Steve Jobs may not have been the most beloved manager, but there is no doubt he found a way to encourage the best out of the people who worked with him. I think the philosophy is summed up with this 2008 quote from him: “My job is to not be easy on people. My job …
We work in a field where information is key. If a mistake is made on a job site, we often find ourselves trying to uncover the process, so we can correct our action and then create a path forward so we never repeat it. This involves asking a lot of questions. I recently read an …
A friend recently sent me an article about Warren Buffett and his belief that “about a dozen truly good decisions” led him to be so wildly successful. While many of these resonated with me, one stood out: Making a decision to do nothing. To use Buffett’s own words, “The trick is, when there is nothing to …
The funny thing about time is that the older you get, the faster it seems to pass one by. I read a post the other day that really stuck with me. The gist is that we are always talking about the “afters” in life. I’ll pick up this hobby after things slow down a little at …
Yesterday, I met with an architect and a subcontractor, both of whom have been successful partners for us over the years. As our meeting came to an end, conversation shifted to culture, and its importance to any organization. The subcontractor firmly believes that culture starts at the top and works its way down. He’s asked his project …
In the business world, “success” can be a tricky thing. I’ve discovered that success can be hard to quantify and easy to lose. At best, it’s a sliding scale or a point in time. Still, many of us are striving for our own version success. This could mean goals and timelines met. Money made. An image …
Over the years, communication means and methods have changed. We are now in a world where most everyone has at least a cell phone close by. While all these advances have made it easier to communicate and catalogue our work, we’ve unintentionally cut out some of the personal interactions that can make a team truly …
We are in the unique (and good) position of having an established leadership team in the field and the office. These professionals know the business and they know our approach, and they are joined by a promising group of new talent. The only negative here is that we all can get set in our ways, …
Construction, by its very nature, can be and is a stressful business. While we are planners by trade, and we’ve all learned how to mitigate risk, we’re constantly battling unforeseen circumstances. The list can range from material shortages to something as simple (and powerful) as the weather. Many of us thrive under pressure, but how …
Which of these traits is more important as a leader? An article I read this week argues that while these use to be called “soft skills,” they are now a necessary part of successful leadership. While I think they are all part of the recipe for great leadership, the case for humility particularly stood out. …
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege to meet many artists, a handful of whom I’ve come to know as friends. George Jones, Jr., is a 4th generation broom maker from Florence, Ala. Jerry Brown was a pottery folk artist from Hamilton, Ala., and Bettye Kimbrell was a quilt maker who specialized in Cherokee leaf …
At its roots, most of construction is a task-oriented business. To be successful, one has to always be moving from strategic to tactical thinking and back again. While tactical processes are probably more the core of our business, this also requires balancing the minute details with the “10,000 foot view.” One of the main things …