Happenings No 5. A walking interview with the boss.

30 May

I decided to put my interviewing skills (acquired over last 2 decades in my other life as a lawyer) to the test and have a chat with the boss about what makes him tick.

Best time to get Chris for a chat is on one of his early morning walks, where he thinks about and plans for his day.

Given he is in Adelaide for our interview, where he is building the Adelaide arm of the business, we walked the Chambers Gully walk which is a stunning 10km round trip hike in the Cleland National Park in SA, where wildlife is everywhere and you are guaranteed to spot some crowd favourites, like Koalas and Kangaroos.

When in Sydney, he most certainly would be doing the scenic coastal walk from Bondi to Bronte.

Anyone that knows Chris Henderson (the founding director of SCI), will also know that he sure is quick and fit, so deciding to interview him on a walk may not have been one of my brightest ideas, but I did manage to keep up with him, just.

Me: How have you found growing a business in a pandemic?

Chris: I think we will all remember the fateful day in March 2020 when we all stopped to listen to SCOMO explain the situation with COVID-19 and essentially place businesses into a state of hibernation. I was with my family in Adelaide. I actually enjoyed that time very much as it was a period in which I could stop, and with no social distractions think about the business from a different perspective. It gave me time to think more about the day to day running of the business and ways in which we could evolve and innovate to get ahead. I feel very fortunate (as I know many others were not so fortunate) that the building industry kicked into gear quickly with limited downtime. Some of our regular clients had a number of projects for us and so we were able to continue to provide us with work and we have never been busier.

So you have expanded the business into Adelaide now? Can you share with us why?

Chris: It was a logical next move for us. We are now across three states, NSW, Victoria and SA, which is great. Adelaide is a city that is close to my heart. Not only have I grown up and completed my schooling in Adelaide, but my family and many close friends are there. There is so much happening in Adelaide. Adelaide is all about building relationships and demonstrating value, and I felt that we could do that well here.

What ignites your passion?

Chris: Change does. That is change that comes with building something from start to finish. It is very satisfying. When I used to come home from school, I could not get through the door quick enough to see what stage any building works were at whether that was my family’s works, or the neighbours or any house really along the street.

What does leadership mean to you?

For me, everything is about building genuine relationships. Get the best people in and give them enough space to let them get on with their job whilst trusting in their decision making. Plus, it is important to enjoy working, so creating a fun environment is a must.

What is your vision for the future?

Chris: We want to keep doing what we are doing, continue to service our clients and any new clients well. Whilst we want to grow I enjoy being a boutique builder as I feel it gives us the flexibility and agility to continue to deliver projects with personal service.

Lastly, if you could invite any 3 people to dinner who would you invite and why?

Chris: I would invite a CEO of a tier 1 building business that has experienced real fast growth, such as Built, to get to know what drove them and the path they took to get there. That would be interesting to me. I would also want to meet another senior leader of a construction company.

Me: I guess this response says a lot about your headspace right now, but you do realise this is your one opportunity to have anyone you want at this dinner party in the world, dead or alive?

Chris: well then I would make the dinner party funny and entertaining. So I’d invite Jim Carey and Gerry Seinfeld for non stop belly laughs, and the former legendary Freddy Mercury to sing and entertain.

Concluding note

Me: Chris’ business and life enthusiasm and ability to relate to people is what strikes me the most about his approach to business. He is after all, the fonz.

Written by Deanna Oberdan