by Simplar | Apr 30, 2026 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Leadership, Leadership, Organization Transformation, Weekly Construction Message
My career as an educator and consultant to the construction industry has followed an unusual path through every aspect of this amazing industry. It is from a unique background that I evaluate our industry and am inspired to share some lessons learned. I quit high...
by Simplar | Mar 5, 2026 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Leadership, Leadership, Organization Transformation, Partnering, Planning, PM, Weekly Construction Message
The success of a construction company depends on the skill level of each team member and the coordination of their individual efforts toward a common goal. Most contractors realize this but may not be aware of the prerequisites required to accomplish this level of...
by Simplar | Jan 15, 2026 | Business of Construction, Leadership, Weekly Construction Message
“Two roads converged in a wood and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” ~ Robert Frost Every mature industrial company is nothing more than the net result of the management choices made from the beginning. Put yourself...
by Simplar | Jan 10, 2026 | Built Environment, Business Development, Business Development, Business of Construction, Business, Strategic & Project Planning, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Labor & Labor Issues, Leadership, Project Delivery, Weekly Construction Message
Even as the New Year has dawned, I offer these final thoughts on the year just passed. If I could sum up this past year’s dialogue into one overall theme I would say, “Managing a construction business is a completely different activity from managing a...
by Simplar | Dec 26, 2025 | Built Environment, Business Failure, Business of Construction, Business, Strategic & Project Planning, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Leadership, Leadership, Weekly Construction Message
In my experience, construction firms do not operate under firm budget disciplines like most other industrial concerns. Contractors usually craft project budgets in advance but rarely use them as a management tool. Because of the complexity and variability of each...
by Simplar | Oct 30, 2025 | Business, Strategic & Project Planning, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Leadership, Leadership, Weekly Construction Message
I have been wrong in my criticism of contractors for ignoring financial statements in the day-to-day running of their businesses. Their instincts, as it turns out, have served them well. They saw something flawed in relying on interim financial statements that were...
