In our industry, it’s common for project superintendents to start as carpenters, earning their positions as managers through years of hard work. Many of our guys advanced this way, but we do have a handful of folks who took a different path into construction. For example, one of our superintendents was a music major in college, …
When I was visiting DC a few years ago, a friend, who was then Director of Personnel at the Supreme Court, asked if I would like a tour. Of course I would. During my tour, she shared several bits of trivia on the building. The 5th floor basketball gym might be referred to as “The …
Imagine yourself as new hire in a company. You’re full of different ideas that maybe counter to the culture of the company, as you see it. Do you pull yourself in line with your company’s culture, or maybe risk speaking up? Simply put–fit in or stand out? That’s a difficult position, and research indicates that …
A week ago last Thursday, we lost one of the most vibrant sports reporters a basketball court has ever known, when Craig Sager passed away at the age of 65. Here was a man who rose from a small-town Midwestern upbringing to become one of the most recognizable sports reporters on the basketball scene. He …
I’m a morning person, so I usually come to work all fired up. Then lunch time hits. As the afternoon progresses, I sometimes go from turbo to first gear. I have found a walk outside around our place, even if it’s only 15 minutes, can move the gear up a bit. Here’s my quick value …
We would all like to weigh our words carefully before we speak, and only say things we’ll be proud of 24-hours later. In reality, this doesn’t always happen. Earlier this week, toward the end of a tough, stressful day, I had a disagreement with a couple of our managers over something minor. I told them …
I try to use flight time to catch up on my business reading. [For the life of me, I cannot understand how others on the plane enjoy watching a movie on a tiny smartphone.] On my return from Minneapolis this week, I poured through a stack of WSJ articles. One was an obituary for Bob …
As teenager, I helped my father build a cabin in North Georgia. I still remember how he loved his Craftsman 6-foot yellow folding rule. I wish I still had one, but unfortunately, I somehow misused them when I was younger and ended up breaking a few. Still, I have great respect for what that simple tool …
There’s a running joke around the office about who has received an email from me early in the mornings, maybe too early at times. I’ve been known to write at 3 or 4 in the morning. I wouldn’t bill myself as an insomniac or a workaholic. I just find my best productivity in the solitude …
When I was in Las Vegas a few weeks ago, I took these two pictures on the same day. The first: A bank of slot machines, gold and noise. The second: Wooden building blocks in the corner of my hotel coffee shop, waiting to be taken off the shelf and built into something. Both are …
A while back, when I was working on a project with the CEO of a $2 billion company, his favorite phrase was, “there’s only one opportunity to make a good first impression.” It stuck with me over the years, and I have since boiled the philosophy down to four basic rules that go a long way toward …
To me, it’s always seemed like a good thing to give back just little of our time–maybe more–toward developing the next generation of professionals in our industry. Plenty of people certainly did the same for me. One way I serve is on the Advisory Council of the Auburn University Master of Real Estate Development program, …