Jeff Walker is CEO and principal of Walker Development & Construction Management in Southborough.
Updated: October 14, 2024
Know How
Business sayings to live by
By Jeff Walker
From a very young age we have been told and use life and success quotes. Some are very direct and others a bit more abstract, requiring some thought and interpretation. As we have grown our business over the past 10 years, my partner and I have used, developed, and implemented many of these quotes to help drive the overall culture of our company.
Here are a few of our favorite quotes, and why they are important to us:
• “There is no traffic on the extra mile.” This is one of my favorites that I got from Roger Staubach from my time with the Staubach Company. It is a pretty simple concept, but it has amazing benefits when you put it into practice. Put in that extra effort or additional support that was not expected, clients notice and do not forget.
• “Do what you say you are going to do.” Although a very simple statement, it is not always easy to achieve. We use this everyday as a reminder. If you told the client, you would have something done, then get it done. Oftentimes things change, and it’s not possible to meet your goal. If this is the case, all you have to do is call the client and let them know. Over time it forces you to be realistic with your commitments and enhances communication.
• “Do you want to say what you want to say or get what you want to get?” This is one we created as the instinctive response to say something in response to a challenging situation is not always the right answer. In the heat of the moment, saying what you want to say might feel good, but it is not the right answer for the benefit of the business. This saying is a good reminder to take a minute, pause, and think about what you want to get out of this situation. Then move forward with communicating what will best help you get what you want to get.
• “Be long-term greedy.” Being greedy is not a good attribute, but being long-term greedy is great. This is a good reminder it doesn’t help us or our customers to try and make every dollar we can on a specific project. Our goal is to deliver good value on every project, so we are hired for the next one. I am always happy when we help our clients win on a project by finding cost-saving solutions that benefit them. Although we won’t make as much, I know they appreciate our integrity, and we will be there for the next project.
• “Perception is reality.” If someone thinks a certain way about your business, even if it’s not true, it becomes reality and needs to be addressed. It could be the perception that you are not a big enough company to handle a larger job, for example. If you don’t address that perception, you will not get the job. This requires a lot of attention and constant communication with everyone around you. If you run into a challenge, make sure you are clearly communicating what happened, why it happened, and how you are fixing it. If you don't, a negative perception can form and come back to hurt you in the future.
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