#Duckumentary - Sean Timoney

What’s your favorite thing about working on your crew/team? 

My favorite thing about working with my team is the connections formed and the bond that remains when we get through difficult situations together.

If you won the lottery what’s the first thing you would do with your winnings?

If I won the lottery, I’d purchase that fancy Aston Martin SUV that a certain somebody here at EDA cruises around in currently. Then, I’d get a line on his skin care products and dump $20K on that. Once that’s behind us, the next move is a massive property down the shore with 16-19 dogs from the ASPCA.

How do you stay updated on the latest industry trends, technologies and safety protocols?

I have a team of young people scouring the web and earth around the clock for me. We only meet biweekly, but they manage to keep me plugged in.

Outside of work, what are some of your hobbies or interest?

Outside of work hobbies used to include digging myself out of deficits with the wife accrued from working too much. Now, they consist of activities with my wife and daughter to dig myself out of deficits from working too much. If I had the luxury of hobbies, the list would be short… listening to Neil deGrasse Tyson lectures and eating/drinking prodigiously at Tiki bars!

What’s one thing you personally must have with you on a job site?

Coffee and Zyn! I’ll build the building myself with coffee and Zyn. Piloting a program to transition to Tea Tree Oil mint tooth pics and ashwagandha. 

Cat or dogs and why?

I’d say we covered this. All the personalities and difficulties we face daily, at least I can rely on my dogs to have unconditional love and joy for me every single time arriving home. 

What the best piece of advice you have received?

Two phrases or quotes have stuck with me throughout my career:
Don’t sweat the small stuff, at the end of the day, most of it is small stuff.
Early on in my career, I became fixated with everything needing to be perfect. That was fine of course when I was working by myself or with a small crew. As I grew and became a Foreman, so did my crew size and project scales. I went from managing 5-10 people to managing 20, then 50, then 100. I could not have handled this transition without taking a step back and trying to not control every detail and trivial thing. This change allowed me to focus on the big picture and trust people.  When we look back at things with the perspective of time passed and wisdom, most of it ended up being small stuff.

No need for symbolic victories.
This one is something I stole from Dillon Marcus’ Spot-It. Often in our industry, you are faced with “know it all’ types who are either condescending or confrontational. It sets the table for a competitive or combative relationship where you will leave body parts in your wake and stop at nothing to beat this person in the end. Beat them at every change order, make them feel stupid in every meeting. That was the dynamic between GC and subcontractors I was exposed to frequently in my early years, and many of my bosses fostered an environment where our goal was to win in every aspect at all costs. Even before coming to EDA, I knew this was not the goal for me. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than everyone winning. Symbolic victories add no value to your life!

How do you manage stress and maintain a positive mindset in a high-pressure environment like construction?

This is a work in progress. Breathing exercises and occasionally meditating to deal with stress, but I do take it home with me and struggle with being present at times.

Can you share one new thing you’ve learned on the job or a best practice that helps save you time, energy, or keeps you safer on the job?

In construction, and life in general, get ahead of things.  

Is there anything else about you, your family or your home life that you would like to share?

Shamefully I will admit, I physically cannot do yard work or housework without listening to Hamilton. It motivates me! Something about great people doing historically significant things helps play on some type of visceral feeling of underachievement that I carry, and the least I can do is go whack these weeds!