Field Productivity - Talent Differentiation

Contractors can improve their field productivity significantly just through deliberate talent management processes

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
Share

While the process of continuous and relentless forced differentiation may seem harsh it is actually one of the kindest things you can do for everyone on the team.  

Field Productivity: Talent Differentiation. Your first 16% Productivity Improvement.
  1. Break your field team into reasonably sized groups that you can compare within.  For example for an electrical contractor it might be groups of field supervisors, underground, branch, 1-line, etc.  
  2. Rank each group in order of best-to-worst looking at it from the angle of which order would you lay them off in during a downturn.  Just the discussion of this with your top few managers will yield great conversations you can use to develop people.  
  3. Analyze the top 15% (A-Players) in each group looking for why they love working here, where they came from, how they built their careers and what their daily habits are.  Use this information to refine your recruiting and training tactics.  
  4. Look at the bottom 15% (C-Players) in each group and create an immediate plan to re-align them getting them into different positions within your company or helping them find a job with a company where they won’t be at the bottom.  It is cruel to keep people in positions where they are failing. Always do this with respect and kindness.  
  5. Focus on the middle (B-Players) developing training and systems around them to help them build some of the skills and habits of your A-Players.  

Topgrading


Field Productivity - Talent Differentiation
Field labor is the often the biggest variable on a construction project - making it the biggest risk and opportunity....

Field Productivity - Talent Differentiation
Field labor is the often the biggest variable on a construction project - making it the biggest risk and opportunity....

Incentive Compensation for Contractors - Who Benefits?
How would you rank the beneficiaries of a great incentive program, including Field Craft Workers, Service Technicians, the Project Management team, Executives / Owners, your customers, vendors, or others?
Relationship Tiers and Impact on Outcomes
Relationships form the foundation of every construction business, from customers to key vendors and subcontractors. While all relationships are valuable, their value varies and must be managed accordingly—a task that becomes more complex with growth.
Delivering Advanced Preconstruction Services
Delivering Advanced Preconstruction Services is the rigorous process of ensuring budgets are met along with maintaining features critical to the project owner / users.