Blog

Despite construction being classified as essential work, both the coronavirus and subsequent political unrest have jostled the industry.  Though this has exacerbated the usual uncertainty that is part of our industry even in normal times, construction workers are generally not fazed by unpredictability.  Perhaps that is part of why, as LinkedIn news reported,  “Tensions were lowest in construction and manufacturing, with at […]

Recently one of my employees, a naturalized citizen with English as a well–mastered second language commented on the different idioms I use to ensure he correctly understood their meaning.  Growing up in New England in the ‘70s and ‘80s, idioms were utilized often in my family, so it is no […]

Not a day goes by in 2020 where both critics and supporters of our current US President seem to be ubiquitous.  Listening to all the arguments can really mess with people’s minds, causing many to become so disgusted that […]

At Florida Construction Connection, we begin each week with an AHOD meeting.  “All Hands on Deck” meetings last an hour or less per week and consist of all members of the company coming together to review the events of […]

COVID or no COVID, your office needs to maintain order and cleanliness to function properly and make the appropriate good impressions.   Several decades ago, Chicago Tribune columnist Ann Landers publicized Miriam Hamilton Keare’s Golden Rules for Living. The rules […]

Marketing coach and author Grant Cardone had a reality television series a few years ago entitled “Whatever it Takes”. The series, based in Miami, featured individuals of all ages, races, and backgrounds competing for a job in sales and […]

Associated General Contractors of America has launched a website called The Culture of CARE—buildculture.org. The Culture of CARE is challenging leaders to take a bold and visible step toward ensuring their workplaces are welcoming, safe, and inclusive for an […]

The protests presently calling to defund the police are fortunately not precipitating the elimination of the profession.  Instead, they are mostly looking into the profession for needed improvement in agencies across America.  While some agencies do set an example with how they coach, train and hold their employees accountable, sadly, there are too many examples […]

On Friday, the nation received encouraging news that 2.5 million jobs were added to the economy last month, causing the unemployment rate to drop to 13.3% (source US Department of Labor). The construction unemployment rate fell to 12.7%. Although […]

Most employers have just begun returning to some degree of normalcy after navigating through a pandemic, an economic downturn, and frayed emotions, only to now be faced with nationwide social unrest as well.  The murder of George Floyd last week […]

Growing up in the northeast, Memorial Day weekend represented for me a day of accompanying my parents and grandmothers to the cemeteries to remember and plant flowers around the headstones of loved ones.  Weather prevailing, we would usher in […]

Depending on the size of a firm in the construction industry, the accounts payable job may be a stand-alone role, or it may fall under the responsibilities of an Accounting Manager, Controller, Office Management or even the owner of […]

The origin of the quote, “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses” is unknown, but it was used by the author of the 1853 book “Lettres Écrites De Mon Jardin”, and […]

Reflecting this week upon the recent changes to daily life,  my thoughts turned to how life in general is perpetually changing. During my father’s illness, my whole family had new restrictions upon us, and after his passing in April […]

I am progressing through the second season of The Good Place, a Netflix comedy series about a lady named Eleanor who was surprised to make it to the Good Place, and upon arriving is determined to shed her old […]

Recently I have been monitoring the Nextdoor App and the comments written by my neighbors regarding their response to the virus and the shutdown of normal life.  We live in a boating community and a popular spot to anchor […]

Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, I was talking to my doctor about the pain and inflammation flare ups associated with my rheumatoid arthritis.  These were tied to certain thoughts from the past that would reemerge.  He smiled and suggested a book called Switch on Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking [...]

Last Friday, we participated in the webinar from Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) regarding the virus.  If you missed it and would like to listen to it, click here to watch it.  AGC is publishing a daily series […]

Resources: Opening Up America Guidelines https://www.whitehouse.gov/openingamerica/ Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) COVID-19 Webinar: Topics include Labor Law, Contractual Law, Safety and more with most recent industry updates. Construction Financial Managers Association (CFMA) COVID-19 resources The Society of Human […]

Last Monday night, Tucker Carlson invited Former FEMA Chief Brock Long onto his television show to discuss the Federal Government’s capabilities and limitations with respect to COVID-19 relief. Mr. Long spoke of the many natural disasters weighing on our […]

We socialized with friends who do not work in the Construction Industry, but instead for companies that employ hundreds of people servicing national and worldwide regions. They asked if our companies had released emergency plans for the Coronavirus.  They […]

Did you ever see Mel Gibson’s movie “What Women Want” from 2012 or the film “What Men Want” from 2019, starring Taraji Henson?  The storylines of both include major motifs of character improvement vis-à-vis lead characters’ personal and professional […]

An online business community learning platform known as Udemy, reports the top eight soft skills recommended for success in business in 2020 are the following: A “growth mindset”, creativity, focus mastery, innovation, communication skills, storytelling, culture awareness and critical […]

February is the month for the Construction Angels Gala.  Construction Angels is a loving non-profit who’s directors are on call 24/7 to assist when the unimaginable occurs: a construction fatality. The gala serves as a means by which to […]

This week, President Trump delivered his third State of the Union address.  Currently, social media is abuzz with various opinions on what he shared, how he delivered the message, and what the future of our country holds.  Although it […]

It’s the time of year when calls are pouring in to request our annual compensation survey. One of the biggest trends we see developing in Florida is the raising of compensation packages in regions outside of southeast Florida. These had […]

John Maxwell’s recent “Minute with Maxwell” was titled “ Grow Through Life”, wherein he teaches that some people go through life and others grow through life. How do you as a leader know the key areas of leadership that […]

The 2020 AGC/Sage Construction outlook survey just came out.  I attended the webinar in which they confirmed over 900 companies participated in the survey.  81% of the respondents said they are having staffing challenges.  The top 3 employer concerns […]

Most of the time when setting resolutions for the New Year, we automatically set health and fitness goals like losing weight, eating better, or exercising more; or financial goals like making more money, saving more, or developing a budget. […]

2020 is here! Most people in the construction industry don’t want to look back a decade to 2010. The recession was in full swing, opportunities were limited to certain project types, and companies of all sizes were competing for […]

0 Vision With Alignment and Execution  Despite construction being classified as essential work, both the coronavirus and subsequent political unrest have jostled the industry.  Though this has exacerbated the usual uncertainty that is part of our industry even in normal times, construction workers are generally not fazed by unpredictability.  Perhaps that is part of why, as LinkedIn news reported,  “Tensions were lowest [...]

If you search Amazon books for “team building”, you will receive over 47,000 results.  Is this really so complicated a subject that it warrants the writing of so many books? My own opinion is that team building is a topic all […]

At times, our company can be strenuously challenged with projects like preparing for tradeshows, moving employee offices, planning a company party, or even sending out holiday greetings. As a leader, despite rolling out the initiative and thinking myself to […]

As we gather for our year-end festivities and express our gratitude for the people we work with, it is an excellent occasion to share the successes of the company with the team. In addition, the end of the year […]

Recently after completing one of those crazy Facebook quizzes and thinking about how it seemed to come back surprisingly spot on, upon further reflection I realized it may not be so.  The quiz results said I love honesty and […]

A – Architects A picture is worth a thousand words. Imagine building anything of significance without plans and specifications. B – Baselines Imagine what a project is like without them.  Everyone would be on time, within scope and budget, for […]

With modern life moving faster than ever, Thanksgiving gives us a day to take a collective breath, reconnect with loved ones and remember just how much we have to be thankful for. At Florida Construction Connection we are thankful [...]

This is that time of year.  Employees resign, employers lay off, and even if employment status doesn’t change, evaluations on performance from both sides fester in minds and hearts. The human internal clock seems to measure life by the […]

On Saturday, I joined a group of friends at an advanced handgun safety class in “Gun World”.  I grew up around guns—mainly rifles for target practice—and although I was not a hunter, hunting season was a big deal in […]

Why do some companies always seem to hire the right people every time?  My first CEO coach (when I just started building an organization at my company) pounded home to me the saying, “people for jobs, not jobs for […]

Aldous Huxley, Oxford graduate and author of more than fifty books, including Brave New World, Devils of Loudun and A Women’s Vengence known for an array of pithy sayings, one of which is, “No social stability without individual stability”. Another of his [...]

Quite often we interview candidates who have received executive titles from their current or previous employers, yet are nevertheless not a match for a company who can offer the candidate more structure and security. This arises for a number […]

A multitude of options seem to be available to construction management professionals in today’s workforce, which bolsters the notion that those seeking new employment are in the driver’s seat over employers trying to hire. Is this perception accurate? And […]

Your business fiscal year is almost always your tax year, but it doesn’t have to be, and there are many benefits in the construction industry to having them end in different quarters. This is particularly true with respect to […]

Early this morning, while outside for quiet time before the day entered into full gear, a hawk in full splendor flew by me.  The spiritual meaning of a hawk flying by symbolizes among several things “an underlying and divine […]

Earlier this year, my husband and I had the opportunity to visit the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Both Billy Graham, one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century, and his wife Ruth, are buried […]

This week, we conducted several first month check-ins with candidates and hiring managers we matched.  These included employees regularly working directly with the person who hired them, as well as those working in a remote location away from the […]

Labor Day weekend this year was filled with hurricane preparation, as well as watching and waiting for all of us on the East Coast of Florida. The emphasis was on the “wait” as Dorian pummeled the Bahamas while moving […]

When interviewing a candidate for Construction, it is typically a bad sign if he asks about work hours.  We are typically a “whatever it takes” industry, and the hours to meet deadlines can vary from day to day and […]

In December 2018, we wrote an article entitled “Say Yay or Nay to Your CPA”. We asked the question, “Does your CPA firm offer you a single point of contact that stays in touch to understand your current volume, business […]

I have battled Rheumatoid Arthritis for over a decade now. The onset of the disease occurred at the same time as being prescribed the incorrect medication for a Vitamin D deficiency.  My original symptoms arose from overachieving at work […]

There are some highly interesting statistics on the SBA fact sheet from August 2018, including one that states that only about 50% of new businesses survive for more than five years. Most bonding companies will place limits upon start-up […]

This quarter, we interviewed a candidate who is in the prime of his career, but who is currently assigned to a project that is severely delayed due to both design and financial challenges.  He shared with us how he […]

Last week, my family and I attended the opening night of Lion King. It warmed our hearts to be reminded of the Lion King film, which was released as our children were growing up.  The famous “circle of life” […]

Recently we have seen an increase in requests from companies to fill Safety Director positions. This is good news, particularly considering the problem of workplace injuries and fatalities in this country.  OSHA reports an average of 14 workplace fatalities per […]

According to a recent article from the AGC, although unemployment continues to be very low, we should encourage students to consider the option of a trade career.  This is because trade careers provide income to students who work while […]

As my husband John and I worked together to plan our annual 4th of July celebration (which is also his birthday), I was overcome with thoughts of thankfulness, both for living in the land of the free, and also […]

According to the American Automobile Association, the national average price of gasoline is currently $2.66.  According to Kelly Bluebook, the average cost of a new truck in America is $40,000, and of a new car, $36,000.  Tires are said […]

This week, newly-promoted FLCC Operations Manager Ryan Stone and I attended a workshop in Fort Lauderdale entitled “Transitioning to Supervisor”.  The purpose of the instruction was to teach team members to adjust to becoming department leaders.  After a full […]

“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”: a phrase coined by Benjamin Franklin long before the Superintendent title existed. The advice presented in this axiom is certainly taken up by those whom our […]

Anchored by Hillsboro Inlet this past weekend, I watched the parade of boats going in and out of the inlet.  The dozen or so boats anchored around us were all from different manufacturers and brands. While all the boats […]

0 Vision With Alignment and Execution  Despite construction being classified as essential work, both the coronavirus and subsequent political unrest have jostled the industry.  Though this has exacerbated the usual uncertainty that is part of our industry even in normal times, construction workers are generally not fazed by unpredictability.  Perhaps that is part of why, as LinkedIn news reported,  “Tensions were lowest [...]

While the construction industry witnessed a decline in job starts towards the end of 2018, they are rising again as we approach the half-way mark of 2019.  According to AGC and Chief Economist Ken Simonson, construction employment continues to rise, […]

0 Vision With Alignment and Execution  Despite construction being classified as essential work, both the coronavirus and subsequent political unrest have jostled the industry.  Though this has exacerbated the usual uncertainty that is part of our industry even in normal times, construction workers are generally not fazed by unpredictability.  Perhaps that is part of why, as LinkedIn news reported,  “Tensions were lowest [...]

Last month, contractors were on site completing restorative work to Notre Dame Cathedral.  While this was ongoing, a fire broke out and tragically destroyed a large portion of the iconic medieval church. While the cause of the fire is […]

Construction hiring managers are having more difficulty locating qualified and driven candidates, despite being under increased pressure to fill open positions. According to the Sage Construction Hiring and Business Outlook Survey, published in January 2019, 77% of construction companies plan to […]

Warren Alter of Alter Surety Group has recently recommended reading a book called Presence by Amy Cuddy. The work instructs people to bring their “boldest” self to face their challenges. Of particular interest to us is one chapter on how to behave […]

Profit Fade "Profit Fade" occurs when jobs close with lower gross profits than was originally estimated. This often occurs when companies do not maintain Work in Progress Reports (W.I.P.s).  The W.I.P. is a tool that shows estimated gross profits [...]

When hiring for a position typically three types of candidates apply: The unemployed - seeking a job The currently employed - making a move for something other than money The money chasers - always looking for a bigger paycheck Employers [...]

Joe’s communication style is to never say he knows something until he has all the detail and facts.  Sandra’s communication style is to say she knows how to do it when faced with a challenge.  She will figure it […]

Last Thursday our team members from FLCC attended a leadership event where Don Campion, CEO and Founder of Banyan Air was the guest speaker. He shared with us some of the tidbits of his forty years in business, and focused […]

For over two decades Suzanne Breistol and her network of qualified industry professionals have been working together to help individuals in the construction industry grow their careers. Below is an overview of some of the many programs that Construction [...]

Again this week, we had an employer tell us that one of their new employees, unfortunately, was duped by the gift card scam. If you are not familiar with how the con works, Knowbe4, cyber security specialists, have an [...]

We have a saying in Florida that “they pay in palm trees.” Not really, but it can seem that way for people wanting to relocate here from out of the area.  Often, we get people from New York, California […]

Job Seekers If you are considering a new job look at the total compensation package; challenge, growth and stability of the position.  In addition, the track record of the employer should be evaluated.  Compare where you would be in […]

“I worked for a small construction company and they had cash flow issues.” I never want to work for a small company again. “I worked for a big company and they didn’t care about their employees.” I never want […]

As a Career Matchmaker I get many single professionals asking me if I can also introduce them to the right love match.  There are many similarities with dating for long term relationship and dating for a career match. Although […]

There is a popular social media post that often accompanies someone’s rough day at work or a separation from their employer. The quote is: “Your value does not decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth” unknown author […]

Every day now a new name pops up announcing their participation or possible participation in the 2020 Presidential race. The announcements all have two things in common: they don’t agree with how the current President of the United States […]

Aristotle once said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” The relationship with yourself is one of the most important relationships in your life. I decided to study some of the hundreds of references we have received to better […]

Last week we hosted a private meet and greet for The Bluebook at Construction Connection’s Coaching Center, the SHED, which stands for Sharing Education. The out of town contractor was Life Time Construction, the Construction Management division of Life Time […]

Studies across all industries show that over fifty percent of the workforce would like the opportunity to work from home at least one or two days a week. In construction, often those assigned to the jobsite versus the main […]

Taking care of business in a flash! I never knew this was the coined phrase of Elvis Presley—the King of Rock and Roll—until we arrived at Graceland where it appears often. I am writing to you from the guesthouse […]

What is a SMART goal? How do you write an effective SMART goal? It’s never too late to look at your life and ask yourself “Is my life really how I want it to be?” Each new day can represent […]

Earlier this week I had lunch with newly married Kristi Gibbs, Founder of Construction Angels. For those of you not familiar with Construction Angels, they are a National Non-Profit Organization created to provide immediate financial assistance and grief counseling […]

While working with my CEO coach in 2015, he suggested we make it a point to review our working relationship with our current CPA firm. Our CPA firm at the time had worked with us for over a decade. […]

We are Career Coaches and Matchmakers in Construction We work with Currently Employed Construction Management Professionals to help them achieve their career goals: Better workplace communication Shortening your daily commute Taking on More Challenge Continuing Your Education Diversifying Your […]

Last week my husband and I attended a funeral for a man who was one of the first people I met in our industry after moving to South Florida in 1992. Over the years, he became a friend and […]

Sitting in my backyard—enjoying the 75°F mid-November clear sky—makes the social media posts from family and friends of their recent snowfalls seem surreal. Having spent my first twenty-five years of life in the harsh New England winters, I can’t […]

When you look up the meaning of thankful, the synonyms are what you would expect: appreciative, grateful, and well pleased.  A surprise to me was in addition to the expected descriptions, the word “relieved” is listed as a synonym […]

November is here and well underway. We all have less than two full months before we usher in a new calendar year. Somehow—with our days and weeks already jam-packed—we make time for celebrating the holidays. Accompanied with these holidays […]

Every week I interview someone who has successfully immigrated to the United States. The majority of these construction management professionals did so legally— often sacrificing fulfilling careers in their native countries while knowing full well that their credentials may […]

Recently, I tuned into PBS to watch an episode of Impossible Builds about One Thousand Museum—a project also coined the “Scorpion Tower”. Not only did the Pritzker Prize winning Architect Zaha Hadid pass away during the construction, the job […]

Just a few days ago on Wednesday, October 10th, one of the most powerful storms in US history made landfall and struck the Florida Panhandle. Hurricane Michael caused mass destruction and wiped out the entirety of Mexico Beach, Florida [...]

While out for a Sunday evening boat ride just before sundown, my husband and I noticed one of the new intracoastal homes under construction left wide open with no workers in sight. No builders sign was present with a […]

Quite often we have candidates that have worked in the construction industry emphasize their qualifications and value by stating how many years they have worked in the industry. We often hear a candidate tell us that they have 25+ […]

This year we had a vacancy in Accounting and HR within our company due to an employee moving out of the area. We evaluated our needs for this position and determined that the right person with the interest ability […]

John and I recently have updated our wills and trust now that our children are grown and don’t require guardianship if something happens to us. At the same time, we had to update our plan for what happens to […]

It is common for me to hear from a new client that they and the candidate have agreed on terms of employment. After speaking with both sides, there is ambiguity to what was discussed and what was processed and what [...]

Several times over the years clients have contracted us for DiSC coaching with project team members who are antagonizing to others. Three of these particular instances the employee had already pushed the other party’s buttons enough where it had become […]

Twice in the last month, two candidates were not asked back for a second interview due to a noticeable behavior. They both had the right skills set for the positions they interviewed for.  They both presented well and showed […]

Construction is an action result industry filled with people wired for action working in a business model driven by a schedule, balanced with quality and budget.  A good share of the projects over budget are due to people taking […]

Recently we have been helping our clients fill key leadership roles within their Construction and Real Estate Development firms also known as “C Level”. These roles are the roles directly connected to the CEO/President of the company assisting the […]

Last night I watched on PBS the 10 Modern Marvels that Changed America. It was about the building of the Hoover Dam, our interstate highway system and eight other major design-build projects that were revolutionary even to this day.  […]

The majority of construction companies in America have all but the necessary few employees costed to projects. Executive, Estimating, Safety, Accounting, General Administrative, Human Resources, and Business Development are typically the roles that may be overhead or only partially […]

by Christopher T. Marrie, HBK CPAs & Consultants Cost accumulation and management is critical to a strong financial reporting system in any industry. For construction contractors of any size it is one of the most essential functions of the business. […]

Career - A job is what you do to earn compensation.  A career is what you build to increase the value of your compensation. Building requires new materials to stand the test of time. Offer - An offer does [...]

You work hard. You have earned and want a more expensive house. You purchase that more expensive house and move in. After you get the house you realize it requires more time, energy and expertise to maintain. It may even […]

While reading The Washington Post this week, I came across an article that states “But there’s one statistic that has been vexing economists. The size of the nation’s workforce — known as the labor force participation rate — continues […]

During interview candidates often answer questions referring to we did this, or we did that.  I compliment them on being a team player then remind the candidate an employer is most interested in what they alone took responsibility for. […]

The new Tommy Bahama magazine came in the mail, and the front cover in 3” bold letters says “YOUR SUMMER STARTS HERE.” Our summer in Florida usually starts with rain, rain, rain and preparing for hurricane season while those […]

This Memorial Day weekend I experienced holding new life as I met our little granddaughter for the first time. Ten perfect fingers and ten perfect toes.  She already has a personality all of her own and her preferences as […]

After more than twenty years of coaching and staffing in the construction and development industries, I have noticed oftentimes when many people report to the same executive, one person will report that the executive is a micro-manager, while others […]

The saying “Life Happens” is more realistic than most of us want to face.  An unexpected car accident, family illness or death, our ailments are the ones we hope to avoid.  Vacation, training, corporate events are some of the [...]

One of our clients suggested the topic of culture vs. compensation. Their company has been in business for over forty years.  Many of their employees have remained employed with them for a decade or more. They kept the majority […]

The majority of candidates we have matched with companies for employment over the years are individuals who were already working in construction in Florida.  A fourth of the people we place are those relocating to Florida.  If they have […]

When the recession hit its peak in 2007-2010 next to the call from individuals needing jobs I received calls from employers for advice on reducing labor burden, aka “Who gets let go.”  Most of them had already cut back […]

Today as my husband and I lovingly parted ways for the day, he shared with me a dream he had about getting in an accident that seemed so real. He followed it with how many accidents there were on his […]

DOWNLOAD WEBINARS, PODCATS, E-BOOKS: The Overdrive Applets you borrow eBooks, audiobooks, and more from your local public library – anywhere, anytime. All you need is a library card. There are over 100,000 selections under business:  Here are a few […]

The afternoon of March 15th I walked out of an appointment to the receptionist telling me the new FIU bridge had collapsed. My heart sank as I prayed there were no fatalities which of course I knew was most […]