In this special episode of Laying the Foundation, we’re stepping away from the drafting table for a spirited round of "This or That" with members of the CMBA team. We're pulling back the curtain on the diverse personalities and design values that drive our collaborative environment. It’s an entertaining mix of professional wisdom and light hearted banter that shows what makes our team tick.

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Episode Transcript

(Skyler): Welcome back, everybody, to another episode of the Laying the Foundation podcast. My name is Skyler, and I'm your host. This isn't just your everyday episode; it's an extra special one where we'll be playing an exciting game of 'This or That.' I've got five contestants joining us today. Let me see, I'll just go down the list. First, we have Megan van Dalen from our Spencer office. Megan, welcome to the show.

(Megan): Thanks! It's actually Megan van Dalen.

(Skyler): Now everyone knows, which is great. Next, I see Shelbie Delaughter from our Sioux City office. Did I get that right?

(Shelbie): You did, yeah.

(Skyler): Great. Joining us from our Grand Island office, we have Jim Bresnahan. Did I get that right, Jim?

(Jim): Yes.

(Skyler): Awesome. We also have Courtney Koch from our Sioux City office. Courtney, welcome back to the show.

(Courtney): Hi, thank you.

(Skyler): And Hilary Hawkins, also from our Sioux City office. Hilary, thanks for joining us.

(Hilary): Thank you.

(Skyler): We have a large Sioux City crew, but it's great to have representatives from Spencer and Grand Island as well. Here's how the game works: I'm going to offer you two choices or preferences, and your job is simply to pick one. We'll reveal how many people picked each side, and then someone from each side will explain their reasoning. Feel free to rebuttal or even pitch a third option if you have one. We'll cover design and architecture, office culture, and some fun general questions. Let's start with a fun one. For an office snack: sweet or salty? If you prefer sweet, raise your hand on the count of three. Salty includes things like popcorn or peanuts; sweet could be candy, brownies, or baked goods. Three, two, one... go! We have two for sweet and the rest for salty. Courtney, why did you pick sweet, and what is your treat of choice?

(Courtney): If you're going to have a snack, it has to be sweet. It gives you that little extra zip to get through the day. I would accept any of the things you mentioned.

(Skyler): Fair enough. Hilary, representing the salty side—what is your preferred snack?

(Hilary): Probably popcorn. It's a nice, mindless snack that you can eat with one hand while working the mouse with the other.

(Skyler): That's very true; the crunching keeps you awake. I never understood why popcorn is a movie theater snack since it's so noisy, but it is delicious. Now, let's jump to design and architecture. When you're about to start a project or design an element, do you prefer a pencil or a stylus? Do you like to sketch by hand or go straight to the computer? Pencil-users, raise your hands. Stylus stays down. Three, two, one... go! We have two pencils. Jim, you're representing the pencil team.

(Jim): It's simple, Skyler. We're the veterans in the group; that's the way we learned, and it's the correct way to do it.

(Skyler): Shots fired! Shelbie, what about the digital side or the stylus?

(Shelbie): I'm terrible at sketching by hand. It's a lot quicker and looks much better if I do it on the computer.

(Skyler): I'm the same way. Any rebuttals from the pencil team?

(Courtney): I think the digital work looks beautiful, and if I were faster at it, I might go that route. But for now, the pencil still wins for me.

(Skyler): Fair enough. There seems to be an age gap divide there, as Jim suggested. We'll need a larger group for better analytics on that later. Switching to office culture: phone calls or emails? If you're team phone call, raise your hand. Three, two, one... go! We only have one phone call: Jim. Is this for the same reason as the previous question?

(Jim): Not exactly, but it's similar. The younger generation wants to do everything with their thumbs, but we actually like talking to people. It's a strange concept, I know, but you can better understand what they are thinking and feeling through tone of voice and reactions, which can be misread in an email.

(Skyler): That's a unique point. You're also including video calls like the one we're on now. Megan, do you want to defend the email preference?

(Megan): I like to start with an email because I can get all the information out at once. With a phone call, there's a high chance I'll forget something and have to follow up with an email anyway. I also prefer Zoom over traditional phone calls because it's easier to share screens.

(Skyler): Absolutely. Auto-transcriptions and recordings are also great for referencing information later. Courtney, you also went with email. What are your thoughts?

(Courtney): In an emergency, like a water heater going out, I'll call immediately to get someone on it. However, in a work situation, I agree with Megan. I like to get all the information out first and perhaps follow up with a call so we're on the same page. I don't like bombarding someone before they have the context for the conversation.

(Skyler): That's understandable. To Jim's point, I often send him messages and he promptly responds with a phone call every time. Even when I ask for a response on Teams, I get a call. You're still relevant, Jim, I promise. Now for another fun question: on a trip, do you prefer a planned itinerary or going with the flow? Three, two, one... go! Everyone except Jim prefers a planned itinerary. Hilary, why do you prefer a plan?

(Hilary): Without an itinerary, I feel like we waste time trying to figure out what to do next, especially in a group. Even if we deviate from the plan, it's nice to have something in place.

(Skyler): It sounds like you've had experience with the frustration of six people saying 'I don't know.' Jim, you're our sporadic guy. What does a trip with you look like?

(Jim): I'll make reservations for where we're staying, but since I have college-aged kids who don't always wake up on my schedule, we have to be sporadic. We have a general idea of what we want to do, but we just go with the flow.

(Skyler): If you were traveling alone, would you still be sporadic?

(Jim): Yes, definitely.

(Skyler): Fair enough. Back to office culture: do you prefer an office playlist over speakers or total silence? Three, two, one... go! Everyone prefers the playlist except Megan. Megan, do you prefer total silence?

(Megan): Not total silence, but I like listening to my own podcasts at my desk as background noise. Sometimes I get too caught up in music, though I do enjoy an office playlist on a Friday for the casual vibes.

(Skyler): Shelbie, you like the music?

(Shelbie): I'm split. I usually have a podcast on, but I don't like dead silence when I don't have my headphones in. However, the elevator music that's been playing this week isn't working for me.

(Skyler): Is it putting you to sleep?

(Shelbie): It's just been... interesting.

(Skyler): Who's in charge of the playlist?

(Shelbie): We can all access it, but I have no idea who picked that.

(Skyler): For the Sioux City crew, do you prefer silence or bird noises? We've had those on the playlist a few times.

(Hilary): I'll take the birds.

(Skyler): I'm team birds as well. Now for another architecture question. Would you prefer a project with an unlimited budget but a tight deadline, or unlimited time but a tight budget? Three, two, one... go! Everyone chose an unlimited budget with a tight deadline. Jim, what’s your insight?

(Jim): We can always work to get it done, but a tight budget is a constant stressor because owners always want more than the money allows. Having the budget helps.

(Courtney): Designers will take as much time as they can get to keep designing. Cutting us off often leads to a better project.

(Shelbie): I don't enjoy it when a project stretches out indefinitely. It feels like you're never completing anything.

(Skyler): That makes sense. Unlimited time can be more stressful because there's no clear finish line. Now, for a casual question: self-checkout or a human cashier? Three, two, one... go! Megan, you’re in the human cashier group. Why?

(Megan): They are always faster than me. If the line is long, I’ll use self-checkout, but I usually run into errors that require assistance anyway. I’d rather just start with the professional.

(Skyler): They definitely haven't worked out all the kinks yet. Hilary, you prefer self-checkout?

(Hilary): Yes, it fits my personality. I’m quiet and just want to get my things and go without the extra human interaction.

(Skyler): Fair enough. Office culture: early bird or flex scheduling? Three, two, one... go! Everyone is an early bird. Jim, tell us about that.

(Jim): I'm up anyway, so I might as well be in the office. Plus, I have to put the coffee on.

(Skyler): I appreciate that. Courtney, you're an early bird too?

(Courtney): I prefer it, though I'm usually waiting on my kids in the morning. When school is out, I'll be here much earlier. I also like being done early for my kids' activities.

(Skyler): That's a common sentiment among parents. Last casual question: when cooking something new, do you use a recipe or wing it? Hardcore recipe-users, hands up. Three, two, one... go! Everyone said recipe. Shelbie, what is cooking like for you?

(Shelbie): I follow directions; otherwise, it won't turn out right. I prefer baking, where you really can't mess around without causing a disaster.

(Skyler): Baking is definitely science. Last question: does your inbox look clean and organized or is it controlled chaos? Three, two, one... go! Hilary, you seem iffy.

(Hilary): It's probably more on the messy side. I have it figured out, though.

(Jim): I'm definitely controlled chaos. That's what the search bar is for.

(Megan): I'm clean and controlled. It's easier starting a new job because you have fewer emails to manage, so I keep everything in the right folders.

(Courtney): I'm type A; it has to be controlled. My inbox only contains the things I still need to handle, so if it gets deep, I know I have a lot of work to do.

(Skyler): It's fun to see where we agree and where we differ across departments and offices. Thank you all for sitting down to play. There was no winner today, but it will be fun to revisit this next time we see each other.

(Courtney): Thanks, guys!

(Hilary): Thank you.

(Skyler): Have an awesome day, everyone.