THE NEXT 25, AS I SEE 'EM.
I hope no one is
expecting me to
make some
dramatic
revelation, or
announce some
wild new plans
for CSM Group
in the years
ahead. Because
in my view, you
just can’t look ahead without checking
the rear view mirror first.
And we didn’t get to where we are by
accident. Frankly, we’d be crazy not to
look carefully at the things that have
helped bring us success, and make sure
we don’t change any of those things.
Not that we could if we wanted to. Some
of the most unique and important
characteristics of our company have
become part of our “DNA.” And if you’re
a CSM Group employee—or have ever
even worked with one, for that matter—
you’ll probably recognize them.
Like a passion to do great work, and
have fun doing it. A determination to
give clients more than they expect. An
incredible sense of “team” that keeps
everyone rowing together in this
wonderful boat.
That can’t change; the kind of people we
add to our family wouldn’t let it happen.
Steve East believes that we really started
moving when we committed ourselves
to being a talent-based company. I agree.
And we will continue to seek top people
at every level and function in this
organization.
If anything, I think we will take our
performance up a notch higher still.
I expect us to be a Baldrige Award
winner in the near future. And we’ll do
everything we can to continue to distance
ourselves from the old “commodity”
perception of the construction industry.
We will, more than ever, be the “master
builders” and—sorry if this sounds
hokey—the “Michelangelo” of
Construction Management.
Objectives like these may sound
daunting, or exhausting, or overly
ambitious for some people. But not
for the talented individuals we find
and retain. It’s just another challenge
they’ll enjoy meeting.
To accomplish our goals, we’ll need to
be creative, and demonstrate continued
vision for the future. We’ll need to stay
ahead of the curve in technology, with
things like 3-D modeling and other nextgeneration
tools. CSM Group must
continue to find the fastest, most
productive ways to get the job done to
the highest level of quality. This will help
ensure that our clients continue to enjoy
the end product they receive, and the
process that got them there.
This doesn’t mean there won’t be change
in our future. It would be silly to say that;
with our global economy, the road is
littered with those who couldn’t or
wouldn’t change, and have fallen by the
wayside. We’re not about to do that.
We’ll watch where the industry is going,
and get there first. Again. (We don’t follow
trends. We set them.)
We know what we do well: construction
management. But perhaps we’ll need
to narrow our focus, and specialize
more in some very important and
growing industries.
We are also likely to grow geographically.
The quality of our product and the level
of expertise we have to offer can be
transported anywhere. Because those
are things clients everywhere are
looking for.
Our growth and success—not to mention
the fun we’ve had doing it—have set the
crossbar pretty high. But we’re going to
do everything we can to make the next
twenty-five years even better.
If you’ve worked with us before, that
won’t surprise you any. Because
constantly getting better is just what
CSM Group people do! |
