An old boomer checks out grad school

Recently, I’ve decided it might be a good idea to get a graduate degree in business.

I’ve got a few years left before I become completely irrelevant, and I wanted to pick up a few new tools for the future, improve my understanding of the next generation, etc. etc.

It has been a while since school - Auburn University, Class of 1976. I have not taken any significant number of tests except continuing education, since that date.

However, I felt I had done a good job “keeping up,” that is, until I started prepping for the GMAT. I downloaded a copy of a prep test and said to myself, “Well I ampretty good with math, so I’ll just warm up with a few of those questions…” No problem.

First question: Differential calculus – last used by yours truly in 1975. The next few were considered “higher level math.” I was starting to get that funny feeling in my stomach.

So I switched to the English section. I thought to myself, “Gee, my daughter writes grants for a living and my son is a college English professor so I should do alright here…” That’s what Ithought.

Then it began to sink in why I love the F7 button and spell check. The first question was on the proper diagramming of a sentence. Mmmmm, last time I did this was in Miss Nichols’ class in 1968. I was beginning to struggle here too. So I did what any good executive would do and I Googled “GMAT prep in Atlanta area.”

I then went online to Amazon.com and scanned for “GMAT for Dummies.”  Now we were getting somewhere!

The next day I had breakfast with my good friend John P. who had recently graduated fromEmory University with his Executive MBA. He patiently listened to my tale of woe. His next words changed everything: “Ted,” he said, “I think for you old guys they will waive the GMAT. I’ll check for you.”

Once again these young folks showed me they way. My confidence was reborn!

During the application and interview process I have discovered that the Executive MBA programs available are not only good but great. The Southeast has a wide range of programs to meet varying needs and time schedules. The academic faculty are sharp, efficient, knowledgeable, and dedicated. There are a lot of programs in the Southeast and the curricula are varied and deep. The costs are low compared to the potential benefit.

I have been accepted to attend the three programs that I have applied to. I am now figuring out if my time priorities – family, business, community service – can be correctly managed to take full advantage of the academic programs being considered and also keep my life comfortably unbalanced.

Stay tuned.

Finders, Minders & Grinders

I was recently having lunch with the owner of a large engineering company and he shared with me that his firm currently has only three job types – finders, minders and grinders.

They are described as follows:

The finder brings in the work. We know him/her as the rainmaker.
The minder coordinates tasks and oversees the efforts of others (finders and grinders).
The grinder runs work and makes money which feeds the company and supports the finders & minders.

All of his personnel are required to do at least TWO of these tasks…often simultaneously.

He then went on to share…”Any kid out of college can be a grinder as that is what college trains them to be…however, it is incumbent on each grinder to learn the business of the company and acquire the skills to eventually become a minder. As grinders progress through their careers they should also develop their own network which lays the groundwork for developing the skills of a finder.”

I mention this only so that we ask ourselves heading into the new year….”which two strengths do I bring to (insert company name)?”

To survive in todays economy you need to perform at least two…and the true stars in our industry…consistently do all three.

Jobs’ death a reminder…

Steve Jobs died last week. We were the same age. It is somewhat concerning when one of your age group dies. It is worse when they are younger.

The technology revolution that has been a hallmark of my generation moves along into the next. As I tap out this blog on my iPad, I can reflect on how far we have come. Those things that we dreamt of in the 70′s have become the basics that everyone can use and enjoy. I enjoy telling stories of ” how it used to be” – from paper key punch cards on main frames, to timeshare computers, to the first Apple machines to the broad power I now hold in my hand.

Through it all, constants remain – a reminder that technological advances must still be accompanied by old-fashioned good decision making. Constants such as GIGO (garbage in garbage out); the fact that programming for programming sake without good decision making behind the goals equals piss poor problem solving; computer programmers saying, “Sure, we can do that,” when it’s not necessarily true; data everywhere, overwhelming data, but also difficulty figuring out what it all is leading to.

Even with all of this vast information at our fingertips we have now reached a point where the intuitive mind must force its way forward to form a vision for the future. A vision based on the real world of tangible objects and personal interaction. A world that does not have “ctrl alt del”. Does this make a world of only Luddites? Not in the least. It does however require that decisions be made and leadership formed based on other factors than just technological prowess.

In my business we have witnessed first-hand some customers succumbing to “paralysis by analysis,’ a “dig in and wait” mentality, because of the fear of making a bad decision.

However, success in the future seems to be in the hands of the bold – those individuals who understand that life is short. We search for such leadership, for those whose motto is carpe diem.

New libraries a bright spot…

Despite the negative perception of educational resources in Georgia, many cities and counties (Douglas County, Fulton County and Morgan County, to name a few) are investing in libraries at a time when we need them the most.

Today’s libraries are not your grandparents’ libraries – featuring extensive computer stations and DVD collections as well as modern technology and environmentally-sensitive building materials and design.

Yet this new generation of libraries remains an essential resource to families, students, senior citizens and the unemployed – just as earlier generations of libraries have for centuries. From early childhood reading programs to classes for senior citizens, the library invites all. It is not uncommon to see a student researching an assignment, a person looking for a job, an entrepreneur looking for strategies for a new business and others who just want to be a part of a community in a comfortable low pressure environment.

Though associated with an ages-old product – books – in fact, the new crop of libraries has a very contemporary “draw factor.”

My company recently was privileged to build the Dog River Public Library, aka, “The Library in the Woods” for Douglas County. It is a facility that is literally nestled in the woods and whose beautiful and functional interior design complements – and in the case of a screened-in reading porch with rocking chairs, invites in – its surroundings.

The Dog River library literally grew from the ground to be a part of a lovely area of Georgia. The facility has a sense of strong woods and timber. The rooms are filled with warm inviting colors and materials. Reading a book in this environment reminds me of the warmth of a comfortable cabin on a crisp fall day with a book in hand in front of a fire. It is a place with an undeniable “draw factor”.

These types of facilities are a good use of the public trust. The tax dollars spent are returned over and over again because a more educated citizen equals a more productive citizen. The basic educational level of an area determines what and what type of businesses will locate in an area. The more sophisticated the business the higher the wages and salaries. As goods and services are traded from hand to hand, all benefit.

I recently had the privilege of reading to my grandsons when they were visiting. The oldest is a voracious reader. The middle grandson is just learning to read and the two year old likes pictures. When the oldest first began to read, my wife remarked that he could now be anything that he wanted to be because he could read. A vast work of ideas and opportunities had opened in his life because he could read. As a grandfather, I get to go back and remember when I began to read. There was a joy associating sounds and meanings with something on a page. I had “figured it out.” I remember the assembling and sounding out of the letters until they formed a word and then the word gained meaning. Then the world began to have more meaning. In time I was able to understand my part in the world around me.

Ted Benning is president of Benning Construction Co.

Candid annual report a rare pleasure…

Howard Hughes Corp. sent its annual report out this week . The document wasn’t about aviation or motion pictures (industries with which the late eccentric mogul was associated) but real estate. And yet, it was nonetheless a great – and surprising read. Howard Hughes Corp. is a spin-off of shopping mall owner General Growth Properties and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The company – which emerged last year from the bankruptcy restructuring of General Growth, oversees some of General Growth’s non-retail assets. Most of these types of reports are so full of jargon that they are unintelligible. This was one that was a pleasure to read. It started with an overview from the chairman of the board that was direct, honest and to the point. He stressed the risky nature of real estate investing, outlined his company’s course of action and let everyone know that he personally – as well as his management team – had “skin in the game” (meaning they had their own money invested alongside their investors’ money). It was followed by an equally engaging letter from the CEO.

An old timer once told me that, “Buying land was easy, holding onto it was hard.” He also quoted an old farmer friend that said, “Land was only worth what you could grow on it – beans, corn, tobacco, trees or buildings.” In an age of quick transactions, all measurements being made on short term gains, “capital deployment” in lieu of investment, problems defined as “opportunities” and punishment cast as “incentives,” I enjoyed the rare pleasure of reading a report that spoke of how land was going to be “grown.”

I have no business with Howard Hughes Corp., although I own a few shares of their stock. My point of view is that of an outsider. I hope the best for this company and wish them the best.

At Carmike Cinemas Groundbreaking, BigD is a Big Deal…

Friday May 6th was one of those days where everything just felt right. The weather was beautiful with not a cloud in the sky and a gentle breeze created undulating ripples in the huge white party tent. A red carpet was laid out for all the attendees who were dressed in their Sunday best and travelers waved and honked their horns in acknowledgment as they drove by and everyone was genuinely happy to be in attendance. This was a big deal for the community.

No, this was not a wedding, art festival, fund-raising jazz concert or hospital gala, but a simple ground breaking ceremony for a theater on the side of the road halfway between Lawrenceville and Athens.

Did I mention this was a big deal?

This new state of the art entertainment complex is a very big deal for the residents of Winder, Ga., and was first envisioned by local developers Wayne Bartlett and Rich Combs who, with Carmike Cinemas, recently selected Benning Construction Company to build the new 45,000-square-foot, 12-screen theater on Exchange Blvd on the north side of Hwy 316 near the intersection of Hwy 81 in Barrow County.

This new 12 screen theater will feature wall to wall screens, 3-D DLP Digital technology, custom stadium seating and the latest in 7.1 surround sound as well as Carmike’s newest entertainment experience, The BigD Digital Experience. This custom auditorium will feature a giant wall-to-wall screen 3 stories tall for total cinema immersion. Benning Construction is also underway building a BigD with Carmike in Savannah, Ga.

Wayne Bartlett and Rich Combs, along with Barrow County Commissioner Daniel Yearwood and representatives from Benning Construction, gave a wonderful overview of the project and what it means to the Gateway at University Parkway. Like many local residents, they feel that Barrow County is now large enough for its own state-of-the-art movie theater, and believe this theater is the missing piece of the puzzle that will bring more of the quality retail and restaurants they’ve all been waiting for.

As fuel costs continue to rise, Winder residents will soon be able to go to movies, eat at their favorite restaurant, and shop at their favorite retailers without having to travel to the Gwinnett or Athens area. Many locals we talked to believe this new Carmike Cinema will be the catalyst that will help get their local economy get back on the right path with the creation of 800 new jobs, associated with the theater, future restaurants and associated retail development already in the works.

Yes, this is a big deal…and everything about it feels right.

Benning Construction discovers blogging…

That’s right, Benning Construction Company (BCC) has discovered the power of blogging. As a contributor to the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Real Talk Blog, and some prodding by a few of the younger guys in the office, Ted Benning has realized how important a venue like this can be. So Ted will use this forum to expand on his posts in Real Talk, and maybe even tackle some tougher issues like legislation, regulation, etc.

That prodding from the younger guys, however, comes at a price. They too will  provide insights into the day-to-day opportunites and challenges facing General Contractors. You can expect a weekly post from BCC. Sometimes, there may be a few more than that, but you can always count on one.