Open-Sourced Homebuilding's Wisdom Of The Ages ... Perfect For Now

In The Builder's Daily's August 4 piece covering Atlanta-based Smith Douglas Homes' acquisition of Houston-based Devon Street Homes, Smith Douglas ceo Greg Bennett feathered into the story a gem of wisdom that says a lot about Greg's organization, its purpose, and ultimately, its broad community of rivals and allies alike: Homebuilders in the U.S.A.

The quote's provenance traces to Smith Douglas founder and self-described chief culture officer Tom Bradbury, one of the true icons in mastering the curious mesh between people and process that can add up – sensibly or miraculously -- to new homes for people to live in.

Tom's mantra is, 'it's not who's right, but what's right,' and with that almost 50 years in the business, he's still as passionate as ever about the business," Greg Bennett tells us. "He's created a culture here where people want to come and work for us, and they stay, so we're happy to have the Devon Street Homes team join the family."

It's not who's right, but what's right. It could be true of every field, at every moment, in every imaginable situation. It's how trenchantly this little turn of phrase applies to the mess and miracle of homebuilding that makes it almost feel such starkly practical wisdom can only be in and of homebuilding, and in and of the present moment in homebuilding.

It's a cornerstone of spoken and unspoken culture at Smith Douglas, which dominoes in its significance in an M&A combination with team Devon Street, and spreads further and faster as it gains purchase in ever-expanding market reach and impact.

The Builder's Daily spends a lot of its time trying to challenge business leaders to be and keep being their best selves, their most effective selves, and the selves that make them proudest and at the same time most-humbled.

Less often, we step back, and simply celebrate the selves so many people who work, and lead, and strive in homebuilding wake up and live in real time and in the real world each day.

In the DNA of the thousand or so homebuilding firms that build 10 or more homes a year – up to upwards of 85,000 or so from the nation's biggest – there are sayings and precepts and principles and rules-of-thumb that focus, inspire, teach, motivate, train, correct, remind, caution, improve, pray for, and guide the community's hundreds of thousands of team member associates to be and do their best selves every minute of every day on the job site and in the workplace.

That's cause to celebrate.

We asked your help to prime the pump in what we hope will be an ongoing effort to tease out, and coax, and cajole homebuilders and their partners to share their favorites among the precious quotes that elevate each day's endeavor.

There could hardly be a better way to jump into sharing the very first wave of wisdom we've been honored to receive in response to our bidding than to start with a reply from a dear friend and source of inspiration, Ronda Conger, vice president at CBH Homes, Idaho.

Here's Ronda's note, titled Amor Fati:

The current market is all over the board depending on who you ask. I get asked 10x a day 'How's the market?' always with a pained look on the question's face.

Here's my answer/quote:

'I love this market. It's the only one I got.'

It's one of my favorites, and here's where it comes from:

'My formula for greatness in a human being is amor fati: that one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backward, not in all eternity.
Not merely bear what is necessary, still less conceal it - all idealism is mendaciousness in the face of what is necessary - but love it.' – Friedrich Nietzsche

Here's a litany of moment-by-moment mantras, offered up in each case from one of you to the rest of you. As we said, we're hoping this is just the first wave, because truly, the wisdom, grace, nobility, and resolve of this community run to the deepest depths. We're so grateful for each and every contributor's offering here, as each truth speaks to challenges all our team members experience on an hourly basis, every day they show up.

Let's keep the momentum going, shall we?

Almost right is wrong.” – John Johnson, David Weekley Homes (offered by Scott Dettmer, Division Manager, Dallas-Fort Worth, William Ryan Homes)

Homebuilding is a noble profession.” – Larry Webb (offered by Daniel G. Martin, President, PSM Communication Arts)

The true secret to Homebuilding is not land or sticks and bricks, it is the quality and commitment of your people." – Larry Webb

No pro forma [plan] survives contact with reality [the enemy].” (attributable to various sources) (offered by Scott Cox, principal, SLC Advisors)

If you torture the data long enough, it will confess to anything.” -- Ronald H. Coase, a renowned British Economist (offered by Scott Cox, principal, SLC Advisors)

A lot of what you've seen in the news, especially in the on-site manufacturing space, is more failures than successes. The grave yard is massive. The hall of fame is small." Andy Mest, managing director of Modern Living Solutions. (offered by Scott Cox, principal, SLC Advisors)

If you don't have time to fix it the first time, when will you have time to do it again?” -- W.J. Perritte – (offered by Dewey Hennessee, VP Purchasing, Partners In Building)

It’s a wise man who knows what he doesn’t know.” – Bob Toll (offered by John E. Peck,
Senior VP - Community Planning, Toll Brothers)

In homebuilding … anything that can possibly be misunderstood … will be.” -- Scott Sedam, President, TrueNorth Development

The best builders are the best schedulers, and the best schedulers are the best builders.” -- Bill Pulte (offered by Scott Sedam, President, TrueNorth Development)

Bid Price, in the absence of understanding True Total Cost, is worse than meaningless – it will lead to bad decisions.” (Scott Sedam, President, TrueNorth Development)

Most leaders keep making the same mistakes because they think they are right!” -- S. Robert August, President, North Star Synergies

Organizations tend to do the things they are organized to do. If you need something different done, you probably have to change your organization.” -- George E Casey Jr, CEO, Stockbridge Associates, LLC

There is high value to the elimination of loneliness.” -- George E Casey Jr, CEO, Stockbridge Associates, LLC

There is no substitute for hard work.” -- Stephen Sherrill, owner Steve Sherrill Construction

Think right, plan right, and do it right the first time.” -- Stephen Sherrill, owner Steve Sherrill Construction

Today’s accomplishments were yesterday’s impossibilities." – Robert H. Schuller (offered by Will Edgington, Managing Member, Richfield Homes)

If the response to the question 'Did you do it' is 'it's almost finished', 'just about done', 'practically complete,' or 'tomorrow should do it' the answers are really all the same. They translate to NO." – Sayings, Alan Trellis, President, Home Builders Network

Never underestimate the power of referring a difficult client to your competitor." – Sayings, Alan Trellis, President, Home Builders Network

Increased Productivity and Innovative Technologies cannot substitute for Proper Planning, Detailed Preparation, Exceptional Employees, and Extraordinary Effort." – Sayings, Alan Trellis, President, Home Builders Network

What's more, Bloomfield Homes co-founder and chairman Don Dykstra leaves us with this note, suggesting in so many instances, it might just be a good idea to catch up with Don:

These aren’t all quotes, but are potential chapter titles for a book i hope to write someday. They are all my sayings / stories with exception of attributed quotes."

First Steps
The Garage Band
Have a Plan that is scalable
Ask for advice
Make money on the Buy
The One House Rule
First Positive aspects, then negative
See the show, don’t be the show
Tee yourself up
Don’t get cute
It’s not medicine, nobody dies
Your legacy is people impacted, not file cabinets filled
Legality vs Morality
Enjoy the journey
Most companies undervalue the Best
Graciously pay commissions and referral fees
Bless Your Heart
Make your money work hard
Pay it forward
Do business with the good people and let everyone else try to screw each other
Ask What new projects are you working on
Deal with decision makers
Be the House not the Player
Be a quiet Contrarian
People are biased towards the current condition
Solicit raw honest perspectives
Fill the gaps
When S… Happens
First, do what you don’t want to do
Run on time
Dealing with the Media
Chase dollars not percentages
Compensation should be aligned with profits
Avoid scheduling recurring meetings as much as possible
Use a payroll service
Likes hire likes - be careful
Interview questions
Your worst employee is mediocre and loyal - from Good to Great book
Go home and think about it
How to fire someone
Stock the office Kitchen - it may be someone’s only meals
Try to meet at other person’s shop
Take advantage of time driving
Know your sound bites before important meetings
Kids having the most fun play harder, whoever plays harder usually wins
The team taking the most shots usually wins
4th quarter is Winning Time - Magic Johnson
Be Quick but Don’t Hurry - John Wooden
Car buying theories - buy less expensive New more often
Say Yes when someone else takes the trouble to plan a trip
In for a nickel, in for a dollar
High Performance Low Maintenance people
Learn from our mistakes
Partnerships
Every Day is a gift
Start and Finish each Day with a prayer

You've made it all the way to the bottom of this story. Which probably means you've thought of some gem you'd want to see added here. Just email me: john@thebuildersdaily.com and we'll make sure to build on this amazing start.