by Simplar | Jun 4, 2026 | Built Environment, Business of Construction, Financial Management and Risk, Financial Management and Risk, Leadership, Weekly Construction Message
Piloting a plane by instruments is the practice of navigating and controlling an aircraft using only the cockpit displays, entirely independent of outside visual references like the horizon or landmarks. It requires precise cross-checking, interpretation, and control....
by Simplar | May 21, 2026 | Built Environment, Financial Management and Risk, Leadership, Leadership, Risk Management, Risk Management, Weekly Construction Message
Magicians only perform a trick once for the same audience. A second time and the trick loses its luster. The third time around the audience figures it out. The trick no longer fools the audience and the magic is gone. Legacy Tricks of the Trade We contractors start...
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 | Apr 9, 2026 | Business of Construction, Business, Strategic & Project Planning, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Business, Strategic and Project Planning, Leadership, Organization Transformation
We are discussing how unexamined beliefs about the nature and structure of the construction business transaction have had a corrosive effect on contractor profit margins for the past 50 years. The resulting standard business practices followed by all construction...
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 | 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...
