When the first Tour de France bicycle race was held in 1903; Maurice Garin, the winner, clocked in nearly three hours ahead of the second-place finisher, Hippolyte Auconturier. This year, the margin of victory was a mere 39 seconds. The three-week-long race covered 2,263 miles. That means winner Alberto Contador traveled each mile 0.0172 of …
“Necessity is the mother of invention.” I have always believed this as a truth, particularly in these tough times. Some jobs might have vanished in the recent Recession, but to me, creative ideas will always be with us. There are plenty of smart people out there who found themselves unemployed in the past year. Instead …
I say both, but that’s the short answer. Here’s how I got there. For me, Saturdays in the fall often involve at least a little bit of college football. While I was watching last weekend, I thought about how important communication is on the field. A quarterback might be blessed with tremendous athletic ability and …
I read recently in the Wall Street Journal that as of May, retailer Bed Bath & Beyond had $1.64 billion in cash and short-term treasuries, and expects to generate at least another $600 million by February. Nationwide, non-financial businesses had approximately $1.85 trillion in liquid assets as of June. That’s pretty good, I would say. …
In business, it’s easy to get caught up in the now. Which fires need putting out this instant? While a certain amount of urgency is to be expected, I’m convinced that making time to prepare for what’s coming next is the key to success. When it comes down to it, most business wins are about …
I’ve heard it a million times: “Actions speak louder than words.” In a country like the U.S., where we vote with our dollars, that becomes even more true. We make a demand and the supplier who meets it wins the sale. Sometimes the government—the officials we elected to regulate policy—can give a push to make …
This morning we resolved a disagreement involving a large piling and timber wall we constructed in Ohio. How? We finally got everyone together in one room and we talked. It got me thinking about how we used to resolve disputes. It was similar to a boxing match, when the two sides would spar for a while …
In this economy, there are advantages to being moderate in size. Our company is not one of the 50 largest construction companies in the country. We do not have the same resources that our larger competitors maintain. But we are nimble. Being “right sized” in any field can be a real plus. It’s easier for …
If it has not already, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will eventually impact us all. The environment and the livelihoods of many are at stake. The tragedy is a “wake up call” reminder that we only have one earth, and we all have a stake in pollution control. Environmental responsibility has always …
Every once in a while, our team takes a bit of time away from the busy schedules we all maintain for a get together. It’s not a big time commitment, but it gives us an opportunity to catch up with folks who may be in and out of the office a good bit. Today, we …
Over the last couple of years, I’ve thought a lot about the economic pie and how much smaller it is these days. How do we survive and prosper? I think it’s all about a solid foundation built on proven relationships. As Warren Buffett was quoted, “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s …
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 Tom Peters’ definition of “excellence” fits right into that camp. You may remember Peters from the mega best selling book In Search of Excellence, which he …