Can't Read the Label From Inside the Jar

By definition it is impossible for any of us to know what we don’t know.

D. Brown Management

July 2, 2018 2 minute read

Quote: You can't read the label from inside the jar.

We could be in the top 5% inside our domain and better off spending time scaling the machine rather than perfecting it.
We could be missing something major and not be able to see it.
We could be in a very high-leverage position where even a small improvement could have a huge impact.
We could be missing so much context for the model that we have difficulty seeing how new information fits in thereby limiting our Situational Awareness.

Who are the top 5 people inside your organization that help each other refine your models of projects, your company and the industry?

Who are the top 5 people you are mentoring and coaching to help them refine their models?

Who do you turn to on the outside of your organization that is experienced and unbiased to help give you perspective?

Strategic Foundations: What Is Unlikely to Change?

Like construction projects, construction businesses are only as strong as their foundations. Build your strategies around things that are unlikely to change in the long-term (10+ years).

business management business planning leadership strategy

Owner Occupied Real Estate for Contractors - Lease or Buy?

There isn't a simple answer to this question. Much of the advice you will get has bias attached. Start your decision making process by building your own models and making general assumptions while looking into the future. Use this Excel model to start.

business management business planning financial management

Conceptual Estimating - Turning Drawings Into Estimates

Conceptual estimating requires a contractor to take early stage conceptual drawings and turn them into detailed estimates with a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) that is useful during the initial programming, schematic, and design development phases.