Coach

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

I have a personal coach; you know, a life coach. He helps me with life and business things. Part of this is because life and business is all mixed up together when you found and own a business or businesses. It’s hard to sort out sometimes, at least for me.

Part of this is because I need a voice other than mine to listen to. I get plenty of other inputs, but it’s not the same as that 1-1 meeting with a trained coach and counselor. There’s skin in that game; paying someone to provide accountability, tools, and inputs to help advance. My coach is the best of both – a trained counselor and a committed coach; a business owner himself and one who has been coached.

Part of this is because I also know that the best athletes, musicians, actors, vocalists, and business leaders, typically have coaches; often multiple ones. Who am I to think that I can thrive the best without someone pushing me to my peak?

It’s party because I tried the counseling route as well. I wasn’t quite ready for that. It helped expose some things for sure, but that counselor said he thought I might be better off with this other counselor-coach who helped business owners and guys like me. He was right

Part of it is because I have ADD, even though I never knew it. I typically manifest that in one of two ways. One is a short attention span and moving to and from many things, which can create familial and organizational “head turns” (like, “what’s he doing now?”). The other is “hyper-focus” where I can grind at depth to great detail on certain tasks or directions. It produces a high ROI but can lead to burnout or losing sight of priorities.

Part of it is because people depend on me and I want to be a good leader, a good steward, steady, growing, setting a good example. No one has all the answers individually.

Part of it is that with some problems involving relationships, emotional IQ, people skills, the “grey areas,” it really helps to have perspective from someone that can look in from outside and provide inputs.

There’s a lot of “parts of it.” Those parts help define the whole. I highly recommend a coach to you if you’re reading, and if you can afford one. If you can’t, look for alternatives like reading programs, business groups, peer to peer groups, and the like.

Oh yeah, and my partner and I have a board or directors/advisors as well. That’s a big help too, but that’s another story for another blog.

It takes a village…..

Tomorrow

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

Proverbs 27:1 “Do not brashly announce what you’re going to do tomorrow; you don’t know the first thing about tomorrow.” (The Message version)

“I’ll do that tomorrow.” “Tomorrow things will be better.” “Tomorrow I am going to do (fill in the blank.)”

Maybe it’s okay to do that “thing” tomorrow because we can only get so much done in one day. We all have to manage our energy.

The idea of things getting better tomorrow is purely subjective, unless we plan to make ourselves better tomorrow; to build our mindset and character to respond better to tomorrow, or to make a better tomorrow. It’s based on the human quality of hope.

Planning to do something tomorrow is fine as well. Why not have plan? Planning is good, looking to the future is good. We humans have that innate character and image of our Creator God in order to envision what a plan for tomorrow may look like.

But tomorrow doesn’t really exist. Tomorrow is a hope that we’ve come to expect based on all the past “tomorrows” which are now yesterday’s. Tomorrow actually is an abstract. We hope tomorrow will come, we think tomorrow will come, and we expect tomorrow will come. That’s alright. But there’s no guarantees. So we can’t announce boldly with certainty what we WILL DO tomorrow. We don’t control or govern the turning of the planet and the reality of tomorrow.

If tomorrow comes, we don’t know what it will bring with it. The world, sickness, nature, lava flows, gravity, careless texters, cancer, the stock market, and other forces beyond our control don’t care about our agenda. COVID19 has proven that; one day everything was fine, the next day, COVID. Our health was good today, but now the blood test revealed an issue. My friend was cancer free, and tomorrow he’s not. September 10th was fine, September 11th changed the world. You get the picture.

My attitude is to say, “If the Lord wills, I’d like to do “this or that” tomorrow, but let’s see what the day brings.”

Let’s not put off until tomorrow what can get done or said today. Let’s plan to move ahead with confidence into the future, but know that the future is still not assured.

Today is the day. Now is the time. Let’s work on our mind, body, soul and spirit to be able to endure in increasing measure whatever tomorrow may bring, good or bad. Let’s approach any tomorrow with gratitude and thanksgiving for life, breath, and hope.

Outlier

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

“For out on the edge of darkness, there rides the peace train.” Cat Stevens

That’s where the peace train rides; out on the edge of darkness. If it rode in the middle of light, the place where peace already resides, there would be no need for it. It gathers people from the edges and expands those boundaries. The peace train is an outlier to unrest and darkness.

Doctors ride into the midst of sickness, on the edges of disease. They do the most good when they are in those places of deep need, saving lives, doing surgical repairs, handing emergency room issues. Doctors are outliers to sickness.

Broken things, or things needing to be built, need architects, engineers and contractors. That train rides on the edge of development, expansion, rehabilitation. The deeper the need, the more value that is provided. Engineers and builders are outliers to disorder and decaying infrastructure.

“It’s is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not called the righteous but sin sick people to repentance.” Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t just ride on the edge of a fallen world, he entered right into the middle of it; he engaged as the God-man and flipped the value system on it’s head. Jesus was an outlier. In this case it went so far as to let the religious order think they had won the day by putting him to death, when they actually accomplished His purpose to offer salvation to the world. Resurrection doesn’t happen without death. A seed doesn’t grow unless planted in the ground.

The broader the gap, the bigger the need, the greater the outlier impact. The deeper the outlier is engaged in the mess, the more impact, disruption, and sometimes hatred from status quo.

Where’s the edges to our outlier space? What’s our outlier gap? Where are we spending our time and energy to make impact?

Happy Saturday

Curtain Wall Engineering

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

Curtain Wall engineering, a subset of the delegated design and engineering field, is a worthy craft and endeavor. Here’s some principles I practice and promote, personally and organizationally, to bring successful outcomes and value to clients.

Collaboration: Good engineering is collaborative engineering. It engages the client. This includes their project manager, designer, fabrication manager, field installer, and other vested constituents.

Construct-able: Solutions must be practical, able to be constructed with available materials, sequenced properly.

Client Centered: Collaboration starts with the client. It’s about mutual solutions, not the engineer’s solution alone. Start with the end goal and work backwards. This is simple on some projects, more complex on others. And most tradespeople are not used to engineering professionals talking to them, respecting their opinion, valuing their input. Win over the installers and project managers, and win the client long-term (and learn something in the process.)

Code Compliant: Our solutions must be compliant with the building code, which is the minimum standard for buildings and structures. Mastery over the code and applications of AISC, AA, AAMA, ACI, ASTM and other reference standards is critical. We’ve got to have “the right tools in the tool chest.”

Communicative: Communicate regularly. The number one predictor of successful outcomes, client retention, good solutions, and lowering of risk, is communication; no question. And just because a direction was established at the start of the project doesn’t mean it’s going to bear itself out at the end. Keep the client engaged in communication and be consistent.

Correct: We’ve got to be technically solid, technically correct, make proper judgements and support it with the math and physics. The “numbers” have to be right to protect the client, the project, the public and the PE in charge.

Creative: All projects are not created equal. All installers do not practice the same techniques. All architects want their project to bear the unique “signature” of their firm. Owners want a product that is attractive to tenants. Every problem has a solution. Be creative, both in engineering approach and in the elegance of the solution. Say “yes” as often as possible. Find a way. Back it up with the numbers, or develop a blended solution.

There’s much more, but let’s stop here for today. Of course, we need to make use of the most effective use of the tools of the trade; software, hardware, templates, allowable stress rules, product information, vendor support, 3-D analysis programs, and more. Those are support elements, not the value propositions. It’s what we “do with the tool” that provides the difference in the outcomes.

Master your craft, and deliver value in increasing measure.

Friday No Post

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

I didn’t get a blog written and posted this morning, so I am writing now. That’s really unusual for me, but I have to admit, 7 days in a row of writing the blog is too enticing. It will be my 1st one-week streak. Sometimes motivation is shallow!

Why no post earlier you ask? I had a very large proposal with a hard deadline to complete today or the company would lose the opportunity. I invested my writing and creativity time in the proposal alone. I was tired and had limited energy to invest. It was the biggest thing to get done so I did it 1st, right after catching up on critical email business (yes, email can be a priority if it’s OUR choice.)

I had three other critical deadlines to get done as well that involved using my PE stamp to sign and seal documents. I didn’t expect I’d even get them done, but once the proposal was completed, thirty minutes earlier than I expected, those tasks fell right in line. No problem. I even checked financials, backlog, estimated work, worked in some follow-ups on four other pending proposals, and more. Bonus time. Some things are now scratched off my list for early Monday.

It supports the claim all the heavy thinking business coaches emphasize, “to work on the biggest, nastiest priority first and then the rest will get handled easily when that burden is done.”

But let’s face it, if you’re like me it can be unnerving most of the time to be working on the large, deep, intense, time sucking project or task, and putting all the secondary, smaller, and easier tasks aside. It is so much easier to do the latter first. If we focus on the former first, we feel the stress of the moment, and alleviate it when done. It’s a decreasing stress. If we focus on the latter first, we feel the growing stress of procrastinating on the big task. I prefer to make that trade – to do the big nasty first, then feel the relief later. I just have to ignore the impulse when I am in the moment, and desiring to escape.

So there we go. I even was able to get in a blog. The tables were flipped. The work was done. The blog is posted. All bonus time.

How was your day?

Be well and enjoy the weekend

Work Backwards

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

Clients engage design professionals for the RA or PE stamp, the expertise, the capability, or the capacity. But the value does not reside in the statutory compliance and capability. I’ve met plenty of practitioners that couldn’t engineer client-centered solutions. The reason? Well, there’s a lot of them, but I say it’s mainly from not thinking like the client; not “working backwards” from the necessary or desired solutions. The engineering supports the solution for the client, not the reverse. The engineering has to be satisfied but we have to “think backwards” from the envisioned end result to the start of the design and engineering process.

Think like clients. Think like a builder or a constructor who happens to be an engineer or architect. Get inside the mind of the builder, the glazier, the installer, the fabricator. Get into the “voice of the customer.” Listen. Respect their role. Work to solutions that are simple, sequenced, practical.

We exist for the client; their problem is our opportunity. Their complexity is our unique selling proposition. Every client and every project is unique.

Work backwards to help achieve value.

The Podcast

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

Today I record Creating Structure Podcast #2. I will be hosting a discussion with Michael Kohler, PMP, Branch Office Leader for Wheaton & Sprague Engineering, Inc. (WSE.) The topic of discussion will be the Glass and Glazing industry, delegated design and engineering, the professional services perspective, and a look at current and future trends. It should be a good one. Mike started in the business in the early 1980’s. He’s been a VP of Technical Services for Tremco and also had a high level position with Sherwin Williams. We started in the business together at PPG, so we go way back. Mike leads WSE’s largest office and interacts with a large staff and client base daily. He also has worked nationally and internationally so he brings an interesting perspective. Podcast #2 will be posted next week.

Podcast #1 has 40 downloads to date. I’m really pleased about that. Thanks for all the support. You can find us on Buzzsprout, our primary platform, and also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Podchaser, Podcast Addict and more; most of the major platforms. We broadcast from a studio in my corporate office.

Look soon for a YouTube Channel for WSE as well. We will post audio and video versions of the podcast there, as well as other relevant content from our niche space and perspective.

Make it a great day and thanks for reading.

Leadership is….

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

Leadership is as leadership does. We need to model and “be” the example of what we expect to see for those we have the privilege to lead or influence.

Want accountability? Be accountable

Want engagement? Be engaged

Want better communication? Communicate

Want more quality, schedule adherence, shipping on time, reliability, client sensitivity, (fill in the blank), then BE that thing. Model those qualities. Lack a skill or capability? Hire to it. Define clarity to that person and position; “I am not good at “X” so I need you to be that for me.” Either way, model integrity. Model reliability.

Then we may expect it, and we can drive to accountability from those around us.

Remember, we are all growing. We are all a work in progress. We are all a bit scarred and “cracked pots.” Truth and grace are good combinations.

We get what we work for.

Instagram: Inbound Marketing and Sales

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

The email I received from my Development and Communications Coordinator, which came through our “Contact Us” location on our Website said:

“Good afternoon, I actually chat sometimes with John Wheaton on Instagram. I have been following the work closely when photos are posted on IG; the scope looks like you might be able to help my company with a current NYC custom curtain wall project. The project is (project address removed for blog purposes), and we not only have to provide the curtain wall but we own the design and installation of waterproofing behind the glazing. I was wondering if Wheaton & Sprague could provide pricing to consult on waterproofing for this job. Please let me know who to send preliminary shop drawings and arch info to. Note that this is a very time sensitive project. Thank you.”

This is an example of “inbound marketing.” In other words, it came to us; we didn’t go outbound to generate the lead directly. It was the product of RELATIONSHIP BUILDING. It is also an example of how leads and RFP’s (requests for proposals) are generated via social media.

“So how do I actually get leads for real sales from Instagram; how does this work?” Here’s a few pointers, experiences, and examples.

  • Posting is an act of “creating awareness.” It brings visibility. Keep posting.
  • Engage with the people who follow; follow them back; thank them for comments. Send DM’s. Have a conversation.
  • Keep posts consistent and organic. We must be true to our DNA, passion, interests, realities. No need to try to contrive ideas. Just post. Post interests, projects, comments, use hashtags
  • Put the company website link in the bio of the IG profile
  • Have a personal and a company IG profile
  • Call out the company in the personal posts. If you don’t have a company, or “you are the company” then put your blog or personal website link in the bio
  • Create a unique hashtag around your brand. Ours is #creatingstructure
  • Connect with as many people and companies in your space as you can; especially with those that are active.

When people tell you that social media marketing doesn’t work for business; it doesn’t work in professional services; it doesn’t return an ROI; that they can’t afford a social media support person, etc., etc., just smile and nod. Keep posting. You get to become the lead generator; the engaged one; the relationship builder in multiple platforms. But IG and Social is not the answer alone. It’s just ONE Answer. One means. It should be just another manifestation of an outward focus; an outward seeking mentality; a passionate desire to connect on many levels with people, with their businesses, and their needs. And remember, it only takes one lead, one proposal, one sale, one referral, to reinforce the importance. I can’t tell you how many leads we’ve gotten from social media platforms.

Be present. Be engaged. Create more content than consumed. Listen to the community. It works.

COVID19 RULES

Posted on by johnlwheaton1

Since we are going to be in this environment indefinitely, here’s some things we’ve learned along the way and some observations on managing a professional services business in this reality.

Lead with care First: Health and wellness for clients and staff is #1. It always has been, but even more so now. Care 1st.

Over-Communicate: This is almost always true, but again, more so now. We always THINK we are communicating enough, or appropriately, but that’s rarely the case. Take nothing for granted. Communicate often, and with clarity, by any means necessary.

Get the 1-1 level: Check in at the 1-1 level with everyone that reports to you. Set up new reporting and accountability structures to accommodate the need to be “agile and nimble” in making sure no one is lost in the fray each day.

Virtual meetings: Make generous use of virtual meetings. I prefer MS TEAMS for internal meetings, WebEx for external meetings. TEAMS is a big value for driving engagement.

Office Environment: Make a safe space of beauty somewhere; make it invitational. We did so with our porch and the ability to eat, greet, meet outside through summer and into autumn.

Financials: Share the state of the business with everyone. Make it relevant to their space and contribution

New Sales, Marketing Progress, Project acquisition: Bang the drum loudly. Celebrate wins with everyone in the organization or in our respective domains (depending on size of company)

That’s all for today. I could go on and on but these are at the top of my mind.

Share your observations, insights and feedback. The more we share successes, the better we all will be. There’s enough of the “pie” to go around for everyone.