Construction Genius

Social unrest, widespread protests and riots, and a global pandemic. These are just a few of the crises that we are dealing with at present. When everything seems to be in a state of total unrest, what are the steps to take to maintain the equilibrium within your business? Today's podcast explores the stance of Coinbase, an online platform that buys, sells, and trades crypto currency. I will point...

If you look back on your days as an employee at your first company, would you still be able to remember its core values and strategic focus? Most likely, not. How about if you surveyed your employees, do they know what your values and strategy are? Core values are what helps employees behave in a manner that benefits the company and strategic focus gives them a clear picture of how the business is...

LeBron James is in the NBA Finals again. It's amazing the level of performance he's sustained for over 15 years. We all know he's incredibly talented, but his success is not due primarily to his natural abilities. Hard work, dedication, and understanding how to succeed is far more critical to LeBron achieving consistent excellence.  Today, let's learn some lessons from LeBron and other top-perform...

Every day construction companies produce a treasure trove of information: Bidding benchmarks, production metrics, accounting data. There is a vast amount of value to that data if it is managed and utilized effectively.  This requires the efficient implementation of technology and an understanding of the strengths and limitations of various technology solutions. Unfortunately, this is where many co...

Do the math they said. Math is the stronghold of business they said. They're not wrong. But while there's no denying that learning to count in more ways than one determines game-changing decisions in construction. Numbers are crucial for very obvious reasons, especially when it comes to changing gears from strength or growth to a business's impending survival mode. Got more than what you spent? Aw...

The construction industry is one of the major contributors to the US (and global) economy. But schools are putting less priority on technical education for young adults who will soon occupy most of tomorrow's workforce. People now have the choice to either get a 4-year degree from a college or immediately join the workforce right after graduating from high school. However, without having any pract...

The buildings and infrastructure you see all around you started with a single thought. That thought was communicated to people who then built with skill and hard work. Without that thought, nothing would be created. Just like how those buildings started with a thought, your thoughts and your mindset also play a critical role when it comes to the success of your business. Your thoughts dictate your...

As a construction executive, devoting all or much of your time to work is normal. After all, you need to adhere to some strict schedules and deadlines. But what you don't realize is that in putting yourself under immense pressure, you may be on the path to emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion. In this fast-paced environment, you may feel the need to do everything all at once in as little amo...

One thing that all business owners need to face is that one day, we all need to pass the baton on to the next generation. However, for someone who has built his or her business from the ground up, it might not be the easiest thing to do. Succession planning is something that business owners tend to avoid. After all, giving away something that they've worked so hard to build to someone else is a to...

As a construction company, your expertise lies in building. But what most contractors fail to realize is that it is also a business that requires good management of the flow of money. Cash is what drives all businesses. It is vital to the survival and success of every company. But more often than not, contractors put cash flow issues on the backburner and focus on issues that they find easier or m...

Every entrepreneur recognizes the challenges involved when starting a business—funding, workforce, looking for the right niche, and many more! This is why getting a business running requires that leap of faith, patience, and a whole lot of support. It usually takes several years to build a business from the ground up and construction startups may find it especially difficult to be competitive sinc...

An ideal strategic plan can help scale your business and take you to where you want it to be in the coming years. But without clear priorities set into it, it may take longer than anticipated to achieve sustained business success. This week's podcast episode is the fourth and last part of the Triangle One-Page Planning Process series. Today, we'll examine how to create an efficient system in build...

You can start your construction business today and be like the rest of the businesses in the market. But with careful and refined planning, you can set yourself apart from the competition. This week's episode marks Part 3 of the four-part series on the Triangle One-Page Planning Process. Today, we'll focus on how to build sustained success in the construction industry. I will cover: How to identif...

Most leaders set career goals, whether it's becoming a senior partner or a company executive. But the journey towards achieving those goals is the biggest challenge that we actually face.  In this week's podcast episode, I have a great discussion with Eric Jones , President, and CEO of Foushée . We talked about his journey from the Naval academy to construction, and how he went in headstrong and g...

Each person has a unique personality. Companies are made up of people, and each company has a unique personality, or way of behaving.  This week marks Part 2 of our four-part series explaining the Triangle One Page Planning Process. In this episode, we'll focus on how to discover and leverage your company's unique personality. I will cover: The definition of personality, The distinction between pe...

In the construction industry there are many strategies to generate and increase profits, including safety. However, with some construction companies, instead of creating a balance, we see a pendulum that swings between productivity and safety, undermining the truth that a safe company is a profitable company.  In this week's podcast episode, I have a great conversation with Larry Markham, co-owner...

The basic purpose of every business is to make money. But if you want to stand out from the competition, you need to define what your business's deeper purpose is. Most successful businesses know what that is and it usually goes beyond the desire to make and have more financially.  This week's podcast episode is Part 1 of a four-part series aimed at the four critical questions that will help you t...

Social media is here to stay and it would be a huge mistake to not incorporate it into a company's marketing strategy because who isn't on social nowadays right?  Today's businesses are utilizing it for the purpose of engaging with their customers and their audience. Construction companies are lagging behind though but it's not too late to start and while there are a lot of social media platforms...

In the construction industry preparation is vital for everything, from bidding, planning, and building work. We spend time preparing for things in the business so we can execute our work well; however, as important as it is to get the work done by careful preparation, have you stopped and asked if you are devoting that same amount of quality time to get ready for the day and ready for your leaders...

Change can be difficult, but if you look at it from a growth perspective you will see that the risks that come with change are nothing compared to what you can gain. Prefabrication is being rapidly adopted across Construction and presents lots of profit opportunities for contractors who are willing to learn and adapt.  In this week's Construction Genius podcast episode I talk with Amy Marks. She i...

You do not want to meddle in another person's affairs, but sometimes it's obvious that someone on your team is struggling. Their ability to perform at a high level is affected by what they are going through. They are stuck.  In this week's episode of Construction Genius, I explore why people get stuck, the impact it has upon your organization, and how you can help people get unstuck.  Tune in to t...

Technology? Friend or foe? Most of us have been in business for quite some time now, and whether we like to admit it or not, doing business nowadays is different from the way it was done, say, 30 years ago. The processes in the past, although effective, were limited. In today's business environment, technology is helping break down those limitations and construction companies are among the busines...

A better year, that's what we all hoped 2020 would be like. But five months into this year and we're all feeling the heavy weight that the challenges this current climate brings. For CEO's or those in executive leadership, there's a choice that you have to make though, either choose to look inwardly and start worrying about one's self or be mission focused during a period like this.  In this podca...

Resource Links:  A free copy of my Kick-Ass Meeting Report ( https://www.ericanderton.com/kickassmeetings ) Let's Talk Shop Podcast ( https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-talk-shop/id1462173868 ) Western Allied Mechanical Inc. Website ( http://westernallied.com/ ) Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association Website ( https://www.smacna.org/ ) The past two decades have wi...

Resource Links:  A free copy of my Kick-Ass Meeting Report ( https://www.ericanderton.com/kickassmeetings ) Book Recommendations:  Who by Geoff Smart  Traction by Gino Wickman  Good to Great by Jim Collins  Snowball by Warren Buffet With the average turnover rate being 38% to 40%, construction companies are experiencing a struggle of finding good talent in the industry resulting in company growth...