is the key to that gate. So, remember, speed comes from making work ready, not pushing. Let's prepare our wonderful Trade Partners and set them up for a win. Pre-con meetings are not boring--they are necessary. Pre-con meetings don't take time--they make time. Pre-con meetings don't bully Trades--they enable them. What is your perspective? Please like and comment below, Love, Jason

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🌟 The Power of Posting: Making a Difference with the Starability Run, Walk & Roll 5k! 🌟 In today's digital age, sharing our stories and passions on social media is more impactful than ever. One cause close to my heart is the Starability Foundation's Run, Walk & Roll 5k. 🏃‍♀️🚶‍♂️🦽 When we post about events like this, we're not just sharing information – we're raising awareness, inspiring others, and fostering a sense of community. Here's why your post matters: ⭐ Awareness: By sharing about the Starability 5k, you're bringing attention to an incredible cause that supports individuals with disabilities. Your post could be the first time someone learns about this foundation and the important work they do. ⭐ Inspiration: Your involvement and enthusiasm can motivate others to participate, donate, or volunteer. Seeing friends and colleagues take action often inspires others to follow suit. ⭐ Community Building: Sharing your experiences helps create a supportive community. It shows solidarity and encourages others to come together for a common goal, making the event even more successful. ⭐ Amplifying Voices: Every post adds to the collective voice advocating for inclusion and support for individuals with disabilities. Together, we can create a louder, more impactful message. So, let's harness the power of social media for good. Share your journey, your reasons, and your excitement for the Starability Run, Walk & Roll 5k. Let's make a difference, one post at a time! 💙✨ #Starability5k #RunWalkRoll #MakeADifference #InclusionMatters #CommunitySupport https://lnkd.in/e4uNtgvd

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I recently had a client vent to me about one of his existing project managers who he felt isn’t proactive when it comes to problem solving. Whenever faced with an issue, the PM would bring it to him and ask, "What do you want me to do about it?" The client lamented, “That’s the furthest thing from what we do." In development, different challenges arise daily. And as good project managers, our job isn’t to just pass these problems directly on to our clients; it’s to take a proactive approach and find solutions. This means assessing the issues at hand, weighing the pros and cons of potential solutions, and then effectively communicating this thought process to the client so that we can make informed decisions together. Consider this: what sounds more reassuring - “Here’s the problem, what do you want me to do about it?” or “Here’s the issue we’ve encountered, but these are the options we’re considering as potential solutions”? It’s obvious which approach demonstrates competence, initiative, and leadership. Problem solving is never easy, but when you embrace it with a proactive mindset, you inspire confidence in your team and your clients. And that makes all the difference. 😉

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Here are a few practical tips for designers and project managers to save on costs with their commercial projects. https://lnkd.in/gGgcg64K

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Phoenix's construction landscape is evolving rapidly. At Cannon & Wendt Electric, we're committed to staying ahead of these trends to better serve our clients and drive sustainable growth. Dive deeper into the industry impact with the latest RLB Construction Cost Report and this insightful article from Phoenix Business Journal.

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I've met, interviewed and researched almost a 100 founders in the Construction Tech/Prop Tech Industry But there's 1 pattern that causes them to pivot - Solving a mild inconvenience. Let me explain - In the construction industry, there's pain everywhere you look. Construction projects are consistently late and over budget. Projects get bigger and bigger as bureaucracy eats up more and more money. So it seems like a thriving industry to build a helpful startup... But there's a catch - It's very easy to build a product that everyone likes. That's the wrong place to be. You want to build a product that very few people love. And when I mean love, I mean are willing to name their 3rd child after you type of love. Without that level of love for the product, you get stuck in this middle ground where everyone thinks you are pretty cool, but no one wants to pay for. I've seen this happen to multiple different companies/startups, even those who have raised millions of dollars. In the construction industry, there's pain everywhere, which can seem like signal, but is really noise. If you're still just getting started, make sure you have those people who absolutely adore you, paying you for a problem that they've been waiting to get rid of. That way, you won't go through this painful pivot process.

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Ever wonder what the heck does an estimator do? Well you're in luck! DPR Construction is excited to share that senior estimator and preconstruction team member, Juan Sanchez has been featured in an Autodesk Construction Cloud article. In this article, Juan provides his perspective on the evolving role of estimators and the integration of cutting-edge technology in construction. "Estimators are now expected to also live outside of the numbers and within the design. With general contractors incorporating more design management into our workflows, estimators are now empowered to leverage design tools to perform job tasks," shared Juan. Learn more about estimating through the lens of Juan Sanchez:

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Friends and supporters, I am totally GEEKED about the new material reuse guidance document that was just released this week!!! The Project Manager’s Guide to Material Reuse in Commercial Buildings is the first of its kind to be customized to the nuances and challenges of the commercial building environment. It’s the culmination of months of research, collaboration and synthesis, led by Olivia Cashman (Hennepin County Environment) and Simona Fischer (MSR Design) and supported by @Liz Kutschke (University of Minnesota College of Design CSBR) and myself (Doors Unhinged). The whole point of this was to create formal structures and processes that legitimize reuse and deconstruction, so that it can be more easily implemented and become more mainstream. What I believe to be new and innovative is the reuse and deconstruction spec suite that includes Division 01 Material Reuse, Division 02 Selective Deconstruction, and the Reuse & Deconstruction Action Plan, though there is importance guidance throughout the document. If you are in the industry, I HIGHLY recommend you take a look and see how your organization can put these ideas and resources to work. The 2030 climate event horizon is nearing! Let’s collaborate NOW to take make material reuse the new normal! #materialreuse #zerocarbon #circulareconomy https://lnkd.in/ebP8tn-g

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As a construction contractor or real estate developer, you could spend $1 million for a 1-year contract for a PMO service that puts butts in seats with the same copy-paste method. Or... You could spend a fraction of that cost for a flexible month-to-month contract for a PMO service that is 100% customized to your way of working. #SaudiArabia #Saudi #PMO #PMP #Construction #Agile #ConstructionManagement #ProjectManagement #Contractor #RealEstate #RealEstateDeveloper #ProjectManager #Hiring #Recruiting #Job #Leadership #TalentAcquisition #JobSearch #CareerOpportunities #JobOpening #JobHunt

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Hi Everyone, If you're a contractor, project manager, or just someone interested in cutting-edge construction techniques, this video is for you. We'll explore what lean construction is, how it improves efficiency, reduces waste, and ultimately delivers better value for clients. Stick around to learn the key principles of lean construction and see real-world examples of its impact. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit that notification bell so you never miss an update. Let's get started!

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If you have the time, you should watch and listen to the message the Lucas is delivering in this TED talk. The struggle for new trade workers and builders is real. When we look back on the story of humankind and our built environment , the Plague comes to mind. Eviscerating probably two thirds of the world population in a very short period of time forced a level of innovation that led to the Renaissance. What we need right now is a building trades revival . Build more, build better , build faster and do it with less resources than one could possibly imagine. That is what we do at Construx.

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If you’re an #architect, you know June is a big month. You’ve all the same projects, deadlines, meetings and work you usually do … And you have just a few weeks left to earn all your CEU credits for the year. To make it easy for you, I’m hosting webinars where you can earn 1.5 CEU credits at each one. And this week, I’m hosting 2! You can learn about ‘Play-Doh for #architects’ (Cast GFRC) … And learn why, behind every great #facadedesign, there is a great subsystem (U-kon systems). We’ll discuss … → Bespoke systems → Systems thinking → Design precision → Creative possibilities → Improving specifications How’s that for an easy way to solve multiple problems over a couple lunch hours? June 20th & 21st 12 p.m. EDT. Find the registration link at: [www] facadesystemsinc [.com] #facades #architecture #facadedesign #facadesystems

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