Contributed by Eric D. Lussier

If you were a frequent reader to the "Let's Fix Construction" blog, you have, or at least I hope you have, wondered where the new posts and contributions have gone. So do I. 

Fourteen months removed from a monumental change to ALL of our lives, I have found myself more disconnected at times now than at any point in 2020. And that is just as the glowing light at the end of the tunnel seems to be brighter than ever. We're good to live a life unmasked IF you're vaccinated. Live concerts are returning. New cases are not the lead story on the news. A return to norm seems to be right in front of us.

But, what will be the new norm? Will offices go back to full capacity? Will you ever have an employer again that questions the work from home model? Will we be more apt to jump on a Zoom to connect with someone? Will virtual events be the standard and in-person be the exception? I don't know the answers.

I have struggled many times with where to bring this website and blog. The content that at one time flowed from contributors, including myself, has slowed. The energy and time to curate was getting harder and harder to find and that was before a global pandemic fundamentally changed everything we did. 

I, like many, hit a time of rock bottom in 2020. It turned out to be a rollercoaster of a year, and it included many highs and many lows. 2021 started much the same and I've experienced more emotions on a personal level than I anticipated after "surviving" 2020. I continue to look within, try to re-establish the groove that I found at times last year, and find it harder and harder to do so.

What does all of this have to do with "Let's Fix Construction"? Well, for background, the LFC movement was never about one person or one voice. It was always about the long list of contributors, whether they were a one-time poster, or offered multiple titles. As I internalize about which direction to push the website, I know that I don't want to be a one-voice channel, nor do I want it to only be about flooring. Meanwhile, I also recognize that through the voices of myself and others, that a destination has been established here for true form and proper function with the AEC industry. 

As business was booming within the construction industry a few years ago, I saw firsthand how the knowledgeshare went from a giving model to almost an SEO-model. Meaning those that I relied on for words and thoughts were doing so from their own freewill, and because they wanted to give. And when time became harder to find to continue to give, priorities were shifted elsewhere - to business, to family, to living. Myself included. 

So, as I plot out a future for "Let's Fix Construction" that I hope looks like pre-pandemic days, I ask for advice. What would you like to see going forward on these pages, in person and on airwaves? Are you consuming more podcasts and less blog reading now? Do you still look to the written word? How are you finding your trusted advisors? Please comment below or reach out to [email protected] and I look forward to hearing from you. 

Part I: Written by Cherise Lakeside - Co-Founder - Let's Fix Construction

In honor of Thanksgiving week, we thought we would take a breather from our typical posts and stop for a moment to share our gratitude.

August 15, 2018 marked the two year anniversary of Let’s Fix Construction.  This passion project to bring the various disciplines together for positive, forward thinking solutions in AEC has been an adventure that neither one of us could have anticipated.

For me personally, this effort has been a growth experience that has continually surprised, empowered and motivated me to do even more to make a difference.  I couldn’t begin to quantify the value of what I have learned or the amazing people that I have met along this LFC journey. 

What did we do this year and what am I thankful for?

• We continued with our Podcast, which was really out of the box for me.  While it has been a bit slow going to get it off the ground, I am thankful for:
  • The support and encouragement of our listeners.
  • Informa Exhibitions - and especially the Dallas, TX crew - for their sponsorship which enabled us to purchase the equipment we needed to embark on this journey.  
  • Mel Allen for his amazing, beautiful voice and the giving of his time to be the voice of our intro and outro.
  • Milton Busker – OMG, he couldn’t have written a more perfect song (“Let’s”), which he so graciously agreed to let us use for our theme song at no charge. The dude is amazing.  If you haven’t heard him yet, check out his music with his band The Grim Work on Spotify.
• A huge debt of gratitude to our contributing bloggers who gift their time and effort to share their knowledge and expertise with all of our readers.
• Thank you to Prosoco for bringing us to the Las Vegas World of Concrete 2018 and the AIA Convention in New York for an LFC Workshop.
• Gigantic, humongous, big fat sloppy kisses to ClarkDietrich for sponsoring Year 2 of the LFC/ClarkDietrich party, Partners & Pints, at CONSTRUCT in Long Beach.  They went so far above and beyond to make it a great event for all of our CSI/CONSTRUCT compatriots that I am still pinching myself at our good fortune.  At the end of the day, they are much more our friends than they are our party sponsors and our gratitude is endless.
• Thank you to the FCICA (Flooring Contractors Association) for bringing us to Biloxi for a "Specs 101" presentation to manufacturers, flooring suppliers, subcontractors and others, as well as hosting part two via webinar.

With CONSTRUCT 2018 just a few weeks away, we don't want you to miss our CONSTRUCT 2018 Preview on our podcast.  Yes, OUR PODCAST!  In case you didn't know, you can find all of our episodes here or on your favorite podcast player.

We don't want you to miss out on this CONSTRUCT Preview, so we're posting the episode here and on our podcast page.  

In summary, Eric & Cherise discuss thier atypical Summer of 2018, which included a heavy bidding and final design atmosphere. Owners are looking to save money on rising construction costs and schedules are being evaluated for construction. The end of the Summer signals CONSTRUCT and Long Beach, California hosts 2018's conference from October 3rd to the 5th.  Eric and Cherise are involved in five different sessions, including the fourth annual Young Professionals Day. Register and attend at www.CONSTRUCTshow.com

Read the complete shownotes for episode 8 here. 

Contributed by Eric D. Lussier

This week marks two years of Let's Fix Construction.  Cherise Lakeside and I have gone into the founding and the why many times over these last 730 days, both here on our blog and on the LFC Podcast.

It was at first a whirlwind founding and medium. It was quickly legitimized by the feedback we instantly received. We've stuck with it and we don't plan on turning around anytime soon. 

Why? Because what we're discussing has to occur in some way, shape or form.  The contract model, which holds our communication to a limited chain, is working in fewer and fewer applications. The specialists rarely get to speak to the proper party on a construction project, and that, unfortunately, is a shame.  As we've mentioned, our workshops have been a fantastic interactive medium to introduce the no holds barred, no contract model, and we don't plan on letting up on this opportunity.

So, where now?  We're two years in and we should at the very least look two years forward. 

One immediate thought is a theme called 'What COULD You Do?'. Due to the contractual model, there are only a handful of responses that a party could do, due to the contracted model between the two (or more parties) and how you can communicate and respond to any given scenario.

Another thought is a theme called 'What WOULD You Do?'.  A short issue or concern where you could address what you would do to react and respond to a certain scenario.

Another thought is 'What SHOULD You Do?'. This is indeed different than the question of 'What could you do?' or 'What would you do?' and the same issue posed could offer two distinct answers based on honesty, contractual liability or flexibility. 

Let's Fix Construction is just starting.  We have a long way to go.  What do you want to see? What COULD you do, if given the choice? WOULD you do, if given a choice? What SHOULD you do? 

Let's fix construction. Let's do it together. Let's not wait any longer. 

Contributed by Eric D. Lussier

Eighteen months ago, a random conversation on a Tuesday afternoon between Cherise Lakeside and myself went like this:
 
Me: "Seemingly few are committed to speak their mind or try to fix the broken system that is construction.  You do a damn fine job of breaking that mold and trying to help this industry."
 
Cherise: "Thank you. The key, I think, is speaking your mind in a productive and positive way with some solutions in hand.  Everyone just wants to be negative and bitch about things. I try to only stir the pots that need stirring."
 
Me: "You are so right. A problem is everyone acts like their own island and the destination rescue is each their own issue and not working together on being rescued. I pretty much just 'Survivored' the construction industry."
 
Cherise: "Ha, ha! Exactly. We need to pull people out of their comfort zones and make them open their eyes. This is way too much of a "me" society as it is."
 
Me: "So, perhaps a member from each seat at the table who can feature their respective perception and potential solutions. We can register a domain like letsfixconstruction.com"

​It struck me this past Friday, February 16th, that Let's Fix Construction was a year & a half old. If you had told me eighteen months ago what the last 550 days were going to be like, I would have laughed out loud.
 
As a way to look back on these first months of Let's Fix Construction, we're going to take the next week to share and revisit every article that we've posted along the way, starting at number one.  We'll be sharing these posts on social media. Please follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. 

We've gained dozens of contributors, thousands of readers and now listeners, thanks to the Let's Fix Construction podcast, and didn't want to lose sight at what we started with and shared in the last year and a half.

As always, if you would like to share your knowledge and contribute a forward-thinking concept to a construction-related issue, dispel a myth or just provide a solution for a better built environment, please contact us and let us know. 

And without further ado, our very first post on the Let's Fix Construction blog, written by yours truly, 'The Fifth C of CSI: Collaboration'