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Geotechnical News December 2011
ASFE NEWS
benefits for the client, and what those
benefits were. What we hope to do is
develop compelling true stories that
support our basic contentions. By de-
veloping more and more of these, we’ll
be able to convince more and more
people with a need to know that wise
deployment is something worth trying
at least once.
Do you believe you might have a
story to share? If so, tell us a bit about
it. Address your response to John
Bachner
) or call John
at 301/565-2733, ext. 223.
Still Time (But Little of It) to Register Rising Stars for FOPP 21
“Were it not for FOPP, I would have
lost the firm.” That’s what one FOPP
alum (who went on to become his
firm’s CEO) responded when we
asked him how important his FOPP
participation was. We’re not going to
say it’s that vital to everyone…we’ll
let you be the judge by evaluating what
the
most recent FOPP grads had to say.
Registration for FOPP 21 all but
closed. We conduct this extraordinary
class just once a year. Enrollment is
limited to 150. We have some space
still available and we can shoehorn in
a few more if you’ve been delaying a
decision.
The course – designed for a firm’s
rising stars – comprises two elements.
The first involves six months of remote
participation through which each FOPP
participant plays the role of a project
manager…by managing the six-month
FOPP project! This involves reading
a “fundamentals” text (
Practice Man-
agement for Design Professionals
, by
John Philip Bachner) and the book
Hot:
Living through the Next Fifty Years on
Earth
by Marc Hertsgaard.
Participants must also complete a
research assignment that will genu-
inely benefit the firm or the profession.
Each participant is required to submit
a proposal, a draft report, and a final
report. Participants can choose from
more than 70 existing topics or develop
one of their own.
All participants work with a men-
tor within the participant’s firm. All
submissions (including five exams and
one small paper in addition to the three
research-assignment
submissions)
must be submitted on time. Those that
are not are downgraded. Those that are
late without a prior “heads up” receive
no credit at all.
The FOPP program director plays
the role of a somewhat unpleasant cli-
ent representative who makes his atti-
tude known by attacking all participant
submissions with a nasty red pen.
As last year, FOPP 21 participants
will be able to communicate with one
another via a FOPP 21 LinkedIn group.
The remote instruction program
is followed by a 2½-day seminar that
involves person-to-person interaction
among participants, public speaking,
a case-history workshop, case-history
presentations, a communications semi-
nar, a keynote address by a “vet” who
addresses “If I knew then what I know
now,” a unique dispute-resolution ex-
perience, and a half-day focus on the
future…and
more.
)
What do FOPP participants think
about the program? We learn that two
ways. First, we ask participants to rate
FOPP immediately after the course
concludes. Then we ask them one year
later. As to what FOPP 19 grads has to
say one year after the course, here’s a
brief sampling:
• Increased my awareness of the pro-
fession. I tend to see more of the
bigger picture.
• I am more careful on how I write
and express myself among my co-
workers and clients. It is better to
keep it simple.
• The FOPP program taught me to
write more clearly, to be a better
manager of clients’ expectations,
and to maintain professional net-
working contacts within and out-
side of the geoprofession.
• First, I feel that I am a better writer.
Second, I pay more attention to de-
tails of contract terms and condi-
tions when negotiating with clients.
• I am a nonengineer, but they are my
clients. Going through FOPP gave
me an understanding of what they
do and some of the challenges they
face. I have a different perspective
when helping them through some
of their issues.
• I feel that I always was aware of
the concept of professionalism,
but going through the course made
me realize that I was not putting it
into action. The course has given
me the tools and knowledge to act
and work in more of a professional
manner.
• It has been a stepping-stone into
more senior positions and respon-
sibility levels within my company.
• I think about every email before I
send it. Pay attention to close de-
tails with all interactions with my
client and make sure nothing could
come back and potentially affect
me professionally
• I improved my writing and commu-
nication skills significantly during
the course. Additionally, I learned
the how important of communica-
tion and contract development is to
the engineering field.
• Open my eyes to many things. Most
importantly how important it is to
be a PROFESSIONAL. Full time.
See the complete report and if you’d
like register as a participant for FOPP
21, just call us (301/565-2733) or send
us an e-mail
or
and we’ll get it done. But you
need to do it NOW!
