We’ve all been on the receiving end of written communication that can be interpreted as condescending, making us feel disrespected. Often, the communication intensifies the original problem, the opposite of the desired effect. Perhaps the sender’s attempts at being direct and straightforward were misinterpreted, or maybe they were in a hurry and didn’t consider the …
Our garden is as old as our building, and we’ve learned a few things over the 15 years we’ve been growing. We began with tomatoes, and we seem to expand and refine our processes a little each year. We start our vegetables from seeds under grow lights out in the barn. We’ve worked flowers into …
This week, I was a guest of the 2023 National Scout Jamboree, a flagship event that’s held every four years. It spans 10 days, and several thousand Scouts and leaders gather at the high adventure location. This was my sixth time to attend, and I recall it being held in different spots over the years, …
I was recently reacquainted with an old trick for becoming more persuasive. Instead of just making a request, add the word “because” to your sentence. Giving a little context gets a much more positive response, with 55% more compliance than if you omitted it, according to a classic Harvard study conducted in a traditional office setting. …
A few years ago, I met Joe Zidle, a leader at Blackstone, and have followed his posts since. He wrote an interesting article recently, sharing his take on the trajectory of generative AI, as a bubble or the way of the future. He talked about the exponential growth of data on the Internet, snowballing by …
My team often hears me say that everyone is responsible for maintaining customer relationships, and thus sales. We are a mid-sized company, and we take pride in our commitment to involve our project management and field leadership teams in this process. Selling comes more easily to some of us, but I’m a firm believer that, …
A couple of years ago, I mentioned a measurement standard that was new at the time called ESG.This stands for Environmental, Social and Governance, and it considers impacts way beyond just the financial factors. What repercussions might the project or business activities have on the environment? Is it good for the community? And is the …
For those of us who weathered the Financial Crisis, it seems like just yesterday. In truth, it started some 15 years ago, and a lot has changed in the meantime. For starters, our relationship with China has grown more volatile, there is war in Eastern Europe and Covid has disrupted countless systems and practices. Many …
We recently listened to a webinar about ChatGPT, a hot topic right now. To get you up to speed, GPT means “Generative Pre-Trained Transformer,” and it’s the framework for artificial intelligence. ChatGPT currently has more than 100 million users, gained in just 3 months. It took Google 1 year and 2 months to reach the …
This spring, we completed another adaptive reuse redevelopment, this one including a “pocket park” and amphitheater. Pocket Parks are generally recognized as public park spaces that occupy less than one acre of land. The concept originated in post-WWII Europe as a way to rebuild public spaces a little at a time, even though they were …
Last weekend, I got to attend the United States Olympian and Paralympians Association Reunion in Colorado Springs as a guest of Jennifer Chandler, a gold medalist diver (spring board). This group reconnects every four years, bringing together fellow athletes who competed on the world stage to get briefed on future Olympic games. This time we …
Since the pandemic hit, it seems like construction materials and costs have been the number one topic of conversation for anyone involved in our business. Is what we need going to be available? If so, how much have prices gone up? We’ve talked about several headaches it’s caused our team, including parts shortages for electrical …