Busyness

Question: How busy should a construction project manager act?

Answer: Not too busy. Though comforting, self-imposed busyness can be a diversionary port in the storm, keeping your focus on short-term, trivial urgencies in order to avoid the more important and difficult issues of long-term consequence. Staying busy on an endless treadmill for the sake of staying busy does not guarantee success. Often being too busy can put your mind someplace other than where it should be. 

Point: Ask yourself: “Do I need to focus on what is urgent, or on what is important?”

Behavior

Question: How is the behavior of a contractor tied to project success?

Answer: A robot’s behavior is guided by computer programing—unlike robots,
we are free to choose and then decide our courses of action. Behavior is
not about our thoughts or emotions, instead behavior is what we actually
do. On the other hand, behavior is often a result of positive or negative
thoughts and emotions. Your actions, over time, will turn into habits and your habits will lead to much of the success or lack of success in your life.

Point: Behavior is guided by your decisions, not your condition

Attitude

Question: How does attitude affect the success or failure of a construction project?

Answer: Optimism and pessimism are attitudes you are free to choose and to embrace. Whether for good or bad, your thoughts make you who you are. They direct your self-fulfilling prophecies. Positive or negative self-talk becomes reinforced into the paradigm that you have determined and then produces evidence to support your belief. If you think you will have a bad project, then you are definitely right. If you think you will have a good project, you’re probably right.

Point: Attitude is a matter of personal choice. It is the key that either opens you to success or locks you out.

Is more always better?

Guest Blogger – Carly Ties

Making sure your business has a presence on social media has become essential, but it can be overwhelming with the thought of not only having a Facebook but also a Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.

Could having all these accounts be beneficial for your business? Especially if they are not maintained on a daily basis?

In this situation maybe less is better.

Point: Pick a few social media platforms, create some killer content, and stay engaged with your target audience.

Selling the Next Big Project

Question: When do I begin to sell the next project?

Answer: Today and everyday after. The project you are on today is selling or not selling your next one. Your customer observes how you perform now and will assume the same performance on the next project. Good performance is measured in both the number of successes performed and failures remedied. Also remember that the last 10% of the project is what your customers remember most… just when most are out of time, money and patience.

Point: Make your project a positive projection – A prediction made from past observations.

Traits of Successful People

Question: What are the character traits of those who have been very successful in life?

Answer: I examined the character traits of very successful people dating back to 1900. Their most consistent and repeating traits are dogged persistence, respect for others, realization of their strengths and weaknesses, high expectations of themselves and others, unconventional thinking and humanitarian efforts, trust, and honesty.

Point: Did you notice that nothing was mentioned about having to be a genius?

Question: Why is it so important to understanding body language when dealing with others?

Answer: Because so often what is really being said is not coming from the sound of the voice but rather from the movement of the body. It is a basic form of communication yet a major message used to either confirm or contradict what someone is saying. 90% of communication is non verbal. Only 10% is verbal, 30% includes tone of voice, speed and volume and the remaining 60% is body language. It is the most truthful and reliable source of information.

Point: Learn and observe body language to determine what is really being said.

How to read adversarial people?

Guest blogger: Katie Slough- publicist

Answer: Adversarial people are forceful and start relationships by drawing a line in the sand with a permanent marker. They look for errors and ambiguities, not solutions or answers.  They may be smart but not wise. Some are paranoid  in thinking they should get you before you get them. Do not expect things to change for the better nor a win-win outcome.

“Force without wisdom falls on its own weight.”

Horace 65 BC – 8 AD

Is Electronic communication both efficient and effective?

Answer: Electronic communication by use of the various hand- held devices are very efficient in saving time and speeding communication. However being effective requires the development and maintaining of personal relationships. Why? Because electronic communication is not as effective as face to face communication. I believe that for many, the more they are connected (electronically) the more they are isolated (from other people). Also, because electronic communication does not include your tone of voice or body language it is subject to negative interpretation even though it may not be intended.

Point: You might have to disconnect in order to connect.

Upcoming Interview

Be sure to look out for my upcoming interview in Plymouth Magazine this November!! I discuss my business background since the age of fourteen and my involvement in Egan Companies. Also all that came after my retirement including: writing two books, doing seminars for many companies and people, teaching as an adjunct professor at Minnesota State University, and also my effort to improve my speaking skills with a professional training voice over course. Hear about many of my successes and failures throughout this journey!