Hayles and Howe, Inc (H&H) has not escaped the challenges of the
economic downturn that started in the fall of 2008. Like other companies, we have had to adjust
to the new economic reality of fewer projects with more bidders and more
challenging contract terms. Unlike many
of our competitors, we entered the recession in a relatively strong financial
position. Fiscal prudence by management
during the boom times has allowed us to ride out the volatile ride of the past
few years.
At H&H, we
have a management team that tries to act rather than to react to the changing
market. We partner closely with our affiliated company in the UK, Hayles& Howe, Ltd, as well as our outside advisors for
management, financial, legal, HR, technical, safety and risk management advice,
recoginzing that we do not have all the answers in house. We also leverage our relationships with
professional associations for education, training, and networking. And finally, we work with our customers, vendors and subcontractors, all in the
pursuit of providing quality workmanship on time and on budget.
So what is the
value of joining those professional associations? Don’t they just have happy hour and pat each
on the back? That’s not my
experience. I am writing this on an
airplane returning from the CFMA (Construction Financial Management
Association) annual
conference in Orlando, Florida, filled with information learned both in the
classroom and out. I return filled with
pride in how far we have come since I joined H&H in 1999. We now have
processes in place to manage a job from the first sales contact to the final
payment and closeout (and sometimes beyond), and we have a group of people dedicated
to making those processes work to the advantage of the entire project team from
owner to vendor.
Don't get me
wrong. By no means have we perfected our
systems, and I am excited to be able to share the insight I learned in Orlando
with my colleagues and to see how we can continue to challenge ourselves to
perform even better in all areas of our business. It is through this learning process that we
continue to evolve as a company that provides the best to the best by the
best. In future posts, I hope to share
some of the specific insights I gained - and what we do with them - in this
blog.
Until then, let
me close with the lesson I learned from the first conference speaker, Sam
Glenn: "Organizations get better
when the people in them get better - and it all starts with
attitude." At Hayles and Howe,
Inc., we believe that "together, it can be done" - and done
well. Membership in professional
organizations is one important piece in our constant striving to move beyond “good
enough” to “best.”
So what do you
think about membership in organizations?
Do you leverage the knowledge and experience of the members you meet
there? What do you consider your most
valuable association membership – and why?
Joselin R Martin ,CPA, CCIFP is the
Financial Manager of Hayles and Howe, Inc. in Baltimore , MD. She has been a member of the CFMA since xxxx, and currently
serves as Treasurer of the ICCIFP,
a related organization that oversees the CCIFP credential. She is also a member of the MACPA
Board of Directors and a member of the AICPA
Governing Council.
