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Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Fear, loathing, hope and change


Today, Election Day in the U.S., will probably bring about change. Not everyone in the construction industry is happy about where that change is taking things -- I sense leaders within the various chapters of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), advocating the merit shop, are wary of union support of the Democrats and Barack Obama (and even more afraid of state and local shifts, which could muck up long-held political alliances.)

Meanwhile, fear stalks the halls of many developers and real estate investment organizations; with equity vanishing, and borrowing virtually impossible, some of these businesses are seeing their cash reserves dwindle to dangerously low levels; and of course, if they are forced into liquidation, more 'fire sale' properties will come on the market, depressing things further.

Gloom, doom . . . but maybe hope and change.

The famous cliche that "Crisis is the Word for Opportunity" applies here to many people who understand that when the status-quo is upset, when staid and established and self righteous leaders are put in their place, new approaches and ideas come to the surface. Not all of these are healthy -- we need to remember how the Nazis took over in Germany in the 1930s. But much good comes out of so-called hard times; people with talent, determination, and perseverance rise to the challenge, and do okay, sometimes really well.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mark-
The picture you choose for this post quickly caught my attention on this morning, but your thoughts compelled me to write. The “crisis is the word for opportunity” quote rings so true in these times. It is through hardship that we can refocus on that which is truly important, both personally and in business. We get back to the core of that which we love and live for, similar to your many posts on the intersection of doing what you are good at and what you enjoy doing. I am optimistic about the future, hopeful that the worst is over and that now we begin rebuilding our businesses and companies in an ever changing world.
Tim

Construction Marketing Ideas said...

Tim, thanks for your insightful comment. What appear to be difficult times are often times of new beginnings and revitalization if you are ready for the changes required.