Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with a former manager for the great developer Trammell Crow, a major player across several sectors of real estate development in both the U.S. and Europe. He and the company are known for their quality work. My friend recounted an interesting conversation he had with Trammell when he first started with the firm.
Trammell’s philosophy was to surround himself with the best people and companies as partners including contractors, consultants, team members and more. His reasoning was sound. He found that the best people build the best projects. Obviously, the philosophy and culture worked, evidenced by all the projects his team built during his lifetime. The effect was generational, because the company’s success continues.
I got to thinking about our business and how we interact with the consultants and subcontractors who help us build. It’s my goal to frequently express how thankful I am for their work. The same goes for the folks in our company. As a GC, we are no better than the people who surround us and move our projects forward.
Respect is a value I also try to reinforce in our field leadership and project managers. You can drive a hard bargain, but be fair. When you are successful together, it never hurts to say thank you.