Yesterday, I met with an architect and a subcontractor, both of whom have been successful partners for us over the years.
As our meeting came to an end, conversation shifted to culture, and its importance to any organization. The subcontractor firmly believes that culture starts at the top and works its way down. He’s asked his project managers to seek out companies filled with quality, stand-up folks, trying to avoid working with people who don’t fit the bill.
I 100% agree. Culture is important to our company, and I don’t just mean crossing our “T”s and dotting our “I”s. It’s who you are dealing with when the inevitable problem surfaces, and how they approach resolution. For us, this means being straightforward and fair with our subcontractors who help us build projects, even if they don’t like the answer. Our success greatly hinges on maintaining solid relationships with our subcontractors and our material suppliers. We coach our project team to be honest, transparent, and work through difficult situations. We wish to partner with folks who take the same approach.
