Why?
That’s an important question to ask of anything. And if there isn’t a good answer — if, say, the response is, “That’s just the way we’ve always done it,” — well, then perhaps some changes are needed.
One of this month’s featured contractors made me think of this concept of “Why?” Of the importance of interrogating the reason behind something and not accepting the status quo simply for the sake of accepting it.
Travis Brewer, owner of Brewer Sewer in the Seattle area, is a person who asks, “Why?” And because of that he has an impressive custom-built lining truck that has significantly improved the productivity and efficiency of his company’s pipe rehab operations. Brewer Sewer’s bottom line is better because Brewer looked at existing lining setups and didn’t accept that those were the only options available to him. He instead decided to come up with an alternative. Something that would work better for his company.
The core design principle of Brewer’s lining truck is that everything is on retractable reels. Rather than pull up to a job and have a ton of equipment and material to unload first before even beginning to prep a liner, the Brewer Sewer two-person lining crew is ready to go in minutes. Everything simply pulls right off the truck.
“When the truck pulls up, as soon as the door opens we’re ready to roll,” Brewer says. “I had efficiency in mind. That was a huge driver in this. We wanted to solve the big problem we saw in residential lining of setup just taking so long. … I can’t believe people don’t invest in building more efficient trucks. Some people are still rolling equipment out of the back of a van.”
You can read up on all the details of the Brewer Sewer lining truck in the profile story in this issue.
History is filled with people who asked, “Why?” Remember when basketball was a game where players shot with their feet firmly planted to the ground? It seems ridiculous now to think of that version of it. But that was how the game was played for four decades before the jump shot emerged in the 1940s. Kenny Sailors is widely credited with its development, perfecting it as a teenager in order to be able to shoot over his older brother. Kenny said — and I’m paraphrasing — “This is dumb. I can’t get a shot off. Why do we do it like this again? Why don’t I kind of jump and shoot? Yeah, that’s way better.”
Jeff Galloway is another person who comes to mind because as I’m writing this, I just read the news that he passed away. For those not familiar with Galloway, he was a major figure in the sport of running. An Olympian in 1972, his biggest claim to fame was through his training methods. He created the popular run-walk-run approach to training for and completing a marathon. Basically, by mixing in regular, short walking intervals, you’ll be less fatigued and faster overall than if you attempt to only run. For decades now, it has helped amateur runners finish marathons more effectively. It’s not the most obvious conclusion. How can walking be faster than running? It required Galloway to examine the common training practices of his time and ask, “Why? Is there a better way?”
My hope is that you can do the same wherever you need to in your life and career. What’s something that’s not working for you? Why do you continue with the same old approach if it’s not working? Is there a better way?
Enjoy this month’s issue.
