Years ago, one of my mentors shared something that stuck: “You only have one chance to get it right the first time.” It’s interesting how often I have repeated this comment over the years, to people on our team and beyond. To me, this advice was even more poignant when we were first getting started …
No one does research quite like Google. I recently read an article about the company’s thorough approach to discovering the traits that make managers great. They started on a mission to find the algorithm for a better boss back in 2009, implementing their findings into the hiring process three years later. They now have more …
After experiencing two years of record price increases, material shortages and a scarce workforce, it seems that things are getting a bit better, at least with the availability of talent. I’m not sure if it was the end of stimulus and relief checks, or a more complicated mix of factors, but it seems like folks …
How do you hire the right group to build your project? In many ways, it’s like any other major purchase decision. Price, financial stability and reputation are always a factor. Beyond these basics, to me, there are two things that prospective buyers of construction services sometimes overlook: Culture. Does the contractor’s general approach to business …
When it’s time to bring on additions to our management group, the person we hire often depends on the need. It might be a highly experienced and specialized candidate, or it could be one who shows more raw talent, street smarts and desire. We’ve learned that going with the most experienced candidate generally has the …
Over our decades in business, I’ve learned a thing or two about business models, especially in regards to the best approach to project sizes being a fit. I recently explained it like this: We build $40-50 million dollar projects and also the $1 million and up projects. They all work in unison, being somewhat like …
A couple of weeks ago, I happened to be watching a horse race at New Jersey’s Monmouth Park. The commentator mentioned there would be no whips used on the horses during the race, a new rule that was recently adopted. All the horses were still racing their hearts out to win. Interesting. This got me to thinking of …
This week has was not as I planned. Like many others around the country, I was diagnosed with the virus and have been quarantined at home. When I received the news last Friday, my first reaction was, “You have got to be kidding,” but in the end, I trusted the test. Gratefully, I’ve been virtually …
In this age of being ever-accessible, the time management skills we hear about so often can be in conflict with our capacity to “do it all.’ The latter is often referred to as personal bandwidth. I’m not sure about you, but being over-scheduled can leave me feeling bad about my lack of productivity and letting …
We work in an industry where many perform a similar service, getting a customer from Point A to Point B. Generally speaking, the path may be the similar, but not exactly the same. To me, what sets the good apart from the great is the perspective and creativity that can be brought to the table. You can really …
There are times when we are trying to have that “break through idea or solution” and all we get are jagged thoughts that nag the problem. Having said this, have you ever noticed that our brains pull through at the most uncanny times? It seems we all have this specific category of time that’s unique …
For us, getting involved in an FMI peer review group has been one of the smartest ways to grow our business. We meet periodically with other construction companies in non-competing markets to discuss best practices. I kept hearing others talk about using employee selection assessments in the hiring process, and we made the call to …