The Death of Expertise

The Death of Expertise

The Death of Expertise Thomas C Schleifer, Ph.D. The invention of the internet, powerful search engines, and the cellphone have made supposed experts of almost everyone. Some doctors are actually retiring early because they are tired of arguing with patients who use...
Tony the Temper

Tony the Temper

Tony the Temper Thomas C Schleifer, Ph.D. Contractors and their senior executives don’t pull wire, pour concrete, drive nails, or dig holes. They don’t do the estimating, scheduling, or accounting for ongoing work. Once a contract is signed and a project is underway,...
Experts Make Money

Experts Make Money

Experts Make Money Thomas C Schleifer, Ph.D. Because too many construction projects are priced through a low-bid auction process, contractors have only minimal control over their selling price. Expense inflation over the extended life of a project is hard to control....
It Takes a Team

It Takes a Team

It Takes a Team Thomas C Schleifer, Ph.D. Even with a visionary founder or CEO firmly in control, a professional team is necessary to execute the founder’s or CEO’s vision of success. As I referenced in last week’s message, day to day management of construction work...
Envisioning The Future

Envisioning The Future

Envisioning The Future Thomas C Schleifer, Ph.D. “What do you mean by envisioning the future?” was the first question I received just minutes after posting last week’s message. Whenever a poetic phrase like that occurs to me, I often hesitate to use it because I...
Make Friends with Trends

Make Friends with Trends

Make Friends with Trends Thomas C Schleifer, Ph.D. We have been discussing managing construction companies profitably under post-pandemic disruptive market conditions. Studying what we labeled “disruptions” (run-away cost inflation, impending recession, supply chain...