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Respect. (from the lat. respectu) n. 1. respect; 2. consideration; high regard; 3. deference; compliance; veneration; 4. honour; worship; 5. relation; refererence...
We believe that everyone should be respected for their work, for their attitudes, opinions and options.
Rigor. (from the lat. rigore) n. 1. harshness; strength; 2.fig., severity; punctuality; accuracy.
There is no "more or less levelled", "more or less upright”, "more or less clean" or "more or less safe", but rather “levelled”, "upright”, "clean” and “safe". The rigour is reflected in our procedures, in time and in the rules to follow. In the light of moral and principles, being severe means being rigorous.
Passion. (from the lat. passione) n. 1. intense and usually violent feeling (affection, joy, hate, etc.) which hinders the exercise of impartial logic; 2. derived from a feeling; 3. great predilection; 4. partiality; 5. great grief; immense suffering...
Under the sign of passion – a text of the Portuguese poet Regina Guimarães – is our icon. Passion is to reveal great enthusiasm for something, favourable encouragement or opposite to something.
It is the sensibility transmitted by an architect or engineer through work.
Passion is the dedication to a project. Passion is a state of warm soul.
Loyalty. (from the lat. legalitate) n. the quality of being loyal; fidelity; sincerity.
Respect for the principles and rules that guide the honour and probity. Faithfulness to commitments and agreements undertaken, staunch character.
To remain loyal to the business partners because we depend on them and they depend on us.
Being trustworthy for being loyal.
Solidarity. (from the lat. solidare) n. 1. the quality of being solidary; 2. reciprocal responsibility among the members of a group, namely social, professional, etc.; 3. sense of sharing another’s suffering.
Being solidary is being a friend, offering our hand with genuine generosity and bringing joy and human warmth to those who, somehow, are marginalized. Being solidary is being more human. A solidary company is recognized as a fair and non-selfish company. A solidary company is a preferred choice in business. It is a more competitive company. Volunteering is a vehicle to solidarity. It is modern, fair, cultured, friend, it is a noble gesture of moral elevation.
Courage. (from the lat. coraticum) n. 1. bravery facing danger; intrepidity; to have audacity; 2. moral force before a suffering or setback; 3. [fig.] to input energy when performing a difficult task; perseverance...
Courage is essential in our life. Courage to face less pleasant situations when complex issues come up, not expecting random resolutions.
It is a value that we must highlight as opposed to the fearful, cowardly and laziness.
The courage to react to criticism not with an attitude of demotivation or sadness, but rather to search for the means and the action to overcome its own reason. This kind of courage, which is also an intellectual courage, is highly recommended.
Ambition. (from the lat. ambitione) n. 1. vehement desire of wealth, honours or glories; 2. expectation about the future; aspiration; 3. lust; greed…
Vehement desire to achieve a particular goal. Ambition not to resign ourselves. Ambition to take the best potential from ourselves. Ambition to deserve ourselves. Ambition to be athletes in our top-level competitive jobs. Ambition to beat our brands. Ambition to get the best deals with the maximum value, due to the high levels of proficiency and efficiency.
Esthetics. ESTHETICS (from the Greek aisthetiké, "sensitive") n.f. 1. Philosophy branch of philosophy that studies the beauty and nature of artistic phenomena; 2. author's own style, time, etc.; 3. harmony of shapes and colors, beauty; 4. set of techniques and treatments that aim to beautify the body.
We decided to build the company's economic foundations under a cultured, cosmopolitan and cool image. Because it is a charming state of being. Good taste because we are sustainable and we respect the planet. Good taste because we are sensitive. Good taste just because.
Responsibility. (from the lat respondere) n. the trait of being answerable to someone for something or being responsible for one's conduct; a form of trustworthiness.
We must be certain that, before a choice, we chose what is best for both of us and not just the best for each one. Each employee is responsible for his negotiated activity and co-responsible if the co-worker does not fulfil his own task, thus preventing the common goal. A team is a set of individuals - is a whole. In the business game, as in social or family contexts, everyone must comply with their own relative position and we shall not permit that one of ours fails to be in our team.
People: the humanistic imperative for economic success
Opinion Article | Construir
We are in a state of alert.
We are always.... the dangers will certainly be different from others, from other times, but this state is almost a personality trait of our sector. Today the alarm of scarcity is sounding.
Of the various challenges facing the sector, from the energy crisis to the worrying rise in inflation, I would highlight one, which, being endogenous, will have the greatest potential impact on the engineering and construction industry. I am referring to construction people.
In the "people" of construction, I find two concerns. One is the number, the other is the will.
The number is, of course, a demographic consequence of the continuous decrease of the Fertility Rate Replacement Index. The labour shortage is here to stay. We must find new ways of building that are less dependent on labour-intensive construction processes. Modular construction, prefabrication, and "3D printing" are unavoidable vectors to escape the demographic trap. The trend will be towards the industrialisation of construction and the decentralisation of construction sites, making room for process automation and robotisation.
The will, or lack of will to work in the sector, is a product of our mimicry. Civil construction has no charm for the new generations. Creativity is needed to make this sector appealing to the ever-smaller number of young people who are active in the sector.
The problem begins with how "people" are trained in construction. The human dimension of the worker is, from the time of their training, subjugated to their technical interest. The aim is to train for function so that we have employees in the companies. Skilled workers who carry out technical tasks. Resources. Performers.
It is essential to balance the technical rationale with the humanistic rationale. It is essential to train people and not just human resources. We want workers who are cultured, sensitive to art and genuinely interested in asking questions. Who like to think! And this is something that can be learned and taught through disciplines such as philosophy, aesthetics, psychology, and behavioural economics, ...
Only in this way will we have people open to creativity, naturally restless and in search of innovation.
Only then will we have people who understand that our annual carbon credits end in May each year. And every year we are mortgaging the years of future generations.
Only in this way will we have people who understand that we live in the middle of the Anthropocene and that the energy "crisis" is an excellent opportunity to return to a state of homeostasis with our planet.
Only in this way will we have the best people in construction.
Fortunately, the humanistic imperative as a variable for economic success is starting to find echoes in Companies. Movements such as the new European Bauhaus seek to demonstrate that the balance between technological and humanistic rationales is not only possible but also indispensable for the realisation of the European Ecological Pact.
ESG has entered the mainstream of our business dialogue. The appreciation by the markets of companies actively demonstrating ESG strategies is visible, and policy convergence in the sector would be very interesting.
The rethinking of construction is inevitable, and the great challenge lies with its agents. But the results will always be long-term and need immediate measures regarding today's challenges. We must work on both agendas in parallel.
It is urgent to create measures to retain qualified labour and attract foreign workers.
We already find in the market some modular solutions that are starting to conquer their position, but we are still far from the reality of modular construction in Northern Europe. The definition of these solutions from the execution project phase would be an essential step towards the consolidation and growth of modular in our market.
Sérgio Xisto, Administrator dst s.a.