I was on a flight recently with the owner of a relatively young California software company. He shared that in the beginning, he pursued every prospect that walked in the door. As his company matured, it became a balancing act between the value and the cost of production. His company, like all successful businesses, learned …
Recently, I was with the CEO of one of our longtime customer relationships, talking over lunch. As I was listening to him, I was reminded how success taints our vision at times. When we fail, our vision is crystal clear. This company was particularly successful for several decades. They could do no wrong, make no …
I recently heard a Mark Twain quote that resonated with me: “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.” Many things are advancing in our modern world, but language doesn’t seem to be one of them. If you’re talking to a coworker or …
I was in Las Vegas this week for the International Council of Shopping Center’s RECon event, what some may say is “The Super Bowl of Retail.” While the attendance was down this year, I see every May as a chance to learn a few more tricks and trends, and more importantly, to visit with people …
I was reminded recently of a story someone told me years ago while I was attending the Center Build Conference in Phoenix. it went something like this: There was a conflict brewing in a restaurant kitchen. Two sous chefs were at each other’s throats with butcher knives in hand. (Maybe not quite, but a fight …
There is absolutely no substitute for consistent aerial views of a construction site, especially when they are 20 to 30 acres, as is frequently the case for us. While drones are often used for the cool images of vertical construction and marketing, we have found they bring good value as we piece together site progress …
We are seeing cost increases across all platforms, although they seem to be tapering off compared to the 5 1/2% increases we saw last year. This contrasts the pressure of revenues, which aren’t keeping up. Sometimes it all works out. Other times it doesn’t. This week, I had a cost management conversation with a potential …
For those of us interested in historic preservation/restoration, this week was tragic. Notre Dame is an integral part of the Parisian backdrop and a picture of craftsmanship that withstood hundreds of years, not to mention its significance to the Catholic church. On Monday, I watched with my jaw dropped as the flames rose. Now, as …
For me, April means two things: The Masters and Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, both extraordinary events started by men with a passion for doing something worthwhile and best in class. (Bobby Jones/Clifford Roberts for the Masters and George Barber for the Indy car event.) My spring is off to a good start because both …
No matter what business, it’s the small things that differentiate. I think this concept can be hard for some to understand. Doing a good job with the technical side or the deliverables is a prerequisite for sales, and if one does not have these, it’s a nonstarter. But when it comes to customers forming an …
We are finally entering spring, and the weather seems to be a bit better. The market is in good shape and has been for a while. Perhaps your basketball team is still in the hunt. Sometimes it’s easy to think we are in balance and all is good with the world. But “balance” is by …
A couple of weeks ago, I attended a dinner where Alessandro Acquisti of Carnegie Mellon spoke on privacy issues related to the web and how “big data” is changing things for the better…and worse. Since the Internet and social media came along, it seems we share more personal information than ever before. There are plenty …