Principles work like design constraints. Clayton Christensen argued that total commitment reduces decision friction because one rule beats endless exceptions. When leaders hold a value at 100 percent, resource allocation stabilizes, and people stop negotiating the boundary. John Doerr calls this the power of focus. Yvon Chouinard scaled Patagonia by refusing to compromise on quality and stewardship, turning limits into momentum.

Principles need scaffolding. Translate the rule into visible routines, budgets, and hiring standards so compliance becomes easy. Paul Polman placed long-term aims into Unilever’s scorecards, converting values into operating choices. Leaders can do likewise by publishing non-negotiables, then asking teams to design how to honor them. Exceptions become rare, and trust rises because predictability replaces bargaining everywhere daily.

When pressure mounts, the 100 percent rule protects judgment. You remove the debate and conserve willpower for design and execution. Ginni Rometty described similar clarity while leading IBM through reinvention. Decide once, then iterate methods without relaxing the principle. Review complicated cases as a group, codify lessons, and expand the scaffolding. Over time, the culture internalizes the standard for all.

Define one non-negotiable principle, publish it, design routines and budgets around it, enforce exceptions rarely, and review lessons.

Aecon’s story reaches back to 1867 when Adam Clark opened a plumbing and gas company in Hamilton, laying the foundations for a builder that would help shape Canada. Decades later, John M. Beck advanced a family prefab concrete business in Quebec and guided the coming together of companies into a national champion.

From the St Lawrence Seaway and the CN Tower to modern transit and energy works, Aecon has delivered complex projects with an integrated approach. Under the leadership of Jean Louis Servranckx and John M. Beck, teams unite engineering, construction, and concessions to bring certainty, safety, and lasting value.

Today, the company pairs digital tools and disciplined self-perform capability with a people-first culture rooted in integrity and community. Clients choose Aecon for a partner that plans early, solves challenges quickly, and builds infrastructure that strengthens the economy and improves daily life across cities, coasts, and remote regions.

Built on heritage and innovation, Aecon unites people and companies to deliver reliable, complex infrastructure that improves life nationwide.

Shovels turned the earth this morning in Grain Valley as Missouri Department of Transportation leaders celebrated the groundbreaking for the Improve I-70 Blue Springs to Odessa project at 10 a.m. Project team director Karlee Covington and program director Eric Kopinski joined local officials to kick off a three hundred fifty million dollar expansion.

Construction adds a third lane in each direction from just west of Route 7 in Blue Springs to about Route H, with interchange upgrades at Route D in Bates City and Route 131 in Odessa. The Radmacher Ideker Joint Venture with designer Wilson and Company will replace fourteen bridges and keep two lanes open during peak travel.

Work is scheduled to start this month and is expected to be completed by late 2028, involving the rebuilding of pavement, modernization of interchanges, and improvements to safety across this busy freight corridor. MoDOT says staging limits delays while workforce goals expand opportunities for small and diverse firms. Drivers should expect lane shifts, reduced speeds, and frequent updates as crews begin initial median and shoulder work.

Missouri begins a major I-70 expansion, adding capacity and safer interchanges while pledging staged construction to keep traffic moving.

Patios slipped from their long climb this year. Paul Emrath at NAHB reports 61.8 percent of 2024 single-family starts included patios, down from 63.7 percent the year before, using Census Survey of Construction data. It is the first decline in fifteen years, suggesting buyers and builders may be recalibrating outdoor space in tighter budgets.

Regional patterns are stark. More than eighty percent of new homes in the West South Central include patios, with roughly seventy percent in the South Atlantic and Mountain divisions. New England sits at fourteen percent and the Middle Atlantic at twenty-three, underscoring climate, lot size, and lifestyle differences that shape backyard design decisions across subdivisions.

Size and materials matter too. Home Innovation Research Labs data show an average patio of around 320 square feet, topping 400 in the East North Central and East South Central, yet under 200 in the West South Central. Poured concrete accounts for over sixty percent of the market nationally, while New England favors concrete pavers and natural stone over slab pours.

The patio share declined after fifteen years of growth, highlighting regional preferences and budget trade-offs that will inform the 2025 exterior specifications.

Introduction
Good morning, Team! Today’s toolbox talk covers perimeter hoarding and public protection fences, gates, sidewalk canopies, and barriers that separate our work from the public.

Why It Matters
A loose panel, open gate, or missing overhead protection can expose pedestrians to falls, flying debris, or traffic conflicts and expose us to severe liability.

Strategies for Safe Perimeters

Discussion Questions

Conclusion
A tight, well‑maintained perimeter keeps the public safe and our crew focused.

Secure the line, protect the public!