After thirty years in business, it has been fun to reflect a bit on the past successes and great relationships that we have developed and enjoyed with our partners – employees, customers, vendors, advisors and friends.
Along the way I learned more than a few things (usually the hard way) that have helped me lead our business, form the foundations for those relationships and have led to mutual success.
Here are my thirty truths:
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Do business with people who are smart, fair and reasonable. If you choose to work with those who are not, it will cost you.
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Your customers are trying to please their customers too. Your job is to make their job easier.
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Our greatest assets walk out the door every night.
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Bad news doesn’t ripen with age.
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Always do the right thing.
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When you are ready to pull the trigger, don’t. Tomorrow your perspective will be different and you won’t be sorry.
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Give the credit for success to others. That’s where it belongs.
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Don’t be afraid to look in the mirror. If you don’t like what you see, change it.
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Be great at a few things.
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Sometimes the best job is the one you don’t get.
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Your perspective is just that – your perspective. It’s only part of the picture.
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Take the time to stop and smell the flowers.
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Perception is often not reality.
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It’s always about leadership.
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Say thank you and please. A lot.
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Never enter a race you don’t intend to win.
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Be nice. It doesn’t cost you anything but a little effort sometimes.
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Surround yourself with people who are a lot smarter than you.
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Introspection is the greatest gift you can give yourself.
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Don’t sweat the small stuff.
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Be aware of your wake.
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Don’t tolerate bullies.
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Vision without implementation is just a daydream.
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You get what you measure.
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Rewards are proportional to the risk you are willing to take.
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Delegate - never abdicate. Oversight is not optional.
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Marketing by walking around gives you a first-hand perspective.
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Know how your business makes money.
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Outwork your competitors.
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Accountability is a key to effective leadership.
As we look ahead to the next thirty years for New England Construction, armed with the lessons learned from our first thirty, we are most looking forward to the people we will have the opportunity to work with and the visions we will bring to life.
Contact our team today to learn how we can work with you.
