This book is not about management by objectives. And, although I made more than 50 acquisitions for Dunn Construction, you won't read much about financial analysis. I hardly mention discounted cash flow or return on investment (ROI). That doesn't mean these issues aren't important. But there are thousands of books on the market that very effectively address these topics. This book is not that specific. This book is a general treatment of general construction management. You will certainly see a little theory in practice. You might recognize the Peter Principle. You might even see an example of McGregor's theory X and theory Y. But most of what you will read is how I managed a regional highway construction company in the real world. You will see where I made some really good decisions, and you will, no doubt, see where I really messed up. Fortunately, like every good manager, I had a lot more of the former than the latter. If the reader pays particularly close attention, it can be seen that there were times when everything went great against terrible odds. In these cases, I was able to make chicken salad out of a less than appetizing ingredient. Which reminds me that I have tried to keep the profanity to a minimum, as in the previous sentence. However, there are times when words like "bullshit" are so appropriate that they simply can't be avoided. So, I didn't always avoid them. Caveat emptor.
If you are a construction manager, I think you will recognize yourself throughout the book. I am not the only one to have had these experiences. If you are new to business management, you might get some ideas about how to handle difficult people and situations. You will almost certainly learn from my mistakes.
There is one thing I want to state here because I don't address it in the book. I strongly advise every top manager, particularly company officers, to stay out of the gray area. I don't think it's possible to avoid this no-mans-land altogether. But do not live there. It isn't worth the risk. Of course, as a top manager, you must also keep your people out this danger zone. Fortunately, if they see you consistently taking the high road, they will almost always follow suit. So, stay on the high road. You will sleep better. And you will be sleeping at home, in your own bed.
