Category: Strategy
-
Truth Hammer
I had a contracting problem on one of our jobs recently. The project manager asked me to review the documents and his response to the dispute to confirm that we were correct according to the terms of our contract. I reviewed both documents and concurred with his determination. We were 100% right. This contractor had…
-
Something Stinks…
I am an avid gardener. I love to grow all types of plants. I have often described myself as a farmer trapped in a builder’s body. There is something truly fundamental in nurturing a plant from a small seed to maturity. One of the important components to a healthy garden is fertilizer. Without fertilizer and proper…
-
Living the Adventure
Last Sunday night, my wife and I went to a party at a friends house. It was a cool night, at least by North Florida standards. The house had a great outdoor patio with brick walls and garden areas. In one corner of the patio was a firepit that turned out to be a very…
-
4 Tips To Avoid A Freeze-Up
It’s funny how you can look back at decisions and be amazed at your choices. When you look back it always seems crystal clear. You think to yourself- “How could I have made such a bad decision?” It can be downright frightening. You realize that at the time it seemed like the right thing to…
-
Men: 10 Shopping Tips for Christmas!
Ah, the Christmas season has begun! A time for family, great food and gift giving! One problem: The thought of Christmas shopping makes most men cringe. I would guess that most men would do diaper duty instead of hitting the mall! Yet, we know we have to do it AND it’s coming up pretty quickly…
-
Addicted: The Power Surge
John steps up on the stage like he has done a hundred times before. He watches as the eyes of those seated pan along as he moves towards the podium. He thinks back to the past when this moment was terrifying and he laughs to himself. This time- no nervous stomach or sweaty palms. He…
-
Laughter Wreckage
They say that laughter is the best medicine. However, this is not always the case… I was sitting in a meeting last week and I made an observation regarding my personal experience on a topic. What followed caught me completely off guard. The person at whom I was directing my comments laughed at me. Not…
-
The Why Theory
When I first starting working in the building trades, the guys that I worked around were a real cast of characters. I was a youngster so most, if not all, of the guys were older than me. The one thing that I noticed was that the majority of the guys really had fun at work. …
-
Empty Cathedrals
I have been watching a mega church construction project while commuting to and from work. This is a really impressive project- super big building and giant size parking lot. It really looks like a high school campus more than a church project. I have heard that it cost 10 million dollars, which I think would…
-
The Key
When I was a very young man I was convinced that knowledge was the key to success. I was sure that it was “what you know” that was really important. So, I worked very hard in school. I really felt like learning was the key. If I could just learn as much as possible and…
Leading by Serving 