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What We Are at Heart

1/1/2011

Our friend Dick Stehly would have wanted to welcome all of us to the New Year, extend his heartfelt best wishes, and express his continuing optimism for ACI's ability to not only survive the economic downturn, but also to come out of it stronger and more valuable to its members and to the industry at large. I can only "second those emotions" with added thanks to all who have honored Dick by working so hard to ease the transition and assisted me in so many ways as we continue to pursue his vision and goals for the Institute. The last few months have shown me that while we often focus on our most tangible contributions to the industry in the form of our documents, educational products, and certification programs, we are at heart a collection of people with broad—yet common—interests and a common desire to improve the value, quality, reliability, durability, and sustainability of concrete construction.

Realizing that we are first and foremost about people—who are in turn interested in concrete—brings me back to one of my most profound personal and professional experiences. Some years ago, I was teaching a construction management course and had the fortunate opportunity to meet Henry Michel, past CEO of Parsons Brinckerhoff. I was looking for a summary message that I could pass on to my students in the final lecture, so I asked Henry if it was possible, based on his vast experience, to summarize the essence of project management in general, or construction management in particular. Without skipping a beat, he said "Ken, remember, there is no project. There never was a project, and there never will be a project. There are only people." He explained that if all the concrete, steel, formwork, and equipment were stockpiled together on the job site, none of those inanimate objects could will themselves into a finished structure. Furthermore, none of the plans, specs, schedules, or financing could be developed without the efforts of people. He therefore concluded that there is no project management—there can only be the collective efforts of people who then bring material assets and resources to bear. And when we use the word "management," we are really talking about the tools and techniques of coordinating, instructing, directing, and motivating people.

As I tried to fill Dick’s shoes at the Pittsburgh convention, Henry Michel's words came back to me. Our committee meetings and technical sessions are filled with excited people who are full of ideas and motivated to learn more about how to design and build better with concrete. With painstaking (and sometimes painful) concern for consensus and accuracy, we develop our ACI documents with an investment of time and dedication that is not readily apparent to those who reference our specs in their contract documents.

And I know from my own background and frequent visits to our local chapters that people are at the center of those zones of action as well. Our chapters are at the cutting edge where ACI documents, certification, and education either hit the concrete or hit the fan—or both. Recent events have likewise vastly increased my understanding and appreciation for the outstanding work of the ACI staff. These fine folks have the demanding job of supporting the work of the rest of us while remaining virtually invisible to the typical chapter or committee member or the satisfied convention attendee.

But regardless of the dedication of our committee members and tireless committee chairs, and no matter how hard the local members or headquarters staff work, we cannot will better concrete or a more reliable, sustainable infrastructure into existence. Our goal can only be to have an impact on the people who design, specify, build, or furnish materials for that infrastructure. So, in the final analysis, we are a group of people whose goal is to influence other people and encourage them to join us while we are at it.

I therefore echo Dick's enthusiasm for the bright future of the people who are ACI, and say "Thank you, Dick" for getting us started toward a successful 2011.

Kenneth C. Hover
American Concrete Institute
kch7@cornell.edu

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