Jim Britton

Vice President, PM, Cumming, Fort Mill, SC

“You have to manage and communicate with everyone as an individual to make sure they feel supported and comfortable.”

Have your daily tasks and/or role changed as a result of the impacts of COVID-19?

My focus has changed and now I’m looking more at what’s going on behind the scenes. We’re looking closely for the pink elephant, so to speak — for example, will there be a shortage of concrete? And there is more forecasting and scheduling involved now, so I’ve been helping the team in those areas. Documentation is always important, but even more so now, including formal and specific reports of the potential impacts of the virus.

Have you experienced any supply chain issues? If so, how are you dealing with those?

Potentially we will — everyone will — but there haven’t been any issues as of yet. We see concrete being potentially impacted and LVT is manufactured in Korea, so we are concerned about those items specifically. We’re focused on mitigating the impacts, documenting everything, and protecting the client and the project.

How is morale? Any insight into how to maintain team member morale during a time like this?

Our team is showing the full range of responses. Some of our team members are scared, others are barely bothered. You have to manage and communicate with everyone individually to make sure they feel supported and comfortable.

Do you see the industry’s approach to construction changing over the long term in response to some of the lessons we’ve learned during this crisis?

Absolutely. There will be a new normal that comes into effect. There will be more virtual meetings, for one thing, and I think shaking hands are a thing of the past.

Are there any particular people or companies you feel deserve a shout-out due to their extraordinary efforts in navigating this situation?

The office and the team have done a fantastic job. Everyone is taking it very seriously. The leadership of our company and all the companies we work with have been great. We all want to work, we all want to be safe, and so everyone has been working together to find the best way through this.

2020-04-01T12:20:40-07:00
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