There are many layers to being successful, and some things come easier than others. In the construction business, we may not have daily interaction with our customers, but we do have a lot of visibility with the public. Most of the people who walk or drive past one of our construction sites have no idea …
Warren Buffett claims the secret to his success is that he sits in his office and reads all day. Can it really be that simple? I found an interesting article this week arguing that while the knowledge Buffett references is an important piece of the puzzle, there’s more. I have to agree. Sometimes the best …
I recently read an article from Microsoft tracking the productivity of knowledge workers. Traditionally, there have been two peaks where people really focus and get things done: They come around 10:30 am and 2:30 pm. When Microsoft revisited their research recently, they found that for many, there is now a third peak, which comes around 8 …
This week, I had an interesting phone call with a group of bankers, business leaders and healthcare professionals here in the Southeast. I left with a ton of takeaways. I’ll share those related to the vaccine and business operations this week and more related to service businesses and real estate next week. The vaccine is …
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 …
It’s the season for holiday parties, when we’re often catching up with folks we haven’t seen in a while and meeting a few new faces. It’s a good time to dust off best practices for getting to know people, whatever the setting. Here are a few that have proven most powerful for me: Name recall. …
Maybe one of the secrets to being a successful company isn’t all about what you do. Maybe it’s more in how you think. For us, it’s been important to focus on creating and connecting value. Make no doubt about it, cost will always be a component of value. Here’s what I think: Some firms will …
Our hometown is one of those cities that came of age during an industrial boom. Because of this, there is plenty of historical space in the CBD that is full of architectural details and prime for adaptive reuse. We’ve been a part of several of these projects. So the question I asked myself is, “Why has this initiative become a …
Over the years, I have found that there are lots of ways to motivate, but the simplest one is probably the best and the most pleasant for everyone involved. Simply say, “Thank you,” whether verbally or in writing. Particularly in the construction and real estate industries, there has always seemed to be a lack of …
There are a few phrases that folks in our office are probably tired of hearing me say. One is,“Success is about finding good customers and keeping them.” If you can keep good customers, you don’t have to be out looking for new ones all the time. It sure saves time and resources, allowing for better …
This week, I visited one of our projects that covers several acres. It’s not ready for permanent power, but also needs power in a lot of locations. In the past, we’ve run conduit to a stationary board, which works, but has its downfalls. If there is too much load demand, breakers get tripped and the whole …
A few years ago, I had a conversation with the former CEO of a large international construction company. We talked about a lot of things that day, but one topic that stuck with me is failure’s role in success. When hiring an executive for his company, he often looked for someone who had lost at least …