People come first. It’s one thing to know that truth and another to put it into practice daily. Over the years, I’ve struggled with putting my head down too far into my work, and neglecting to set aside time for the people on our team, even if it’s just to visit. I think I’m getting …
Last evening, I had attended a presentation given by someone I hadn’t had the chance to meet just yet. After the presentation, I found her in the crowd, tapped her on the shoulder and told her how much I enjoyed what she had to say. I make it a point to do this whenever someone’s …
“If only I knew then what I know now, I would have done things differently,” is probably something many of us have said more often than we wish to admit. In my own life, I have at times found myself so concentrated in the future, that I have had a tendency to forget about the …
I’ve been in business long enough that I can speak with confidence when I say the actual construction is just a part of the formula that gets a building constructed. It’s all about relationships. The better the relationships, the better chance for success, at least most of the time. In my opinion, this applies to …
Whether we wanted it or not, the pandemic has accelerated so much change. Some of it was good, and a lot of it was not so good. We’re almost at year now, and I think for some, these last months have meant spending even more time indoors than normal. It might have been the work-from-home …
As I mentioned last week, I recently had a phone call with a sharp group of professionals from our region. I shared takeaways related to the vaccine and business operations. I also have a few notes regarding the service sector and real estate: It appears that across the Southeast, restaurants are beginning to enjoy increased occupancy in …
This has been a tough week among tough weeks for S/P and me personally. We lost a long-time project superintendent and a heck of a good guy. This virus plays no favorites. Larry and I have been working together since we were in our 20s. He was the reassuring type I could trust with anything. …
I was meeting with a couple of our project superintendents today, which is an extra cold and soggy one. We were discussing some particularly tough challenges they are facing on the job. For the moment, no one is having a good time. On the way back to the office, I got to thinking about all …
I’m not sure anything could have truly prepared us for last year. In a strange sort of way, it feels like anyone who went through the financial crisis of the last decade had a leg up. Although the disruption came from opposite ends of the challenge spectrum–one with financial roots and the other health related–they …
As I recently posted, I spent 10 days at home with the virus. After that experience, I’m not sure how anyone thinks working at home is sustainable. Many on our team told me they sure were glad we have kept our office open this year. There’s energy, frequency of good conversation and social interaction, none of …
I have been in the construction business for many years. In that time, I’ve gotten to know a wide range of interesting people in the real estate and construction industry. These relationships have developed organically over time and often evolved into friendships or good acquaintances. The network of friends I have built through business is, …
About 25 or 30 years ago, there were two national construction companies that were positioned for continued success. Over time, leadership either passed away or retired, and those two companies are no longer in business. Seeing them break up was jaw dropping. Both had outstanding individuals doing their thing, but when leadership changed and got …