WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY?

 Ten or so years ago Malcolm Gladwell wrote a best selling book called ‘The Tipping Point: How Little Things can make a Big Difference’.

In his book he sought to explain how sociological behaviours and other engines of change can bring about massive and irreversible consequences. In other words change in all its various forms becomes viral and can spread throughout society and commerce like a cancer.

So what I hear you say!

Well, as we can all recall, in 2008 the UK, and the Construction and Property Investment Industry in particular, reached a ‘Tipping Point’ of its own. They entered a dramatic, steep and very deep recession. As probably most of us have experienced to our everlasting personal cost and chagrin.

Currently our various experts tell us that we are still in the midst of a deep and protracted recession. Well lets be honest it certainly feels that way for most of us, and at present there doesn’t seem to be much of a change is insight!

But before any ‘Tipping Point’ can come about there must be a build up, a gathering momentum or gradual application of some form of irresistible force to come into play. I don’t think I am on my own when I say that I sense that some form of change is currently underway. After all we have been in some form of recession for three or four years. We can’t continue like this forever. Can we?

But changing fortunes and economic landscapes require new thinking.

The old ways, practices and conventions are dead.

We all need to recognise that for the foreseeable future the challenges we face require us all to be more innovative, commercially astute and proactive in our thinking and actions. Gone are the days that we were all merely order takers. We now need to be proactive and competent marketers, effective leaders and managers; and probably most of all customer cantered suppliers of goods and services.

So have you or your company chosen to batten down the hatches, cut costs to the bone and are you waiting for the storm to pass over or the weather to change? Or have you woken up, recognised that change is inevitable and have put the necessary changes and investments in place?

If you have, I suspect that you will not only survive the recession, but when the next ‘Tipping Point’ takes place you will be prepared, ready to be catapulted forward and be grateful that you chose to recognise the need to change, adapt and prosper.