You make the plan. You walk out the door ready to execute it. And within an hour, something happens that throws the whole thing off course. If that sentence made you nod, you have probably worked in public works. But honestly, it doesn't matter what field you're in. Plans falling apart is not a public works problem. It's a work problem. It's a life problem. The only difference is how often you have to face it and how quickly you have to adjust.

Last December, I sat through a conference presentation on permitting and solar farms. I'm not in the permit department. I'm not in engineering. At the time, that presentation meant absolutely nothing to me. But the people presenting had lived it. They'd hit every wall you can hit, chased down every regulation, and dealt with every frustrated landowner and township board along the way. They were generous enough to share what they'd learned, mistakes included. So I listened an