Is a Contractor’s Culture All That Important?

Thinking About Culture?

Company culture isn’t necessarily one of those things that are top of mind for most contractors. It’s not a topic that naturally drives conversation over a lunch break. We have heard it is important. We know it’s important. But is it really as important as worksite safety? Project efficiency? Scheduling? or Budgeting? Or is it something we think just naturally happens? And in the end, don’t our employees just want a good job? Fair wages? Career opportunity?

Do our clients care? As long as the work gets done right, on time, and on budget – isn’t that what matters? And seriously, when was the last time you got an RFP asking for a company culture description?

Well, what we found out in our recent rebranding effort was that “few things are as important-and as difficult to grasp- as an organization’s culture.” And attention to a company culture isn’t just for companies like Google, Apple, BMW, and Southwest Airlines. It’s valuable to all kinds of companies. Even us contractors.

What’s Culture Anyway?

There have been numerous books and research articles written about company culture. They all promote the importance and value of culture. What it is. How to create it. And how to change it. Defining it can sometimes be complex, if not confusing. However it’s actually pretty simple. What we learned in our branding work was a very straightforward definition.

Culture is simply behavior.

It is how people engage with each other. And how people treat one another. How leadership leads. And how employees conduct themselves with clients. It is how a company lives out its purpose and promise. Simply put, culture is at the core of how the company works.

Is There Tangible Value to Culture?

There is plenty of evidence that points to the value of a company’s culture. Higher engagement. More productivity. Greater self-fulfillment. Inspired thinking. And, according to Gallup Research, a positive culture can lead to a stronger connection to tangible results.

Of course, culture has proven to be a factor in attracting and keeping high-value employees. In today’s environment, employees are looking for more than just a good job. They are looking for a good fit. Employees who fit the company culture have the greatest potential to become the strongest advocates for the brand. Clients are also finding that a good cultural fit with a company they hire has its benefits. Projects with teams that are a good cultural fit run smoother and more efficiently, have better communication, and foster a positive relationship of success. That behavior can be an invaluable differentiator over and beyond what’s tangibly produced.

How Does Brand Fit In?

In our brand work, we soon learned how essential the connection between brand and culture was. A clear understanding of the brand that everyone understood and embraced fostered a culture that would effectively deliver on its vision and brand promise.

“The most successful organizations don’t see culture building as a stand-alone initiative. Instead, they develop a culture with the aim of bringing the company purpose to life and creating a brand that uniquely meets customers’ needs.” Gallup

This suggests that committing to and reinforcing the organization’s culture will yield brand-reinforcing results—in other words, real, tangible competitive advantages and market value.

What About OUR Culture?

Listening is Learning. We knew how vital it was to involve all our employees in our rebranding project. Their voice needed to be heard. And they needed to feel they had a role in defining the brand. After all, they would be responsible for bringing the brand to life. What we learned through an internal survey was what we intuitively knew. We valued family. We were about collaboration. And we thrived most in an inspiring environment. That’s a culture we are particularly proud of. And that came from our staff.

Culture is Built on Values. While culture is behavior, it is values that guide that behavior. At PMG, we have strived to live up to five values regarding how we work together and with our clients.

These were the values that we fostered to guide the behavior that has led to our culture of Inspiring Family-Like Collaboration.

Do Clients Care?

The question remains: Do our clients care about cultural fit with the contractors they work with? Of course, performance and prices are going to be top of mind. However, not taking cultural fit into account might be a costly mistake. Wouldn’t it be easier to work with someone who shares the same values around quality? Isn’t integrity and honesty important in building a collaborative relationship? And why wouldn’t a “can-do” attitude get the best results?

Cultural fit does matter. Projects are complicated enough. There are risks, challenges, and problems. Cultural fit won’t solve everything. But cultural fit can help ensure that everyone is on the same page, working together, and with a common goal. That’s our philosophy at PMG. Our culture of Inspiring Family-like Collaboration binds us together as a company and is foundational to our approach to building relationships built on trust, integrity, quality, and good open communication.

Values guide behavior. Behavior builds culture. Culture inspires and motivates. And that’s why culture matters. It’s the better way forward. That’s progress!

Looking for the Right Contractor?

4 Things You Might Overlook

"Before I started PMG Construction, I worked for an energy company that hired architects and contractors for their various projects. It was great exposure to the owner's side of things and I often refer back to that experience and try to put myself in our customer's shoes." Jason Bryant, Founder + CEO

The Anxiety of Choice

The relationship between the contractor, end-user client, and architect can sometimes be frustrating if not adversarial. Even with the best of intentions. According to a survey by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) cost overruns, keeping on schedule, quality of work, and poor communications were the most common complaints. In our internal survey, we found that cost, scheduling, and reliability were key pain points. These among other issues add to the anxiety associated with selecting a contractor you can count on. It’s undoubtedly a challenge. Of course there’s budget. And then you have to consider capabilities, experience, licensing, insurance, and performance as just a few of the many considerations. But have you overlooked something? Maybe there is more to consider.

Customer First Isn’t Just a Slogan

It’s not news that “putting the customer first” is just good business. Everyone acknowledges how important customer service is but it seems to have lost its luster. This is especially true with technology undermining the personal touch in customer service. In the construction industry, we are all striving for the best quality, at competitive pricing, and timely delivery. But there is more to a project than just doing the work. Customer expectations continue to grow. They expect more attention to customer service and relationship building — and are willing to pay a premium for it.

“Nearly 70% of people would spend more money with a company that has excellent customer service.” Ameritas — Why Good Customer Service is Important

We have found, that delivering on the customer experience is as much about the intangibles as it is the actual work. For example, we think that Communication, Transparency, Collaboration, and Personalization are 4 key cornerstones of an exceptional cllent-contractor relationship. This is why we believe these are important considerations in evaluating and selecting the right contractor for your job.

Don’t Overlook These Contractor Attributes

1. COMMUNICATION

One of the top complaints about contractors doing tenant improvement work is a lack of communication.

“62% of the respondents in the AGC survey reported communication issues with contractors as a major source of frustration.” Associated General Contractors of America

Whether it’s not responding to emails in a timely manner or failing to provide updates on the progress of the project, poor communication can lead to misunderstandings, delays, and a breakdown in trust between the parties involved. And it’s more than simply staying on top of project logistics. It’s about building and maintaining the relationship. And, let’s be honest. It’s not that hard. Today’s technology makes it infinitely easy to stay in touch, be proactive, and follow up promptly.

When considering a contractor for your project it’s fair to ask: “How are you promoting good communication and how has it contributed to a better end result?“

2. TRANSPARENCY

It’s fair to say that construction is not the only industry that has a reputation for not being fully transparent. Automotive, financial, and telecommunications have all struggled with transparency. And any failure in transparency will only lead to mistrust. One of the key pain points in construction is a lack of price transparency. And that often means budget overruns and the impression that the contractor can’t manage costs effectively. Plus a lack of scheduling transparency can also be frustrating. Nobody likes surprises and in construction that’s usually bad news.

“Forty-eight percent of the AGC survey felt contractors were not transparent in their pricing leading to unexpected costs”

Transparency is what builds trust and confidence. As a contractor, we need to acknowledge and support what a client expects. It is the basis of a relationship that can well outlive the life of any given project.

Ask the contractors that you are considering — “What is your approach to transparency and how can we be assured that it’s something we can rely on?”

3. COLLABORATION

So much more can be accomplished by working in collaboration. It is a benefit to both contractors and to their clients. It just makes sense to take advantage of a diversity of skills, experience, and perspectives. But sometimes collaboration gets lost in the relationship between the contractor, client, and architect. That’s unfortunate. Because that’s when collaboration can make a difference in how smooth a project works. Everyone should be working towards the same goal. Collaborating to solve problems along the way will lead to a better result. And solidify the working relationship.

“Sixty four percent of workers claim that poor collaboration is responsible for three or more lost hours of productivity per week.” Gallup

Collaboration within the contractor’s team is essential. But collaboration between all stakeholders in the project will help ensure efficiency, quality, and cost-effectiveness.

Be sure to ask a potential contractor — “What measures do you take to foster a collaborative working relationship among all parties throughout the life of the project?”

4. PERSONALIZATION

We sometimes forget that clients are consumers, too. Consumers prefer companies that strive for a personalized approach to the products and services they provide. People just naturally want special attention.

Seventy-one percent of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions. And seventy-six percent get frustrated when this doesn’t happen. McKinsey & Company Next in Personalization Report

Construction companies need to take note. Personalization is as relevant in our industry just as much as it is in retail or other industries. It’s just human nature that people want personal attention. They want to know that their unique problem or need is being treated with equal care and attention. In construction, no two projects are the same. A personalized approach recognizes what makes the project different. And that will be reflected in how the work is performed. A personalized approach will signal to the client that everything is being done to meet, if not exceed, their unique needs.

Make sure you ask contractors under consideration — “How do you go about personalizing the relationship between our two companies?”

Choosing the Right Construction Partner

At PMG we have learned how valuable the client relationship is in ensuring the best possible project results. The hard part of any project is doing the actual work. The easy part is providing exceptional customer service. There is no reason not to provide good communication, full transparency, teamlike collaboration, and personalized attention. It’s not that hard. It just takes the will and commitment. it can make or break a project which is why they are legitimate issues for whoever is being considered for your project. At PMG we believe they are so essential that they are imbedded in our brand culture, values, and mission.

The more you learn, the more you know, the better decisions you make. That’s progress!

A Brand to Build On

The Rebranding Story of PMG Construction

Ten Years in the Making

In 2014 we launched PMG Construction (Progress Management Group). We saw an opportunity for a quality dedicated contractor to service the growing tenant improvement market. Over the last ten years, we worked hard to establish a solid reputation with small landlord and property management clients. We gained more experience, added expertise, built capability, and fostered an internal culture of collaboration. But in 2020 Covid changed everything.

Farewell to the Traditional Office

According to the Pew Research Center about a third of U.S. Workers who can work from home now do so all the time. An Upwork study projects that 22% of the American workforce will be remote by 2025. And Colorado has the highest proportion of remote workers according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The hybrid work environment has now become commonplace and is here to stay.

“The offices of the past were more about surveillance than collaboration. But the future isn't about cramming as many cubicles as possible into the square footage but rethinking the space with the user experience in mind.” (Why the Traditional Office is Dead, July 20, 2023 Forbes)

In a post-Covid work environment companies are rethinking their approach to office design. Hybrid working is on the rise. And the concept of an office is changing. Employee expectations of the office experience is driving creativity and innovation. In fact, creativity is one of the top 4 reasons that employees are attracted back to the office. Companies now place equal importance on the quality of "work-life" experience just as much as efficiency and functionality.

More is expected from architects, designers, and contractors to deliver on high-end work environments.

Change Drives Progress

At PMG we knew that these changes in the workplace were an opportunity. It was time for us to take the next step. We expected more growth in the higher-end, more complex, and lucrative tenant end-user segment that would cater to new work-life expectations. And now was the time to reposition our brand. We needed to build awareness and trust with architects, designers, and clients. The change needed to be more than evolutionary. It was time to break into a new category. And our brand needed to reflect that.

Branding Is More Than a Logo

Branding isn't necessarily top of mind for most contractors. But it is equally important for contractors as much as brands like Apple, AT&T, or BMW. Brand is often simply seen as a logo and other forms of visual expression. But the core of branding is driven by vision, mission, and other strategic dimensions of what the brand stands for. The role of the logo is to reinforce these brand attributes. It must have a purpose. And it must be relevant to what the company does and the industry it is in. And, at PMG, we needed to ensure our brand would be relatable to our target market. Defining brand character is how we did that. It was the cornerstone of how we rebuilt our brand.

It is brand character that reinforces the perceptions that people associate with the brand. The old PMG logo was perceived to be traditional, conservative, and formal. It was time for a change in character. The rebrand perceptions needed to shift to reinforce creativity, progress, and welcoming engagement. The new identity needed to be built around simple, clean, modern, structure, and bold attributes. An internal staff survey helped define these reinforcing attributes with the aid of architectural and graphic image stimuli.

The character attributes for brand expression distilled down into one core idea — Clear Gritty Sophistication. This reinforces our strategic platform while creating category distinction. This one idea is what drove the design of our new logo.

Signalling Change

We knew that in rebranding PMG needed to send a strong signal of change. The identity that had served us so well over 10 years had to transform and align with its new market positioning. A new identity needed to connect and resonate with an expanded category of clients and designers. We needed to change the logo, typography, symbol mark, and all of the other identity elements to create a holistic look and feel.

It was essential that our identity be distinctive. We needed to stand apart from our traditional competitors. But we also had to establish distinction among a broader category of new competitors. On one hand it was important to retain any recognition equity. On the other hand there has to be noticable change that would reinforce the PMG brand of the future. And still maintain credibility within the construction industry.

Design with a Story

Logo design is more than just aesthetics. It must have meaning and purpose. Meaning and purpose provide relevance. And it opens the opportunity to tell a story about the brand that creates engagement and connection. Meaning and purpose-built into the logo will build stronger awareness, recognition, and retention.

The new PMG logo was designed around six "brand reinforcing ideas".

1. Interior environments is what PMG builds is a tenant finish contractor. The goal is to bring business to life as envisioned by interior designers and architects.

2. Space is multi-dimensional, a characteristic of the skills and expertise of PMG.

3. Perspective is what drives vision and foresight.

4. Collaboration among the PMG team, clients, designers, and partners is what it takes to get a job done.

5. Warmth is an important characteristic associated with welcoming engagement.

6. Direction is what points the way forward. Advancement leads to progress.

   • These are the core ideas that are imbedded in the PMG logo. They provide a "brand story" that makes the brand relatable and distinctive.

Putting the System to Work

System consistency and continuity is what drives brand recognition. For that to work the system has to be able to adapt to all kinds of applications. Each touch point matters. Every detail is important. Managing it long term is what builds brand equity.

A Story Worth Telling

A rebrand is a unique promotional opportunity. But people need to know about it to take full advantage of a positioning change. A brand launch strategy is essential to inform and educate clients about the "what" and "why" around the change. It's important to communicate that the rebrand is not just a "fresh coat of paint." There is meaning and purpose behind every design decision. This not only reflects on the rebrand work but the company behind it. It's a great story to tell.

Driven by People. Delivering on the Promise.

Our rebranding work has been launched. Our look has changed. But now we have to deliver on what our brand promises.

We are confident that the progress we have made will exceed what our clients expect.