I like to gauge success with measurements.  We ask our clients what success looks like in measurable terms before we start the interpretative design process.  We set those as success factors on our projects.  I believe defining things in terms of a quantifiable number brings clarity to expectations.  Clarity helps make the target clear, eliminates communication problems and is good management practice.  Peter Drucker said what gets measured gets managed.

Many people believe there are some things that cannot be measured.  I have the book How to Measure Anything by Douglas Hubbard.  He defines measurement as a set of observations that reduce uncertainty where the result is expressed as a quantity.  Measuring eliminates uncertainty.  He says, “If you find out more than you knew before, then you have performed a measurement in the strictest scientific sense.”

At Taylor Studios, we have many measurements.  These include typical business measurements like net income, gross profit and revenue.  We also measure utilization rates, web site traffic, time goals, overhead per employee, customer satisfaction and much more.  Today I was discussing how to measure the quality of a design with my Art Director, Jason Cox.  Jason created a quality assessment for fabrication several years ago.  We are now creating a quality assessment form for design.  The form has several check boxes that must be met before we allow the design to go out the door.  They include:

• Does it fulfill the client’s needs and expectations?
• Does the design match the Central Theme?
• Is it easy to service?
• Was our design process and ADA followed?

I asked Jason how do we measure creativity.  We talked about how I might find something creative and he will not.  Isn’t creativity subjective?  Jason helped clarify this by adding standards like: is the exhibit clean, concise, well organized, legible, inviting and provoking.  This type of thought process helps bring clarity to creativity.  This eliminates a moving target when we are evaluating creativity.

Illustration Received an "Excellent" on our Quality Assessment

I agree with Douglas Hubbard in that you can measure anything.  I think the problem is that many people don’t want to be measured.  With measurement comes accountability.  It’s easier to say we’ll leave early tomorrow morning than it is to say we will leave at 7:00 a.m. (a measurement of lateness).  There is also the risk that you will utilize the wrong measurement or a measurement will cause unintended consequences.   We avoid this by using a combination of measurements and keeping an eye on the behavior measurements cause.

Obviously, you need to ask why you are measuring something.  Douglas mentions asking several questions to help reduce ambiguity including:  why do you care, what decisions would be different if this measurement turned out to be higher or lower than expected?  We use our quality assessments to manage quality control.  They are also used in employee evaluations.

What measurements do you use to define success or clarify a problem?

Meet Inka…

What do you do at TSI?

When I’m not napping I attend meetings and chew on bones and chase balls people throw around for me.

What’s your favorite TSI project?

I like the mammoth and baby.  We did a coyote for Albany Pine Bush.  I like to howl.  We did some curled up dog models for Grand Portage National Monument, they were good looking.

What’s your favorite part of the day?

When I go to T-Mart and find toys to play with.  Or when people stop by the office and give me treats.  Sometimes when I sneak around people give me treats and Betty doesn’t know it.

Random info about me…

Sometimes I lick too loud and it annoys people.  People don’t like to play enough in the conference room.  I like cheese.

I met with a financial planner this week.  I was told to come armed with my goals and dreams.  When we first started chatting he asked how things were going.  I started talking about Taylor Studios.  He abruptly said, “No, what are you doing for you personally.”  I mentioned a ski trip I took last year and horses.  I love to spend time on my farm and with my horses.  I love being outside.  Riding my horses through the woods or fields is one of life’s best gifts.  I also enjoy the challenge of training a horse.

Betty & Lexi

People often talk of having balance in their life.  I don’t subscribe to the usual definition of a perfect balance between work and life.  I encourage people to find their bliss.  If you love what you do, it is not work.  Not everything I do at Taylor Studios is fun.  I don’t particularly like paying bills.  However, last week I got to drive through the beautiful hills of PA.  I saw elk!  I saw snow covered hills, beautiful farms, lots of wilderness and met some great people.  I put in a 50 hour week.  Do you call that work?

Maybe the question of balance is too personal for society to push a general definition onto others.  If you are passionate about your work and you find happiness in overcoming work’s challenges, isn’t working endless hours at your bliss, your balance?  Maybe other people in your life are not happy with your definition of balance?  Maybe it isn’t a balance question but a relationship question?

Actions speak louder than words.  If you want a different balance in your life make it happen.  I spend most weekends hanging with the horses.  You can often find me with them in the evenings, too.  When the weather warms I’m determined to leave work by 4:00 a couple times a week to enjoy more outdoor horse time. I also love many other things like reading, taking photos, country drives, skiing, travel, etc.  I just wish days were longer so I could pack it full.

What is your perfect balance?  Do you follow your bliss in life?

Check out my farm.

Betty & Smokey in Pursuit of Trespassers

On Friday, I had the opportunity to listen to Edgar Papke speak about how leaders use conflict to create opportunity.  He said great leaders do three things over and over again:  create change, confront conflict and strive for self-knowledge.  Many people struggle to confront conflict.  If the leader is not good at handling conflict it will cause dysfunction.

When you think of the words:  conflict, confront and argument are they positive or negative?  If you think all three are positive you probably have a healthy approach to conflict.  Conflict is two opposing views.  Great teams approach conflict as an opportunity.  Confronting is about telling your truth.  Until you get the truth on the table you will not make progress.  An argument is a position based on fact and sound reasoning.  Creativity and innovation come from scientific arguments.  With all of these words it comes down to how you approach it.

The ability to approach conflict successfully can lead to extraordinary performance.  Not only will this skill help you in your professional life, it can also improve your personal life.  If conflict is approached in the wrong way it can lead to lack of accountability, distrust, fear, unhappiness, anger, etc.

Some common approaches to conflict that will not lead to success are:

• The need to win and to appear right
• Convincing at all costs
• Defending my point of view
• Maintaining control
• It’s my solution
• Blaming the other person
• Not accepting responsibility
• Unaccountability
• Lack of confrontation
• Withholding
• Avoidance
• Seeking unlimited affirmation
• Leading questions
• Keeping it to yourself
• Covert challenging
• Lack of inquiry
• Withdrawing
• Attacking
• …
• …
• …

How do you approach conflict?  Do any of these look familiar?  The title of Edgar’s lecture was The Biggest Elephant.  It is something that the leader is not confronting.  What are you not confronting?

I was told by one of my staff members that blogs with pictures are better.  Here is a picture of me confronting my fear of speaking in front of large audiences.  This was at the Inspiring Women Gala.  I believe it was a crowd of over 650 people.

Posted by: Betty

Meet Project Manager, Elise Riehle:

How long have you been with TSI?

I joined the TSI team October 12, 2009.

What did you do before you started working at TSI?

For the past three years I worked as a Project Engineer for Broeren Russo Construction, a local general contracting, construction management, and design build firm that specializes in commercial construction. I managed all aspects of construction for a 24-story high rise apartment building and an 8,000 square foot medical facility.  I also assisted with the start-up and close-out of the U of I Conference Center and I-Hotel, Chesterbrook Academy Preschool Facility, a 5-story apartment building, and miscellaneous self preformed work at various locations.  The scope of services I provided included management and coordination of all on-site construction activities, scheduling, and budgeting throughout the course of the projects.   During my time at BRCI, I also earned my LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Professional Accreditation via the US Green Building Council.

Prior to working with BRCI, I had experience working for a commercial developer, Fox Development Corporation, and was a member of the Fuel Cell Team while employed by the Army Corps of Engineers.  Both career experiences afforded me the opportunity to development my project management skills.  I managed multiple projects simultaneously and developed work plans and critical paths for all of my projects.

What do you do at TSI?

I joined Taylor Studios Project Management office in October at a Project Manager.  I serve as the lead for the exhibit design, fabrication, and installation of entire projects. I manage the day-to-day operational and tactical aspects of multiple and/or large-scale design-build or exhibit fabrication projects.  My responsibilities also include maintaining the budgets and schedules for all of my projects.

What do you like best about TSI?

My favorite thing about Taylor Studios is our clients.

All of our clients are passionate about their projects, and each job is unique and exciting.  Working with our clients affords me the opportunity to travel and see and learn new things.  I love meeting new people, hearing their stories, and building relationships.

What’s your favorite TSI project?

My favorite TSI project is Turkey Run State Park.

Why?

Over the years, I have spent a lot of hours hiking, canoeing, and enjoying the outdoors in the park.  I’ve made a lot of great memories there and it is exciting to see the park come to life in the new gallery that we are designing and fabricating for their existing visitor center.  It’s amazing how much there is to know and learn about how the canyons were formed, the beautiful wilderness that surrounds you, and the waters that run through the park.

What’s something your coworkers don’t know about you?

I just registered for the 5K in the Illinois Marathon!  It’s my first time running, and I am really nervous.  I was looking for something to keep me motivated at the gym this winter and a way to be outside this spring.  The event was a huge success last year, and will hopefully become an annual race for Champaign-Urbana.

What’s your favorite part of your day?

My favorite part of the day is when I’m making dinner…I love to cook!  Cooking helps me unwind at the end of the day and I can relax to the yummy smells of something warm on the stove.

Meet Ryan Burkhalter, Project Management Assistant

How long have you been with TSI?

Almost 5 years

What did you do before you started working at TSI?

Worked in a library and a bookstore

What do you do at TSI?

Project support

What do you like best about TSI?

Endless variety, new tasks every day, cool exhibits

What’s your favorite TSI project?

Orpheum Children’s Museum Velociraptor

Why?

Great sculpt, gorgeous paint job, it’s nearby

What’s something your coworkers don’t know about you?

I used to act in Greek tragedies and Shakespeare’s plays

What’s your favorite part of your day?

Getting a lot done before lunch

Taylor Studios has completed many exhibits on watersheds.  Two of our current clients, Cleveland MetroParks and Wichita’s WATER Center, have content that is primarily about water.  Often the word watershed comes up in our conversations.  When we are discussing watersheds it is defined as a river basin or the entire geographical area drained by a river and its tributaries.  It is an area characterized by all runoff and some ground water being conveyed to the same outlet.  When I hear the word watershed, I don’t immediately think of tributaries.  The image that instantly pops into my head is of a little shed on my childhood farm where the well head was housed.

This is the farm I grew up on.  I didn’t live here, but my horses did.  Plus we had cattle, sheep, geese, etc.  We often put the steers in the lot in between all these barns.  We fed them well for market.  We had a couple tanks in front of this shed that I helped keep full of water.  The water pump was inside that little shed.  It was an old fashion pump that had been retrofitted with a wood contraption and a motor.  This large wood contraption would move up and down and you would have to avoid it.  In the summer, wasp lived in the little shed.  I would dash in and out very quickly to plug the pump in.

The silo is where we stored silage.  Silage is a smelly, cut up corn mixture.  All winter long I would climb up that silo to scoop truck loads full.  Then you would back the truck up to troughs in the cow lots to fill them shovel by shovel.  In the summer, we would fill the barns with hay.  I loved these old barns.  They had been around when the farm was operated with horses.  There were old stalls with horse names carved into them.  I still have an old yolk I found in one of these barns.  The barns provided a lot climbing territory for a kid.

There were also beautiful pastures that covered acres and acres.  We would have to fix fences all summer long.  I also walked around and sprayed weeds to keep the pastures in good shape.  I knew these pastures like the back of my hand.  I spent hours and hours riding my horses there.

The word watershed brings a flood of images to me.  Do you have a word that triggers memories for you?  As story tellers we have to remember everyone brings their past to the exhibit.  How can we best engage them with these varied pasts?  How can we engage the inner child?

Posted by: Betty

Renee Beere, Project Manager

How long have you been with TSI?

1 year 7 months

What did you do before you started working at TSI?

I was a district manager in a newspaper circulation department. Before that I was a reporter for both television and print.  I also worked at a yogurt factory.

What do you do at TSI?

I’m a project manager.

What do you like best about TSI?

I like working in a creative environment with a really fun and talented group of people.

What’s your favorite TSI project?

I’m enjoying managing the Rend Lake Visitor Center project we are currently designing for the US Army Corp of Engineers.

Why?

I think the design team has done an excellent job of maximizing our client’s budget and giving them a lot of interesting exhibits for their dollar. We are also working with a great client.

What’s something your coworkers don’t know about you?

I may be a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I’ve been skydiving and scuba diving. I’ve climbed a mountain and a volcano.

What’s your favorite part of your day?

I find it’s easiest to focus on any task in the early morning.