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How to Run Tenant Buildout Cadence Meetings Like a Boss

by In Commercial Construction, Tenant Tips

Scheduling Cadence Meetings to Keep Your Projects On Track

As discussed in our article One Simple Trick to Save Time and Money When Planning a Commercial Build-Out, it is critical to schedule cadence meetings for your tenant buildout with your project team. Cadence meetings are regularly scheduled group calls or face to face meetings where a team discusses updates on a project. Early in your tenant build out project a schedule for these cadence meetings should be agreed upon. Here are some tips for running these meetings efficiently and getting the best possible results.

1. Include All Key Stakeholders in the Cadence Meetings

It may seem like a simple recommendation, but if you don’t have all the key stakeholders in the meeting it will not achieve the desired results. A ship without a rudder will never reach its destination, and a meeting without its leaders will fair no better. Prior to sending calendar invites for your cadence meetings consider the entire tenant buildout project and who needs to be involved at each step. You may find that the stakeholders will change from meeting to meeting depending on the phase of the project. In such cases you may actively update the cadence meeting attendees list to remove individuals when not needed, and add others as needed.

2. Take Notes and Share Meeting Minutes with Everyone

Before the cadence meetings begin you should assign someone the task of taking notes. This person should be responsible for logging the meeting minutes in a shared document that can be accessed by the entire project team. The act of taking clear notes will instill accountability among the members of the project team and ensure your tenant buildout project makes progress each week.

3. Strictly Enforce Attendance to your Cadence Meetings

If the key players are skipping your cadence meetings they will not be effective. Moreover, some members of the team may skip meetings if they observe others getting away with it. As the organizer of the meeting it is your responsibility to strictly enforce attendance. This may mean publicly calling out team members that skip meetings and calling attention to the importance of being present. An ineffective meeting will waste everyone’s time and delay the tenant buildout process.

4. Assign Action Items and Lead Cadence Meetings with Accountability

The beauty of taking consistent and thorough meeting minutes is that you can easily assign action items to your tenant build out project team. The assignment of action items should be done throughout the meeting and summarized at the close of the meeting. These action items should be logged in the meeting minutes. At the beginning of every tenant buildout cadence meeting the action items from the prior meeting should be reviewed. The cadence meeting organizer should seek an update on the call from each responsible individual. These tasks should include an estimated due date and that date should be revised as the project progresses.

Conclusion

Using these four tips will help you run your tenant buildout cadence meetings like a boss. With these sorts of construction projects it is critical to keep momentum . All parties need to understand the latest project updates and be in constant communication. With these tips you can run efficient meetings and keep your tenant buildout project running smoothly.

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One Simple Trick to Save Time and Money When Planning a Commercial Build-Out

by In Commercial Construction, Tenant Tips Tagged , , , , , , ,

Save Money and Avoid Problems When Planning a Commercial Build-out

Planning a commercial build-out, for any type of company space, has long been a slow-moving, somewhat tedious, game of guessing and waiting. Whether the job is for an office space, industrial or flex property, or a retail space, the process is mostly the same. In this article we will explore three ways you can save money and avoid problems when planning a commercial build-out.

At its core the build-out process consists mainly of passing of ideas between professionals. Only a small number of changes may be made by each before it is reviewed by the next. Such back-and-forth often results in a great deal of time spent on waiting rather that doing. This time could have been spent far more effectively if focused on the more essential aspects of planning a commercial build-out. Moreover, communication gaps can cause unnecessary work, frustration, and expense.

Gather Everyone in the Same Room

The first and best way to begin when planning a commercial build-out – especially if your company is preparing for a significant move or expansion –is to gather all the relevant professionals together in one room for a kick-off meeting. Inviting them to take part in an open discussion alongside your staff is an excellent way to get the project started on the right foot. This early meeting will set expectations for the project and ensure progress. This kick-off meeting is a great way to foster positive working relationships as well and make sure everyone knows each other. If it’s too difficult to schedule an in-person meeting, arrange a virtual meeting.

Review the Scope of Work

Once you have the entire team working together you need to review the scope of work. The scope of work refers to the overall construction to be completed during the project. When planning a commercial build-out it is vital that everyone understands and agrees on the scope of work. Reviewing the scope will ensure all parties understand the timing of the project, the expectations, and finances involved. You may also solicit helpful feedback and guidance from the project team during this discussion. For instance, the permitting office in your city may be experiencing delays, and the team may recommend ways to expedite the application. Without a review of the project with the entire team this recommendation could be missed. The discussion regarding scope of work will enable faster and more cohesive decision making, and simplify everyone’s understanding when planning a commercial build-out.

Schedule Cadence Meetings with Project Team

The third way you can leverage the project team is to schedule cadence meetings regularly. It is recommended to discuss a cadence frequency during the kick-off meeting to get buy in from all parties. A project without regular communication is doomed for delays, cost overruns and possibly failure. When planning a commercial build out you should consider the estimated length of the project, the key milestones, and then decide how frequently the team should meet.

Conclusion

When planning a commercial build-out the key to a successful project is communication and teamwork. Your project team must be in sync and on the same page at all times. Gathering everyone together for a kick-off meeting will get things started. Scheduling regular cadence meetings will keep everyone on track. Discussing the scope of work will ensure key details are reviewed and smart ideas are implemented. Together these tips will guide your commercial build-out project and give you the best possible chance to maintain costs and hit your timelines.