I was recently reacquainted with an old trick for becoming more persuasive. Instead of just making a request, add the word “because” to your sentence. Giving a little context gets a much more positive response, with 55% more compliance than if you omitted it, according to a classic Harvard study conducted in a traditional office setting. …
A few years ago, I met Joe Zidle, a leader at Blackstone, and have followed his posts since. He wrote an interesting article recently, sharing his take on the trajectory of generative AI, as a bubble or the way of the future. He talked about the exponential growth of data on the Internet, snowballing by …
My team often hears me say that everyone is responsible for maintaining customer relationships, and thus sales. We are a mid-sized company, and we take pride in our commitment to involve our project management and field leadership teams in this process. Selling comes more easily to some of us, but I’m a firm believer that, …
A couple of years ago, I mentioned a measurement standard that was new at the time called ESG.This stands for Environmental, Social and Governance, and it considers impacts way beyond just the financial factors. What repercussions might the project or business activities have on the environment? Is it good for the community? And is the …
For those of us who weathered the Financial Crisis, it seems like just yesterday. In truth, it started some 15 years ago, and a lot has changed in the meantime. For starters, our relationship with China has grown more volatile, there is war in Eastern Europe and Covid has disrupted countless systems and practices. Many …
We recently listened to a webinar about ChatGPT, a hot topic right now. To get you up to speed, GPT means “Generative Pre-Trained Transformer,” and it’s the framework for artificial intelligence. ChatGPT currently has more than 100 million users, gained in just 3 months. It took Google 1 year and 2 months to reach the …
This spring, we completed another adaptive reuse redevelopment, this one including a “pocket park” and amphitheater. Pocket Parks are generally recognized as public park spaces that occupy less than one acre of land. The concept originated in post-WWII Europe as a way to rebuild public spaces a little at a time, even though they were …
Last weekend, I got to attend the United States Olympian and Paralympians Association Reunion in Colorado Springs as a guest of Jennifer Chandler, a gold medalist diver (spring board). This group reconnects every four years, bringing together fellow athletes who competed on the world stage to get briefed on future Olympic games. This time we …
Since the pandemic hit, it seems like construction materials and costs have been the number one topic of conversation for anyone involved in our business. Is what we need going to be available? If so, how much have prices gone up? We’ve talked about several headaches it’s caused our team, including parts shortages for electrical …
I took away the most interesting quote from a recent article on the power of positive thinking: “Optimism is fuel for quality of life.” To summarize, people who have the “glass half full” mentality tend to preform better at work, have better overall health and live longer. They argue for what’s called “conditional optimism,” where you take deliberate action to positively …
Like many, I have spent some time following the war and tragedy in Ukraine. When I heard about a seminar comparing the leaders of both countries led by industrial psychologist and friend Duncan Hulsey, I was curious to hear his thoughts. It’s interesting to note that even though Russia seems to have superior resources, for the …
As I have shared before, parking regulations can certainly impede or slow development in urban settings. More often than not, there is just not enough space for a structure and the parking to accommodate. Off-street parking requirements can also create a barrier to affordable housing. For these reasons and more, my readings seems to agree …