Entropy and the art of not losing your head.
The Indian summer is upon us here in Sonoma County. As I write this it is a touch under 100 degrees. As it turns out I work in a redwood forest which stays relatively cool during these hot days. Deep in the redwood grove the temperature will drop 20 plus degrees. Think of it as a balmy 75 degrees. The humidity rises as the trees dispense an average of 160 gallons of water or more a day through their leaves on these hot days. Redwoods are amazing trees, pumping more than 2000 gallons of water a season up to the crowns through little ¼” tall tubes (which are about ½ the thickness of a human hair) that are stacked on top of each other - interconnected. At heights around 300’, diameters of 14’ to 20’, living for a couple thousand years and generally showing a disposition for adaptability, these creatures are pretty amazing.
In reality, the redwoods I write about above are a great example of how a biological system is creating order from chaos. In a disordered state, liquids, gases and vapors enter into the system (the tree) and are organized to create a highly ordered sugar molecule (tree food).
And what in the heck does this have to do with CSI? It reminds me, every time I walk through my office door that my job, as a project manager, is to do the same basic thing – create order from chaos. By rights, this should be an uphill battle. The contract document package was missing the scope of work for the mechanical contractor; the foundation contractor didn’t read the soil report; the fire sprinkler contractor showed up to rough in two days before the electrician. Fortunately the chaos that ensues is manageable and repairable. This is due in part to the professional development available through organizations like CSI. As I look through the outline for the CDT study sessions starting in January, I see the potential for anyone to learn how to turn, what could be, a chaotic scramble of getting projects started and keeping them going into an organized way handling the chaos. This is just one of many continuing educational opportunities that CSI has available. I thank our members who have signed up to run a study session and I encourage our members to take the study sessions and find other candidates to attend and complete the CDT exam. Please contact me or Karen Collins for information about running or participating in the sessions.
After a decent day of returning order to jobsites and thinking I’m a hero, there is nothing more humbling and pleasurable than sitting down and observing the redwoods that have been creating order from disorder, everyday, for 2000 years.
Have a great autumn and I look forward to seeing you at our October dinner meeting on October 2nd at Josef’s. Craig Stager from SPG Solar will be speaking about the not-to-chaotic nature of designing and permitting solar technology.
Regards,
Jim Daniel
