Defense Mechanisms

Defense Mechanisms

Defense Mechanisms Thomas C Schleifer, Ph.D. Last week we renamed the impending “recession” being brought on by the Fed’s interest rate battle against inflation – “bottom-line recession” – for the construction industry. Bottom-line...
In The Eye of the Beholder

In The Eye of the Beholder

In The Eye of the Beholder Thomas C Schleifer, Ph.D. Wall Street investment advisors are beginning to act like contractors. Hedge fund managers now value tech companies based on a multiple of future revenues rather than a multiple of past earnings. Revenues trump...
Back To the Beginning

Back To the Beginning

Back To the Beginning Thomas C Schleifer, Ph.D. For 30 years I have been researching the causes of construction business failure. The study began years ago when I operated the largest national consultancy firm completing projects interrupted when bonded contractors...
The Next Normal

The Next Normal

The Next Normal Thomas C Schleifer, Ph.D. Long term “trends”, not temporary disruptions, are reshaping the construction industry. Last week we cited research that identified 15 construction industry long-term trends. Let’s examine four of them more closely: ...
Disruption

Disruption

Disruption Thomas C Schleifer, Ph.D. For the past eight weeks we have been focusing on managing under disorderly market conditions. The feedback I have been getting from industry leaders is that they believe this current disorderly market is a temporary phenomenon...
SURPRISE We’ve Run Out of Money

SURPRISE We’ve Run Out of Money

SURPRISE We’ve Run Out of Money! What surprised me most over the many years my consultancy finished hundreds of jobs for sureties after contractors had failed mid-project was how many contractors were surprised when they ran out of money. Most of them believed...