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?

Words of Wisdom for Leading Growth

Develop a clear market strategy and set guiding principles that creates value for your customers and your business. Nurture and promote those on your team that take initiative to aggressively execute strategy while relentlessly following up on details.

leadership principles sustainable growth wisdom

Two Planning Dimensions

Some of the impacts you see on a project are not as clear as a design change, conflict, or obviously changed condition. Some impacts, such as poor project sequencing or congested work areas are hard to notice if you don’t have good tracking systems.

budget management change management foreman training project management project planning schedule management

Different Heights Require Different Skills and Gear

As contracting businesses grow the leadership focus, strategy, org structure and processes must change. Think about building a business the same as you would hiking up a mountain with each different phase requiring different skills and different gear.