Issue 3 of 9: Relationships

Construction Ownership Transition Issue 3 of 9: How Strong are the Post-Transition Relationships with Customers, Employees, Vendors and Subcontractors?

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Construction businesses rely heavily upon a network of interconnected relationships for their sustainable growth.  

Succession: Ownership Transition Issues - Number 3 Relationships. Construction businesses rely heavily upon a network of interconnected relationships. Book: Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi.

These relationships are built on a foundation of trust over many years.  

  • Customers who know you will get the job done and do the right thing throughout the construction process, even when things go wrong.  
  • Employees who have seen how you have weathered the ups and downs of the business, including how fairly you have treated everyone even when there was no right answer.  
  • Vendors and subcontractors that are aligned with how your team works and will help you win critical projects.  
  • Financial partners, including the bank and surety and insurance companies that have confidence in how you manage through the inevitable ups and downs of the market.

Take a critical look at your post-transition management team and rate the quality of their relationships with each of these groups and down to the specific people.

Identify the gaps and develop a plan to close them.  

Never Eat Alone.


Issue 3 of 9: Relationships
Continue building value in your business, yourself and your key team members with a good succession strategy....

Issue 3 of 9: Relationships
Continue building value in your business, yourself and your key team members with a good succession strategy....

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.
Work Conversion Cycle and Backlog Run-Off
PARADOX: A contractor can’t focus on the bigger strategic issues until they have a predictable backlog of work. If a contractor doesn’t have a solid market strategy and organizational structure in place it’s very difficult to build a consistent backlog.
Evolving Focus with Growth and Leadership Levels
All contractors are built on the same foundation, which starts with the amazing crafts people. With growth in the business, project size, and your level of leadership, the time you allocate to different layers of the pyramid must evolve.