A Business Exists to Serve a Customer

Without satisfied and growing customers, nothing else a contractor does will matter.

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
D. Brown Management
February 11, 2019 2 minute read
leadership principles sustainable growth wisdom
Share

Few things are more profitable for contractors than recurring work negotiated with a select group of project owners. That’s why customers are the first key metric on the scoreboard. 

Quote: A business exists to serve a customer. Peter F. Drucker

Likewise, few things unite a culture faster than creating an intense focus on the customer in every job role description and evaluation.

Review your stated mission, vision, values, strategy, job descriptions, meeting discussions, evaluations, calendars, and other communications. How often does the customer come into them? Are they framed in a positive or negative manner?  

How clear is your market strategy, including your existing top customers and ideal customer profile? 

Recommended Reading: The Effective Executive:  The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter Drucker

If a Problem is Worth Solving, It's Worth Solving All the Way
Not all problems are created equal and not all problems are even worth solving. When they are; be aggressive in solving them so they never come up again. Remember that 90% of continuous improvement is just about eliminating problems consistently.
Related Article
Setting Standards and the Feedback Loop
Set the standard. Train to the standard. Certify to the standard. Plan the work to the standard. Execute to the plan and the standard. Check against the standard. Make prioritized improvements to the standard, training, planning, and execution.
Related Article
Organizational Change and Sustainable Growth
Improving the rate that change is adopted across the whole company becomes increasingly more important and more challenging as a contractor grows. We will cover the basics of change, including how it is linked to strategic choices and management.
Related Article