Laws Control the Lesser Man

Growing construction businesses need processes and accountability systems the same way society needs laws, police, courts and jails.

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
Share

You can also never create enough laws or prisons to correct an underlying lack of strong values and shared mission.

Quote: Laws control the lesser man, right conduct controls the greater one. Mark Twain.

As a contractor starts growing leadership needs to put some processes in place to keep things running smooth.  This is called enabling bureaucracy because it is the standardized set of rules that allow sustainable growth. As a contractor grows past about 150 people or starts to expand geographically there will likely be a point where too much process starts to creep into the business.  This is considered coercive or stifling bureaucracy.  

Leaders must always be working on the balance between aligned mission, culture or behavioral norms, processes and accountability systems.  

If you find yourself and others pulling heavily on the process and accountability lever with diminishing returns the likely problem is lack of balance with people and their behavior. 


Learn More:

Compliance Will Only Take Safety So Far

Books:

Schedule a call with us to learn how we help contractors scale their businesses sustainably 




Alignment and Ownership and Creating Value
As a construction company grows, it becomes increasingly important to align everyone on the team. Alignment comes from being transparent with your guiding principles or values and living them every day, starting with ownership.
DD001 - Locus of Control
Expanding on locus of control, including how it drives decision making at all levels and answering three questions: Decisions from the top, how to improve locus of control, and how it impacts technology selection & use.
Balancing Short-Term Crisis Management with the Mid and Longer-Term
A recession post-COVID is a likely enough scenario that it must be planned for. Recessions reorder the market and competitive landscape; ensure you earn the place you want.