Military news

NAVFAC Marianas awarded about $244.4M in contracts from October 2019 through July 2020 on which Small Business (SB) concerns may participate as prime or subcontractors.

Of that amount, about $220.4M was awarded to SB concerns to provide a variety of products and services on Guam. Socio-economic breakdown of the SB awards are:

- $210.4M - Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) - $192.0M - HUBZone Small Business (HZSB) - $16.5M - Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) - $12.5M - Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)

The sum of the figures above exceed the overall SB awards of $220.4M because some SB concerns qualify for multiple socio-economic categories.

• Fargo Pacific Inc. was awarded about $853K for building repairs/renovations on Naval Base Guam. • Guahan Waste Control Inc was awarded about $912K to provide solid waste collection and recycling services on

Naval Base Guam. • Planate Management Group LLC was awarded about $669K to provide construction management services for OICC

Marine Corps in Australia. • Fargo Pacific Inc. was awarded about $2.8M to provide sewer lift station repairs on Andersen Air Force Base. • Fargo Pacific Inc. was awarded about $1.8M for building repairs/renovations on Andersen Air Force Base. • Fargo Pacific Inc. was awarded about $3.9M for miscellaneous repairs to an existing sewer lift station utility building on Andersen Air Force Base. • Defense Base Services, Inc. was awarded about $6.6M to provide to provide family housing facilities maintenance services on Anderson Air Force Base. • Fargo Pacific Inc. was awarded about $2.1M to replace standby generators at multiple facilities on Andersen Air

Force Base.

Source: Federal Procurement Data System – Next Generation (FPDS-NG)

The “new normal” business environment triggered by the coronavirus pandemic includes a significant surge in teleworking employees.

If members of your team are teleworking, communication with them should not be confined to emails and texts. There are times when things are better said over the phone, face to face, or even virtually.

In addition to landlines and smart phones for communication, there are many videoconferencing tools (Zoom, GoToMeeting, MS Teams, Global Video Services (GVS), etc.) that will give you face-to-face interaction when an email just won’t suffice.

It may be more convenient/comfortable to shoot off an email or text message, but it’s not always the most effective approach. Studies have shown that face-to-face meetings are much more productive over emails.

How do you know when to utilize verbal or written communication? Choose verbal communication over the written word when: • You need participation: Videoconferencing is best if you need people to engage or participate on a task and where everyone can be seen. Members of your team will feel more comfortable or compelled to step up. • You are providing feedback: Sometimes we type things in emails/texts that we would never say in person. A video call allows you to read visual cues in body language or hear verbal cues that you wouldn’t get with email. This gives you the opportunity to adjust your approach based on how the other person is receiving your remarks. • There is a chance of misunderstanding: You can avoid miscommunication in a phone or video call if you anticipate that someone will get defensive about an issue and potentially misinterpret your words in an email or text. • You are angry: Anger can impact our ability to communicate clearly/concisely, so avoid any communication until you have calmed down. Voice communication will allow for a more effective dialogue that could resolve the problem at hand once you’ve cooled off. • You are apologizing: When you are resolving conflict or apologizing, a call will be received as more genuine than an email. Taking the time to make a phone/video call is an act of respect and courtesy.