Construction Genius

Building a better company can be difficult without the right people.

Without the right team members, your company can head towards bankruptcy quickly — without you even realizing it.

If you want your company to thrive, you must build your team members' confidence. But that's easier said than done.

Don't worry, with the right strategy, building a team of confident leaders can be easier than you might be making it.

In this episode, you will discover how to boost your team's confidence and unlock exponential growth.

Listen now:

• How to get your time back by "ignoring" direct reports (without sacrificing your growth) (6:05)
• The "competence formula" that maximizes your company's return on time (7:30)
• The "Brain Share" method that great leaders use to get direct reports to solve problems (8:55)
• The "Soccer Ball" technique to get your teammates to learn quickly so you can multiply yourself (10:00)
• A "return on effort" time management trick to maximize team meetings (12:35)
• 2 "simple" questions to build rock solid confidence with your direct reports (that makes you look like a hero) (14:35)

Interested in Executive Coaching? Contact Eric: www.constructiongenius.com/contact

When the economy shifts, the construction industry feels it. Less deals in the pipeline can lead to frustration and slow growth.

Only certain companies are well equipped for this shift in the market. Some companies, however, will go out of business.

The good news is there's a way to position your company for every market cycle.

The best companies know how to weather the storm by focusing their "North Star" to exploit the market when other companies are heading for cover.

In today's episode we are joined by Mike Forsum, President & COO of Landsea Homes, to reveal how you can position yourself in any market and thrive.

Listen now:

Show highlights include:

• Three things that great companies do to exploit opportunities to close more deals (in any market cycle) (3:10)
• The "Nordstrom Rack" method for buying up properties for pennies on the dollar (7:20)
• The "North Star" approach for adding value in the marketplace to squash the competition (8:34)
• This one "sneaky" strategy can increase your profits by tenfold (if executed correctly) (9:25)
• How this "secret covenant" makes or breaks your relationship with contractors (and why others in the construction business commit this mistake) (22:00)
• This one trait can take you from an entry level position to becoming a CEO (that anyone can learn) (29:49)

If you want to connect with Mike Forsum from Landsea Homes, please connect with him here: https://landseahomes.com/

Most in the construction industry say meetings are a waste of labor.

They say it's "busy work" that gets you no results when you could be focusing on a deadline.

That's the "old way" of looking at meetings.

Meetings, if conducted correctly can increase your leverage by 10x and maybe more. It allows you to multiply your efforts and identify problems before they even arise.

In this episode, you will discover how to turn meetings from a waste of time into the most productive activity in your business.

Listen now:

• The 'Micro Strategy" that solves hidden project problems before they appear (2:25)
• Two "classic" books that all executives should read to get more money out of every team member (3:15)
• How to get maximum return on your time with this quick "mental shift" (3:35)
• The "ask" formula for structuring meetings for maximum impact and efficiency (6:10)
• How to get others to plan meetings for you (without it being an hour long shouting match) (7:03)
• The "follow along" technique for maintaining laser like focus in a meeting (7:38)
• 5 questions to "ethically force" your teammates to reveal their secrets to prevent disasters (9:45)
• The "peel the onion" method used to discover hidden business problems before they become catastrophic (11:50)

Please see the link to the Blog Post: https://www.constructiongenius.com/how-to-structure-one-to-one-meetings-to-improve-communication-and-project-performance/

Interested in Executive Coaching? Contact Eric: www.constructiongenius.com/contact

There are many activities in the construction industry that keep your team doing growth-restricting busy work.

And you know what? There's a simple solution:

Most busy work and inefficiency are caused by a lack of trust within companies. With the rise in labor prices and materials, this "busy work" can eat up your profits quickly.

But technological improvements like blockchain increases visibility of transactions and trust. If implemented correctly, this can increase productivity and fast track your growth (even if you are not tech-savvy).

In this episode Robert Salvador, CEO of Digibuild joins me to reveal how software can be implemented successfully. And how blockchain will revolutionize the construction industry.

Listen now.

Show highlights include:

• Why construction companies lose 26% of productivity annually (and how to stop this from happening) (4:20)
• The "Old School" mindset that keeps companies growing at a turtleneck speed (2:50)
• The simple "supply chain solution" to manage the 20% increase in material prices due to the pandemic (6:00)
• Two things to consider when implementing new software (even if you don't have buy in from C-suites) (8:15)
• How to identify "low hanging fruits" within your business that can increase efficiency via software today. (17:35)
• The two intangibles which can morph overwhelm into bankruptcy (and how to avoid them) (22:25)
• The best way to ensure contractors get paid on time (without the hassles) (25:40)
• How to leverage blockchain with your vendors and increase "digital trust" (29:30)

If you want to connect with Robert Salvador from Digibuild, please connect with him here: https://digibuild.com/

When project managers shift roles to lead people, they get overwhelmed with their new responsibilities.

The main issue is mindset. Most end up managing projects and do the same tasks as they did before. This can quickly lead you away from your main goals as a leader and make you fail at your new job.

The good news is simply learning new strategies can excel your growth while letting other people do most of the work for you.

In this episode, you'll discover how to manage your day and tasks so that you can be more productive as a leader. You'll also get rapid results instead of being bogged down with building old projects.

Listen now.

Show highlights include:

• The common mistake made by new leaders that keeps them "stuck" at their old role (1:20)
• The "builder of people" mindset shift that make you become a better leader and get better results (2:25)
• The "Monday Method" you can use to immediately improve your leadership skills (that you can implement right away) (2:36)
• A simple "time-block" strategy if done correctly can lead to massive productivity as a leader (4:02)
• How to set the right expectations from the beginning to prevent people from quitting on you (4:25)
• A key distinction between "Standards and Expectations" that can improve your mindset as a leader (5:30)

Some kids aren't cut out for the traditional educational path. Many students have untapped talents that are valuable in today's workplace but are overlooked because they are forced into the old-school framework.

The good news?

There is now another pathway for those kids who want to explore the possibilities of earning a living in a profession that interests and excites them.

In this episode, founder of the Capital College & Career Academy, Kevin Dobson, joins me to chat about his free public charter school dedicated to accelerating high school students. He explains how getting into a trade is now a viable option and how you can do your part in showing them the new opportunities available within this visionary alternative.

Listen now.

Show highlights include:

• Why the educational powers-that-be label you as a thief when you challenge their long-held beliefs (3:18)
• The secret to becoming an engineer (without ever going to college) (8:09)
• How to enter the construction field (even if you have no idea how to swing a hammer) (10:14)
• The ideal way to discover your career without wasting time and building a mountain of debt (16:42)
• Common misconceptions about charter schools and why most have it completely wrong. (19:10)

About the Guest:

Discovering his passion for teaching since high school, Kevin Dobson is dedicated to helping students excel in their studies and perform well by the time they enter the workforce. However, he has seen a dilemma in the current education system that seems to remain unaddressed to this day: despite the rapid advancements in technology and the world, the way of learning still stays the same.

Capital College and Career Academy: https://capcca.org/about-us/

Kevin's Email: [email protected]

When you have a family-run construction business, passing it down to the next generation isn't as easy as just giving them the keys.

There's a lot of work you must do before passing your business down to the next generation. Otherwise, your business will crash and burn, you'll destroy relationships within your family, or both.

That's the bad news.

The good news?

In this episode, award-winning family business strategist and author, Nike Anani, joins me to reveal how you can pass down your business to the next generation (without wrecking your business or family).

Listen now.

Show highlights include:

• The insidious way passing down your family-run construction business to the next generation can sabotage your family (and how to prevent this) (3:15)
• How sharing your most humiliating business failures with the next generation ensures their success (6:33)
• The "Lifetime Exercise" which prevents the next generation from making the same business mistakes you made (8:13)
• How to make your children value money (even if they grew up wealthy compared to other kids) (11:00)
• The weird way your business success may accidentally set your children up for failure (and why empathy is the antidote for this "glitch") (12:28)
• How to prepare the future generation to run your business by going on fun family retreats (22:03)
• The best way to stop heated conflicts between family members from bursting out of control (29:17)
• Why first generation business owners treat their business like their favorite kid (and how this poisons the second generation's success) (30:36)
• The "Three Circle Model" for passing down your business to the next generation without skipping a beat (35:24)

If you want a copy of Nike's book, LIFETIME to Legacy: A New Vision for Multigenerational Family Businesses, you can order your copy by going to https://nikeanani.com/book/.

Business owners have a lot on their plate at all times, which is an overwhelming job. This task can become more manageable through the decision cascade method. Eric Anderton delves deeper into this concept with award-winning entrepreneur and podcast host, Bessi Graham. She explains how to navigate through unnecessary noise, gain clarity with your goals, and understand the context of every decision you make. Bessi also discusses how to create a legacy you can be genuinely proud of and without neglecting your core values.

Maintaining a successful company is already a challenging task to accomplish. How much more if you run a multi-generational company with huge shoes to fill and extremely high expectations to meet? Eric Anderton discovers the secret to accomplishing such a feat with the Cullen Clan. This family's fourth and fifth generations now lead JP Cullen: Jeannie Cullen Schultz (Co-President), George Cullen (Co-President), Richard Cullen (Vice President Field Operations), Laura Cullen (Training & Development Manager), Dan Cullen (Yard & Shop Operations Manager), and Sean Cullen (Director of Business Development). They share how they uphold the company values first established by their founder and how they recruit the right people who exhibit them. The family also opens up about their approach to solving business arguments, the incredible blend of young and old generations, and the impact of having a years-old business in raising their kids – or the potential sixth-generation leaders of JP Cullen.