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 …
We’re working on four decades of being in business. The company has had ups and downs through changing cycles. We’ve been through periods of great growth, low times, the financial crisis and now the virus and other impacts. There have been many shifting landscapes over time, and still, the current climate is another new chapter. …
When we designed our place, I originally wanted to have desks in the open. When this did not fly, I suggested offices that had two walls and opened to a common area. That wasn’t popular either. The compromise was building complete offices with a glass wall at the front. We can all see each other, …
Just about anyone can be successful when the waters are calm and steady. It’s when the sea gets choppy and the waves come in that the true test begins. Everyone else might be drinking the Bad News Bears Kool-Aid, which seems to always be popular on the 6 pm news, and many of them will just …
Because of the construction industry’s independent nature, technology typically lags. This means that roll out of new products, even some that really work, can be slow. One of the new systems we have discovered with our multifamily projects is ZIP System. Sheathing installation followed by a “housewrap” vapor barrier had been the industry standard for years. …
We’ve known for a long time that periods of stress in the American economy accelerate change in a way that’s sometimes generational. Think about the Great Depression and the resulting economic protectionism. Or the women World War II brought into the workforce. Those were really good things that came out of exceptionally tough times. It’s …
Last weekend, I watched an interesting piece by Ted Koppel about how communication style and mastery of current mediums has affected the presidency. Franklin Roosevelt and his famous Fireside Chats made radio an effective political communication tool with a warm embracing tone that helped families though some tough years. Dwight Eisenhower brought campaigning to television, and JFK …
When I was a child growing up in Atlanta, the Lenox Square Shopping Center opened. At the time, it was one of the most remarkable retail centers in the southeast. There were two department stores–Rich’s, which was still owned by Mr. and Mrs. Rich, and Davidson’s, which is now Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s. There was also …
Students in the design world learn about an interesting effect described as “1 + 1 = 3.” This means that when two objects are placed close together, the space in between them creates a visible interaction, almost like a third object. You are perceiving information that wouldn’t be there without the proximity. I’ve always thought about …
Herbert Stein was an economist who served as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. He was also a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a contributor to the WSJ. Herb was father to comedian Ben Stein, so he must have had an interesting perspective. He …
Winston Churchill was first credited with saying, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” It’s my hope that we’ll all find a silver lining in the extra time as we are all hitting the pause button. In the meantime, I am working in my yard in the evenings and parallel planning for the future. …
It’s easy to focus on the person at the head of the table. That person is undoubtedly important, but I would argue that he or she wouldn’t be there without the team of people sitting nearby. I’ll add that for us, it’s a long table. Those in leadership make big commitments, but someone must back …