Customer Relationships
Make Excellence a Verb, Then Make it Your Brand
The world of social media is bringing a change to our language. I’m sure grammatical purists are scowling when they see “like” and “friend” used regularly as verbs. I think…
Customer Relationships
Construction Material Costs Are Defying the Laws of Economics: Why?
The short answer: To me, nobody knows. If we compare the normal demand for commercial projects in the United States to our current climate, the market is down 30-50 percent….
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With Change Comes Opportunity: Three Ways to Embrace It.
There is comfort in the known. That’s why most of us enjoy having a steady routine at work. But if you’re not careful, getting lost in habit and familiarity can…
Customer Relationships
International Council of Shopping Centers 2010 Roundup
This week I attended the national convention of the International Council of Shopping Centers, a member-driven organization for the retail industry. This year there were about 25,000 attendees. I felt…
Customer Relationships
Scout’s Honor: Communication is the Key to Business
I have been involved with the Boy Scouts of America for about 35 years. It’s a wonderful organization—I would encourage you to find a troop for your sons or grandsons…
Customer Relationships
BIM Visualizes the “How,” Unlocks the “Why” and Provides a Relationship Value-Add
Last week, I mentioned a partnership I’ve fostered with WP2DC, the company who designed and implemented a cloud-based application for Stewart Perry. We’ve managed to get all our internal information into…
Customer Relationships
Increase Efficiency by Turning Vendors Into Resource Partners
Around here, everyone knows that when we enter an agreement to purchase goods or services we look at it as a two-way street. We want to both give and get…
Customer Relationships
Run the Race with Endurance, Then Push for Excellence at the End
Lately, it seems like I’m surrounded by races. Earlier this week, I told you about my Indy Grand Prix of Alabama experience at Barber Motorsports Park. A NASCAR race happened…
Customer Relationships
Think Long Term: Build Strong Subcontractor Relationships
Over the years, I have seen building contractors take unfair advantage of subcontractors. I’ve seen subs abused, used and in some cases driven out of business. To me, this isn’t…
Customer Relationships
In Management, a Feast Can Be Just as Challenging as a Famine
Being involved with the management of a construction company, I am constantly thinking about balance in our workload. Are we outrunning our infrastructure? I’ve discovered that having too much work…