It seems like the word “team,” as in, “our team,” or any other way it might be used can be the corporate soup du jour. Sometime ago, I took a group of Scouts on a 2-week hiking trek to the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. My tent partner and I would set up our …
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 …
We are nearing the homestretch on one of our more unique projects. The Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema is taking shape in a space that was once the basement of a department store in our CBD. The initial challenge was to build the cinemas below the first floor food hall with an additional six stories of apartments …
Like many organizations, we meet once a week to get a status report on our current projects, discuss any management changes needed and, most importantly, find out how we might help one another. No silos. As we have grown, I felt a need for another type of meeting, involving more people in the company, to …
I was on a flight recently with the owner of a relatively young California software company. He shared that in the beginning, he pursued every prospect that walked in the door. As his company matured, it became a balancing act between the value and the cost of production. His company, like all successful businesses, learned …
Recently, I was with the CEO of one of our longtime customer relationships, talking over lunch. As I was listening to him, I was reminded how success taints our vision at times. When we fail, our vision is crystal clear. This company was particularly successful for several decades. They could do no wrong, make no …
I recently heard a Mark Twain quote that resonated with me: “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.” Many things are advancing in our modern world, but language doesn’t seem to be one of them. If you’re talking to a coworker or …
I was in Las Vegas this week for the International Council of Shopping Center’s RECon event, what some may say is “The Super Bowl of Retail.” While the attendance was down this year, I see every May as a chance to learn a few more tricks and trends, and more importantly, to visit with people …
I was reminded recently of a story someone told me years ago while I was attending the Center Build Conference in Phoenix. it went something like this: There was a conflict brewing in a restaurant kitchen. Two sous chefs were at each other’s throats with butcher knives in hand. (Maybe not quite, but a fight …
There is absolutely no substitute for consistent aerial views of a construction site, especially when they are 20 to 30 acres, as is frequently the case for us. While drones are often used for the cool images of vertical construction and marketing, we have found they bring good value as we piece together site progress …
We are seeing cost increases across all platforms, although they seem to be tapering off compared to the 5 1/2% increases we saw last year. This contrasts the pressure of revenues, which aren’t keeping up. Sometimes it all works out. Other times it doesn’t. This week, I had a cost management conversation with a potential …
For those of us interested in historic preservation/restoration, this week was tragic. Notre Dame is an integral part of the Parisian backdrop and a picture of craftsmanship that withstood hundreds of years, not to mention its significance to the Catholic church. On Monday, I watched with my jaw dropped as the flames rose. Now, as …