by Simplar | Aug 24, 2023 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Project Delivery, Weekly Construction Message
Managerial Maturity Thomas C Schleifer, Ph.D. Back in the day when I started as a contractor, construction was still considered a custom product and my brother and I enjoyed sufficient profit margins despite our inexperience and limited management training. In other...
by Simplar | Aug 17, 2023 | Business, Strategic & Project Planning, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Project Selection, Project Selection, Project Selection, Weekly Construction Message
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...
by Simplar | Aug 10, 2023 | Project Selection, Project Selection, Risk Management, Risk Management, Weekly Construction Message
“Ya Puts Up Ya Money…Ya Takes Yer Cherce” Thomas C Schleifer, Ph.D. So says Charles Dickens’ racetrack tout in his native cockney accent. This colorful character in Dickens’ 19th century novel describes construction contracting more accurately and concisely than all...
by Simplar | Aug 3, 2023 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Growth, Growth, Weekly Construction Message
We Are the World Thomas C Schleifer, Ph.D. The construction industry functions in a world economy beyond our national borders. The United States is the 2nd largest importer of building construction materials in the world, importing most of it from China, South Korea,...
by Simplar | Jul 20, 2023 | Business Development, Business Development, Business, Strategic & Project Planning, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Project Selection, Project Selection, Weekly Construction Message
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,...
by Simplar | Jul 13, 2023 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Leadership, Leadership, Leadership, Weekly Construction Message
True or False Thomas C Schleifer, Ph.D. Beliefs The human brain is a problem-solving instrument that learns how to care for its host through experience. Its job is to keep us safe from harm and, as it makes its journey through life, it remembers the choices that work...
