The Victim/Villian Paradox
Construction Nation, When my father died my mom came to live with us. She was an identical twin. All her childhood she had been bullied by her twin sister, and her mother to some extent. This did two things: it made my mom very strong and it made her slip into a victim mindset. This […]
The Four Seasons of Partnering – Part 2
Hey Construction Nation, Have you noticed that no matter what season you are in, there are specific opportunities and lessons to be learned? Sometimes the lessons come disguised as problems and challenges to overcome. Sometimes they come as ways to soar. But they always come. And they come in cycles, like seasons. Last week we […]
The USACE Goes All In On Partnering
Dear Construction Nation, In 1982 I was asked to be a part of the President’s Council for Productivity Improvement for the construction industry. At the time Congress was afraid that our poor productivity levels in construction were going to prevent the U.S. from competing in the new global marketplace that was emerging. So, there were […]
The Top 10 Podcasts for Construction Leaders in 2022
Hi Construction Nation! I love podcasts! I love to learn and keep up on trends and what’s leading edge. Podcasts are so perfect to accomplish this! First, they are audio, so I can listen while I walk, drive, exercise, or do the dishes. Second, they are FREE! Third, you get direct access to learn from […]
Work Your Assets Off
Dear Construction Nation, I sometimes feel like I am on a hamster wheel. It is hard to stop. It seems endless. It can be tiring, and overwhelming. I think many people feel that way these days. This is probably the main reason so many people are rethinking their work lives right now. According to a […]
IPI Winners: Should Partnering be More Mainstream in the Industry?
Dear Construction Nation,As many of you know, in the early 2000’s, I founded the International Partnering Institute as a charitable organization dedicated to spreading Collaborative Partnering to construction project leaders. Last week, I attended the International Partnering Institute’s 13th annual conference and awards ceremony. It was so great to watch the award-winning project team members […]
Immy & Lisa: The Pyramid of Trust
Dear Construction Nation, This week I had the opportunity to interview Immy Tariq and Lisa Fei, the Wall Street Journal bestselling co-authors of The Pyramid of Trust: How to Create Certainty in an Uncertainty World. Both are serial entrepreneurs, and focus mostly on teaching people to build trust in yourself, your employees, and your customers. Most contractors […]
SOS! We Need Trust Now!
Dear Construction Nation, You likely know that I have been studying TRUST for the past 35+ years. One of my dearest friends, Marilynn Mobley, was the SVP for a company called Edelman, until she passed away. But Marilynn introduced me to the Edelman Trust Barometer. Each year Edelman does extensive research on the level of trust […]
Three Steps to Drive Out Fear and Create Trusted Leadership
Dear Construction Nation, I just kicked-off partnering on a project where the team gave me their list of “risks.” Then, I got an email from the construction executive asking me NOT to use this list. They were afraid to share with the owner’s team their frustration and fear. This is not an unusual situation. Of […]
How To Deal With Increasing Materials Prices: Alex Barthet, The Barthet Firm and the Lien Zone Podcast
Dear Construction Nation, I met Alex Barthet a few years back, when he was on my first podcast, Construction Dream Team, and I was on his, The Lien Zone. Alex is a construction attorney in South Florida and I was very excited when I saw that Alex was gathering a group of industry folks to offer advice on how […]
