A guide to finding the best fit for your company culture and vision In the first few years of business, we made some errors in hiring staff. It led to wasting time and money and in some cases, reputational damage. We hired based on technical skills, personal connection or the desperate need to fill a gap. Although those people no longer work for us, it had nothing to do with them and everything to do with our hiring process. These people were quality humans with so much to offer the world – they just were the wrong fit for Lyons PM and we found out the hard way. This led to uncomfortable conversations, relationship ruptures, personal stress and pressure on the business. To make it clear, this problem was ours, not theirs. We had to fix things if we wanted to reach our business goals and, to sleep better at night. Why doesn’t someone with all the right skills and experience always work for your business? It comes down to values. Just like any relationship, if you don’t stand on common ground with your fundamental values, eventually the relationship fails. No matter how many great characteristics a person has, the strength of the foundation lays with values. One real example of how the misalignment impacted us. We interviewed for a Project Manager, a position we desperately needed filled. One of the candidates stood out form the rest on paper. Years of industry experience and qualifications coming out of their ears. We quickly set up an interview. During the interview the candidate answered every technical question we had about Construction and Project Management, they were confident and there seemed to be no gaps in their skillset. What a find! Hired immediately. It only took weeks to work out we had made a mistake. This person knew their stuff, generally a nice person and they were friendly with staff and as a rule, fitted into the culture of the business. Outlined below are our values here at Lyons PM verse what was evident in our new staff member. Growth – Of self and others This person politely declined further training opportunities and didn’t offer to help others to build capacity. Rather than forthrightly offer to help contractors overcome an issue for the greater good of the project progressing, they would see it as their problem. Integrity – Genuine, Moral, Fair While this person was not overtly lacking integrity, they would often make comments that were sexist or derogatory. They would only speak to the male manager and not the female CEO in matters of business and employment. As time went on, we realised they were working for another employer at the same time. This could be something that others do to supplement an income but the distraction from our work was obvious and the other employer was unaware. Determination – Working with Purpose and grit This person definitely got the work done and the standard was good. What they did do, is close their computer and walk out the door right on knock off. Waltzing in late was common. We certainly don’t expect people to work above their hours but we all know those people who don’t do a second above and beyond. We love building connections with our clients and driving projects to completion. There was a disconnect with this person whereby the determination to achieve progress was missing. It was just another job. Interviewing is one of the most important and challenging aspects of hiring. Finding someone who has the skills, experience and qualifications for the job is one thing but finding someone who shares your business values and vision, that’s where the gold is for building your business and having long-term valuable team members. Our big question – How can we assess if a candidate is aligned with our core values of Growth, Integrity and Determination? In this blog post, we will share some tips and examples of how to base your interview questions around these values and find the right fit for your company. I promise you that any skill or knowledge you require will eventuate if your team member first holds your values. Growth Growth is a value that reflects our company’s ambition, innovation and continuous improvement. You want to hire someone who is eager to learn, grow and contribute to your business goals. To assess a candidate’s growth mindset, you can ask questions like: What are some of the skills or areas that you are currently working on improving? How do you approach new or unfamiliar tasks or challenges? How do you measure your progress and success in your work? How do you handle feedback and criticism? How do you cope with change and uncertainty? These questions will help you understand how a candidate views their own development, how they deal with obstacles and opportunities, and how they adapt to changing situations. You want to look for someone who is curious, proactive and resilient, and who sees feedback as a way to learn and improve. Integrity Integrity is a value that reflects your company’s honesty, ethics and responsibility. You want to hire someone who is genuine, moral and accountable for their actions and decisions. To assess a candidate’s integrity, you can ask questions like: How do you handle conflicts of interest in your work? How do you communicate and collaborate with others who have different opinions or perspectives from you? How do you balance competing priorities or demands in your work? How do you deal with mistakes or failures in your work? How do you handle confidential or sensitive information in your work? These questions will help you understand how a candidate behaves in different situations, how they respect and value others, and how they take responsibility for their outcomes. You want to look for someone who is transparent, fair and reliable, and who admits and learns from their errors. Determination Determination is a value that reflects your company’s drive, purpose and grit. You want to hire someone who is motivated, committed and goal oriented. To assess a candidate’s determination, you can ask questions like: What are some of the professional or personal goals that you have achieved or are working towards? How do you plan and execute your projects or tasks? How do you overcome challenges or setbacks in your work? How do you handle stress or pressure in your work? What are some of the things that inspire or motivate you in your work? These questions will help you understand how a candidate pursues their objectives, how they manage their time and resources, and how they cope with difficulties and stress. You want to look for someone who is enthusiastic, focused and persistent, and who has a positive attitude and energy. The moment we changed our hiring strategy to interviewing candidates intentionally to find people who share our business values it changed everything. We now have a team who are driven to be their best and help others to do the same. They strive to succeed for our clients and overcome challenges to produce outstanding results. Our return client rate is high and our feedback excellent across the board. Skills can be taught but values are innate and will drive success. Happy interviewing! Katie, Director, Lyons Project Management

Lyons PM most influential Podcasts It’s great to say we should live a balanced life but if we are honest, it’s not that bloody easy! Work, family, financial stress, illness, friends, study, chores and throw in a random drama just when you think life is getting easier. When we do find time, we might prioritise sleep or exercise. Building our own knowledge to advance or assist in our career is last on the list of priorities for most of us. Podcasts are an excellent way to learn and keep relevant and they can fit into your lifestyle. The world of work is constantly changing and evolving, and so are the skills and knowledge required to succeed in it. If you want to stay ahead of the curve and keep up with the latest trends and developments in construction, you need to be proactive and curious about learning new things. One of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to do that is by listening to podcasts. If you’re not into Podcasts yet, they are an audio show that you can download or stream on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Project Management and Construction podcasts are a quick and easy way to learn from experts, thought leaders, and practitioners who share their insights, experiences, and tips. Podcasts are also a great way to discover new ideas, perspectives, and opportunities that can help you grow your business or reach your own goals. Even better, podcasts are free, and you can use them in your own time. Lyons PM’s favourite Construction, Project Management and Business Podcasts: ✔️ People and Projects – Best for Project Management advice Interviews and insights to help you lead people and deliver projects. Listen Here ✔️ The Take Off – Best for Construction progress and best practice Specialist Construction Podcast for the Australian & New Zealand Construction Markets Listen Here ✔️ The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett | Podcast on SpotifyThe Diary of a CEO - Best for all round business and personal inspiration. Stories of the people that have defined culture, achieved greatness and created stories worth studying Listen Here ✔️Master Builders Podcast – Best for technical and compliance in construction Leading industry experts on important issues associated with the National Construction Code and building standards Listen Here ✔️Projectified – Best for learning processes of Project Management The future of project management and processes Listen Here Get started by downloading a Podcast app on your phone and searching for a podcast to start listening.

A personal story of how focusing on our original dream transformed our business Many entrepreneurs start their businesses with a vision of what they want to achieve, but along the way they get distracted by other opportunities or challenges. They end up offering too many services, spreading themselves too thin, and losing sight of their core value proposition. This is what happened to us, until we decided to go back to our roots and focus on our core business: Project Management. Less is More When we started our business, we offered 15 different services, ranging from WHS to business development to system auditing. Our business card was literally covered with a list of dot points about all we had on offer. We thought that by offering more, we would attract more customers and generate more revenue. But we were wrong. We spent three years floundering with no clear processes, small staff, and low-quality jobs that had little room for profit. We were constantly chasing new clients, but we had few loyal clients or referrals. We were working hard, but not smart. Defining our Value Proposition One day, we decided to take a step back and ask ourselves: what was our original dream? Why did we start this business in the first place? The answer was clear: we wanted to be exceptional Project Managers building regional capacity and professionalism. We wanted to help our clients plan, execute, and deliver complex and challenging projects, using our skills, experience, and creativity. We wanted to be the experts in our field, not the jack-of-all-trades. We wanted to do what we loved and what we were good at. We made a decision that at the time felt right but also a little risky: we dropped all the other services and focused on Project Management. We redesigned our business card, our website, and our marketing materials to reflect our new identity. We started to be clear when talking to clients about what we did, rather than rambling on about a long list of services. We started to target the clients who needed our specific expertise and who valued our work. We started to get some significant-sized projects that challenged us and rewarded us. We built processes and systems to support project management. We hired the staff we needed. Our profit increased. Our reputation grew. Our business took off. Defining our core business was one of the smartest decisions we made for our business. It helped us to streamline our operations, improve our quality, and increase our client satisfaction. It also helped us to enjoy our work more, as we were doing what we were passionate about. By focusing on our core business, we were able to drive our success and achieve our vision. If you are looking for a good Project Manager who can oversee your build, Lyons Project Management can help you out. We have the experience and expertise to help you achieve your building goals. Katie, Director, Lyons Project Management Want to Learn more about our team? Meet the Team behind the brand.

How we jumped and landed on our feet. Taking a Leap of Faith and Starting a Business Terry has always been interested in the construction industry. He worked for others as a Draftsman, Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager for 17 years but felt he had more to offer. Terry saw a lot of potential and opportunity in the construction industry, especially in regional NSW, where there was a need for more professionalism and capacity. He dreamed of starting his own business someday, but never thought it was realistic. One day, with an encouraging push, Terry decided to take a leap of faith and follow his instinct. It was the most difficult and exciting decision. We knew we had to take some risks and make some sacrifices. We did a lot of research and planning, to prepare for the challenges and opportunities of running a business. We realised that Terry had something valuable to offer, and that there was a demand for Client-Side Construction Project Management in regional NSW. Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast With 60% of businesses failing in the first 3 years, it’s a pretty big ledge to jump off. There were a few things we did to make the leap as safe as possible. ✔️ Financial Planning : We had to work out what money we needed to survive for 12 months with no incoming work. We fixed our home loan so that our outgoings were consistent. ✔️ Support – Katie was in an Assistant Principal role teaching at the time so this meant we had one consistent income. Any business support would be after hours for her initially. ✔️ Planning – All planning for the business was done on weekends before leaving Terry’s role at the time. This included business plans, insurances, registering a business name, logos, business cards and setting up accounts. ✔️ Respect – Tery gave plenty of notice at his workplace and didn’t leave anyone in the lurch. This paid off down the track when his old boss contracted us for work and still does. Burning bridges in a small town rarely pays off. ✔️ Reducing business costs – Initially the office was set up at home and Terry would visit clients at a coffee shop or their workplace. ✔️ Business growth – As the business grew, Katie was balancing her career during the day and business with Terry at night and weekends. As you can imagine, this was unsustainable as it’s hard to give 100% to 2 jobs. What we learned from the experience Starting a business was not easy. It was challenging, stressful, and exhausting. Lyons PM faced obstacles and setbacks, such as finding clients and managing cash flow. At the beginning you deal with self-doubt, and isolation but also find strength and potential. Taking a leap of faith and starting a business was the most rewarding, albeit challenging, decision we ever made. Leaving your job and starting a business is not for everyone but following your dream and seeing where it takes you is definitely an option worth thinking about. How did an Assistant Principal decide that starting an entirely new career and running a Construction Project Management Business happen? Well, that’s a whole other story for another time.

Save time, money and stress by letting the experts handle your building project Hire a Construction Project Manager or do it yourself? If you are planning to build or renovate for your organisation, you might be tempted to manage it yourself rather than hire a project manager. After all, you know what you want and you have a budget in mind! But do you have the time and energy to deal with contracts, trades, architects, council approvals, building codes, safety regulations, and unexpected issues? Can you afford to take time from your own job to run a project? If you answered no to any of these questions, then you should consider hiring a Project Manager. The bigger the project, the more risk involved. A Project Manager is a professional who oversees and coordinates all aspects of your building project, from design to completion. They act as your representative and advocate, ensuring that your project is delivered on time, on budget and to the quality you expected. ✔️ Benefits of Contracting a Project Manager rather than doing it yourself It lets you get on with running your own business. You don't have to worry about the day-to-day details of your project, such as scheduling, ordering, invoicing, supervising and troubleshooting. You can focus on your core activities and leave the rest to the PM. ✔️ A qualified PM to deal with building contracts, plans and specifications. A PM has the expertise and experience to negotiate and manage contracts with contractors, architects, engineers and other parties involved in your project. They can review and interpret plans and specifications and ensure that they meet your requirements and expectations. ✔️ Experts to inspect your project for progress and quality, ensuring the contractors are following plans correctly and building to the Building Code of Australia standards. A PM has the skills and tools to monitor and control the quality and progress of your project. They can conduct regular inspections and audits to identify and resolve any issues or defects that may arise. They can also ensure that the contractors are complying with the relevant building codes, standards and regulations. ✔️ Have a knowledgeable eye look over all of the claims on your project to make sure you are only paying for work that has been completed. A PM can verify and validate the claims and invoices submitted by the contractors and ensure that you are only paying for the work that has been done according to the contract terms and conditions. They can also help you avoid any disputes or conflicts that may arise from payment issues. ✔️ Safety experts to check on and report on site safety to reduce the chance of injury associated with your project. A PM can ensure that your project is conducted in a safe and secure manner, and that the contractors are following the best practices and procedures for site safety. They can also provide you with regular reports and updates on the safety performance and status of your project, and alert you of any potential risks or hazards. ✔️ Project Managers go into bat for you with Council, Architects and Trades if things go wrong then we have all the technical jargon sorted so you don’t have to. A PM can act as your liaison and mediator with the various stakeholders and authorities involved in your project, such as council, architects, engineers, contractors and suppliers. They can communicate and coordinate effectively with them and handle any issues or problems that may arise. They can also translate and explain the technical jargon and terminology that may be used in your project, and make sure that you understand and agree with everything that is happening. Saving you a lot of Time and Stress! As you can see, hiring a PM can save you a lot of time, money and stress, and ensure that your project is a success. A PM can provide you with peace of mind, confidence and satisfaction, and help you achieve your vision and goals. So, if you are thinking of building or renovating, consider using a Project Manager. Katie, Director, Lyons Project Management Want to meet our Project Managers? Meet the Team behind the brand.

Waterproofing: A Key Factor for a Successful Build Building a new home or renovating an existing one can be an exciting and rewarding process. However, there are also many challenges and risks involved, and one of them is waterproofing. Time and time again Lyons PM see issues with poorly executed waterproofing. Waterproofing is the process of applying a protective layer or membrane to prevent water from penetrating into the structure and causing damage. Waterproofing is essential for any wet area in your home, such as bathrooms, kitchens, laundries, balconies, and basements. In this blog, we will explain why good waterproofing matters when building and what are the Australian standards for waterproofing. Engaging a Project Manager can add a layer of expertise to ensure your Project, including waterproofing, is completed properly. The Benefits of Good Waterproofing Good waterproofing can provide many benefits for your home, such as: ✔️ Preventing water damage: Water can cause serious problems for your home, such as mould, rot, corrosion, structural weakening, and electrical hazards. Water damage can also affect the appearance and value of your home, as well as your health and comfort. By waterproofing your wet areas, you can avoid these issues and save money on repairs and maintenance. ✔️ Enhancing durability: Waterproofing can extend the lifespan of your building materials and finishes, such as tiles, grout, paint, plaster, and wood. Waterproofing can also protect your home from weather conditions, such as rain, humidity, and temperature changes. By waterproofing your home, you can ensure that it will look good and function well for years to come. ✔️ Improving aesthetics: Waterproofing can improve the look and feel of your wet areas, as it can prevent stains, cracks, leaks, and dampness. Waterproofing can also create a smooth and even surface for your tiles, paint, and other finishes. By waterproofing your home, you can create a beautiful and comfortable space for yourself and your family. The Australian Standards for Waterproofing Waterproofing is not a DIY job, as it requires skill, experience, and compliance with the Australian standards. The Australian standards for waterproofing are set by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) and Standards Australia. These standards provide guidelines and specifications for waterproofing materials, methods, and quality control. The main standard for waterproofing of domestic wet areas is AS 3740-2010, which covers the following aspects: ✔️ Shower floors must be fully waterproofed and shower walls must be waterproofed up to a height of 1,800 mm. ✔️ Bathroom walls must be waterproofed up to a height of 150 mm. ✔️ The step down from the shower to the floor must be waterproofed to a height of at least 100 mm. If the bathroom is not on the ground floor, the entire bathroom floor must be waterproofed. ✔️ If the bathroom floor contains any wood, the entire bathroom floor must be waterproofed. These, and many more, standards are designed to ensure that your wet areas are properly sealed and protected from water ingress and leakage. Failing to comply with these standards can result in defective work, warranty issues, and legal disputes. Therefore, it is important to hire a qualified and licensed waterproofing contractor who can follow the Australian standards and deliver a high-quality job. Waterproofing is a crucial factor for a successful build, as it can prevent water damage, enhance durability, and improve aesthetics. Waterproofing is also a regulated activity that requires adherence to the Australian standards. Therefore, it is advisable to hire a professional waterproofing contractor who can provide you with a reliable and compliant service. If you are looking for a good Project Manager who can oversee the waterproofing and other aspects of your build, LyonsPM can help you out. We have the experience and expertise to help you achieve your building goals. Katie, Director, Lyons Project Management Want to Learn more about our team? Meet the Team behind the brand.

Meet the Team At Lyons Project Management, our strength lies in the diverse expertise and dedication of our team. With over 150 years of combined experience, we are proud to introduce the individuals who drive our success and ensure outstanding results for our clients. Terry Lyons Director, Project Manager Terry, with over two decades in construction and an MBA, founded Lyons Project Management to deliver exceptional project management services. Katie Lyons Director and CEO Katie transitioned from the education sector to construction and excels in contract administration with a keen eye for detail and quality. Jono Aloe Program Manager and Senior Project Manager Jono’s expertise in large commercial projects and problem-solving skills make him a key asset to our team. Wayne Gale Senior Project Manager With 35 years in the industry, Wayne brings proactive management and extensive qualifications to our projects. Emerie Anonical Project Manager Emerie’s engineering skills and commitment to high standards contribute significantly to our success. Andrew Fenwick Project Manager Andrew’s 35 years of construction experience focus on cost-effective delivery and client satisfaction. Brian Irvin Senior Project Manager Brian’s 34 years in project management ensure superior results and client success. Trent Simmons Project Manager - Safety Officer Trent’s emphasis on customer relationships and safety drives quality results in our projects. Justin Brame Project Manager / construction manager Justin has a diverse project & portfolio and has significant knowledge in construction and contracts. Em Ross Contract Administrator Em’s skills in contract administration and financial management are vital to our operations. Kurt Davenport Contract Administrator Kurt’s meticulous work ethic and ongoing project management studies ensure quality outcomes. At Lyons Project Management, our team’s diverse skills and shared passion for delivering excellence are what set us apart. We are committed to providing professional, reliable, and innovative project management solutions to our clients. We look forward to working with you and achieving great success together! The Lyons Team