Evan's Corner: Embracing the Unexpected
By Evan Coulter
Working at UCEC is much like any workplace in the world: sometimes, despite the best planning, something unexpected occurs. It could be a misplaced order; a miscommunication about a budget; or a missing part. If you consider your own workplace, you know what I’m talking about. The “mis-something” is a part of work life.
Evan Coulter
I’m no stranger to the unexpected in our shop, so thinking about this topic made me consider what positives we learn from situations we probably wouldn’t have chosen. This is my perspective: embracing the unexpected allows creativity and professionalism to flourish.
What I mean by that is when something misfires, whether it’s communication, ordering or a tight schedule, it’s human to complain. Tempers can flare or employees can grumble. I understand this frustration. After all, with a panel shop going full tilt and projects lined up for weeks on end, there’s little room for a time-consuming change.
I have seen that our team is capable of so much. I’m proud of them every day, of course. But when we have an unexpected wrinkle in our week, I have seen them rise to the challenge and turn out some amazing results. When we step back and realize that yes, we did get something hard accomplished, our employees see what they are capable of doing in a crunch.
At UCEC, I tell my team that we’re not working for the job we’re currently crafting. We’re working for ten jobs down the road. We are in a partnership with the client. If they fail, we fail. For me, this means we work with our customers when the unexpected happens. Plus, I tend to think situations that shake us up out of our daily routine are a good thing. It breaks you out of the everyday rut and allows everyone’s creativity and professionalism to shine.
Evan is VP of Operations at UCEC.
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As the calendar winds down and turns over a fresh page, we're taking a look back at 2017's accomplishments. There were many, including: UCEC's new tech projects, our new published case studies, going "green" with wire duct and our launch of new project management software. We promoted team members, traveled to Mexico and some of us ended up on video and online telling the UCEC story (looking at you, Mark!). All in all, it was a year filled with hard work, great projects and continued success for this company that will celebrate 60 years in business in 2018. Thanks for a great 2017, and here's a toast to our leadership who motivate us each and every day at work.