We can see our competitors letting staff go, indeed we too have shed staff and thought we’d done enough to keep the boat steady early in the pandemic but there’s anxiety in the air. As surveyors what does that mean?
It means there’s less work to go around as sites become mothballed whilst developers, architects and builders work out whether it’s worth taking the risk to continue. The last thing they want is a half-completed site with money spent on it but no completion date. Keeping the wheels in motion by completing projects is what creates profit, and keeps the economy going. But when there’s less work around, prices start getting squeezed in a race to the bottom or the priority becomes how quickly we can get to site versus our competitor. Speed is of the essence as all of us try to beat the clock of more imposed restrictions and get surveys and drawings to clients’, so they’ve got something to work on from home. For survey companies it’s about trimming the fat, staying lean to save money and having a team big enough only to suit demand and so the problems continue in a downward spiral.
What are we at Powers doing to combat this? There’s been a lot of talk about attitude amongst us recently, and Chuck Swindoll, the American Pastor’s belief that ‘life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it’ is ringing true for many of us. We can all see that times are getting tougher but that we have a duty to pull together, support each other and think carefully about how we relate to each other and the people in the industries in which we work. We are step checking our attitude, digging deep to be positive and keep going, and trying to live as closely to one-time England Rugby Coach, Clive Woodward’s Attitude Top 10, as possible.
Clive Woodward’s Attitude Top 10
Assume Nothing – Never assume, because when you assume, you make an ASS out of U and Me
Take Responsibility – Don’t expect other people to cover for you, take responsibility for what you need to get done and do it. No excuses!
Enjoyment – Have fun while you’re doing it. Work hard but play harder
Punctuality – Always be early, that’s just obvious.
Paddi Thinking – Named after the ‘mad’ Australian dentist Dr Paddi Lund who learned to think differently and to view his business through a different set of eyes with amazing results. Look it up, it’s a story worth reading.
Teamship – Work together, support each other, watch how you relate to each other. Above all, don’t be a dick.
Obsession – Be obsessed about doing the best you can in the work you do. Don’t stop until you know there is nothing left to improve on.
Trust – Show trust in each other. Let each other shine and support each individual in your team, in their moments of glory.
Collaboration – Work together to create your wins. Define what you want to achieve together and make it happen.
Beyond No.1 – Remember that nobody is bigger than the team, no princesses or prima donnas in this company please.
Our work hasn’t slowed down, yet, but we assume it’s on its way. We are all being pushed to relook at our processes and work out how we can streamline what we do to get highly accurate measurement data to clients in the format they require it, more quickly than ever before. We’re upgrading our software and looking at how we can automate everything in the most efficient and effective way possible. We’re investing in learning, software and equipment which may seem crazy but is our way of innovating out of this pandemic. We want closer relationships with our clients so we can show them how good we are at collaborating, for too long we’ve held our light under a bushel and it’s time to bring it out. We want to show we’ve got the RIGHT attitude. So, if you’re looking for measured building surveys, underground utility surveys, large and complex topographical surveys, site engineers or you just need that boundary dispute resolving, get in touch. We’re open, we’re ready to go and we’re ready to help.
