Making an IMPACT: The Core Values of CCB

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In the summer of 2019, CCB’s Leadership Team sat down for an overhaul of our company values. This isn’t to say that our former values were not important - they’ve now been intertwined with our current ones - but the team felt it was necessary to refocus what the company stands for, and what we look for in the people we hire.

These new values form the acronym IMPACT, which was by design. Everything we do at CCB is geared towards making an impact in the lives of our clients, our partners, and our employees. These values were meticulously selected and will be a driving force that propels CCB into the future.

INSPIRING

A short definition for INSPIRING would be “choosing your attitude to motivate others”, but it truly means much more than that.

Each day, we get to decide how we show up for work, and the attitude we carry throughout the day. That choice will impact not only ourselves but everyone around us. A positive attitude is such a difference-maker – it’s contagious, and it allows us and others to build confidence in both personal and professional aspects.

MENTORING

As we were considering “M” words for our new core values, we debated management, motivation, and mindfulness. They’re generally good words, have high intent, and sparked good conversation. Then mentoring was suggested – it was the perfect word, at the perfect time.

Lindsay Fernandez even offered the phrase, “no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” Mentoring is simply a process to transfer knowledge relevant to work, career, or professional development. It’s critical to our future success, and we’re committed to it.

CCB has long benefited from employees whose tenure isn’t counted in years but in decades. Those laborers, carpenters, foremen, superintendents, and office staff can pass on vast amounts of knowledge and best practices to the next wave of men and women who join our team.

PARTNERSHIP

As we gathered to discuss updating and confirming our core values, the idea of “partnership” was brought up almost immediately. Everyone was on board with the concept, it just needed definition. For decades, CCB has aimed to be a partner to clients, not just a vendor. It’s a different mindset – it’s about shared success, not just compensation.

Being a partner demands a level of commitment that can’t be imagined or achieved as just a vendor. Michael Jordan said, "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships." That same smart, intentional approach extends to and among our office staff, field crew, trusted subcontractors, and suppliers as we strive to build strong, mutually beneficial, long-lasting partnerships.

Each time we can offer innovative solutions and be proactive, our role as a trusted advisor is confirmed, and our reputation as a creative problem solver grows stronger. Clearly, not every business relationship can become a partnership. However, we strive to identify those that can and take the necessary steps to form that bond.

ACCOUNTABLE

Being ACCOUNTABLE reduces stress and fosters a positive, results-driven environment. It doesn’t mean being perfect, but owning your actions and choices.

Our task-driven assignments are critical to our success, and it’s our responsibility to give clarity of purpose for the work being done. With accountability as a CCB core value, our team will be more intentional to communicate “the big picture”, which will, in turn, improve outcomes on all jobs.

CONSTRUCTIVE

Among CCB’s core values, CONSTRUCTIVE is simply, “be a positive force.” We each have the opportunity every day to lift people up. That boost could be for our neighborhood, a not-for-profit, church, or social service agency that we support, a client, a co-worker, a vendor, or friend – anyone you contact throughout the day. Almost every moment of every day is an opportunity to be someone’s champion. Our impact on them may be the best part of their day – it boosts your attitude, reflects your values, and builds your character.

As builders, we risk limiting our view of what “constructive” can mean. Certainly, in our world, it means to create. We bring constructive solutions – or at the very least, steps toward solutions – to our clients every day. Even if we’re hired to demo a space or building, it’s still constructive as that client moves toward a goal. But as a core value, it’s about encouraging development. That could be physical, mental, emotional, or otherwise. If you are a constructive member of a community, you are a positive force, interested in building up and improving your community.

Constructive is a forward concept. It’s not stagnant, and certainly not regressive. In our minds, the most critical ingredient to moving forward is the attitude you start with. Every day, we get to choose our attitude. The trickle-down effect from that single choice will likely drive the day’s results more than any other action we take. Be grateful, be helpful, and be constructive.

TOGETHER

As a business, CCB has the functions and personnel necessary to stay organized and moving forward – accounting, support, marketing, etc. But as a construction company, the two departments unique to our industry and the heartbeat of our company are project management and field operations.

In a perfect world, these two areas ebb and flow with precision and grace. However, the world is NOT perfect. We are constantly finding new ways to improve how these twoOur goal is to hire smartly so when challenges pop up, our talent and experience take over and lead to good outcomes. All of that – combined with the important departments mentioned before – is what it looks like to work TOGETHER!


Employee Spotlight: Celebrating Jan Linne's 32 Years at CCB!

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Thirty-two years ago, CCB hired Jan Linne as a Project Assistant and was assigned to then CCB Owner & Founder, Chuck Brandt. We sat down with Jan to gain a little insight into what her life was like at the time of her hiring, how she’s evolved as a professional over the years, and what her advice would be to those who’ve just recently started at CCB.

Jan Linne, Accounts Payable & Payroll

When did you start at CCB and what was your life like at the time?  It was the Dark Ages of 1989. I was single, just purchased my first house and ready to be a real grown-up.

What did you want to be when you were growing up and how did that change as you got older?  Deep down inside I wanted to be an Egyptian archeologist, but obviously that didn’t pan out. History did and still does fascinate me. I didn’t really have a specific direction at the time – my dad died when I was 16 and I think I was floundering a bit. I had gotten my first job at a Holiday Inn to get started and things evolved from there. 

Who were some of your first colleagues/mentors when you started at CCB?  I have to say my first, best mentor was Chuck Brandt. I started as a project assistant and was assigned to Chuck (or WCBJ as we knew him then). What a ride! He was always working at warp speed, resulting in lost glasses and calculators – which I spent a lot of time looking for. But he was the best boss I ever had, and he taught me tons about the construction industry, marketing, and property development – which I desperately needed coming from the guest services industry. I can’t swear to it, but I think CCB did a construction job at the hotel I was working at in the mid-70s. I’m sure I ran across project info for that in my journey here. It seems CCB and I were meant to be together.

What was a challenging moment for you working at CCB?  Back to Chuck – keeping him on schedule. He was always running late for something, and I had to keep him on track and on task so he wasn’t as late as he could have been. My one trick he never knew about was I moved the clock in his office ahead 15 minutes. That helped to some degree.

What is your most memorable moment at CCB?  I think celebrating my 30-year anniversary in January of 2019. I mean that’s a lot of years! Thanks to Mark Perry and Katie Baker for making it so memorable and for my 30-year award plaque in my office. 

What lessons has working at CCB taught you, and what advice would you give to employees that have started working at CCB in the last few years?  CCB is a great company and like a fine wine gets better with age. I love the hard work, the commitment, the dedication to doing a job well, the honesty & integrity of all employees, and the family feel of the company. I simply cannot imagine working for some huge corporate giant where no one knows anyone else. If you ascribe to these values, you will go as far as you want for as long as you want at CCB.

Jan, we thank you for all your hard work, your commitment to CCB, and the positive IMPACT you’ve brought to both our employees and our clients. You truly are an inspiration to us all!