Strategy and Fighting the Fewest Battles

Nothing will have a bigger impact on a contractors business over the next decade than putting in a very rigorous process for strategy development and execution.

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
Share

The industry is changing rapidly due to technology, a massive shortage of management talent as well as major trends in project delivery and geographic expansion.  

Leadership Tools: Strategic Planning. A General does not plan how to win every battle; they plan how few battles they need to fight to win the war.

Strategic decisions along with the operating rhythms and the feedback mechanisms that ensure execution are the most highly leveraged decisions in the business. 

This is an area where an experienced 3rd party can add significant value.  Find someone that resonates with your team and has experience relevant to your company.  Change the facilitator every few years for fresh ideas. Unless they are really bad don’t change them every year so you have some continuity.  You might consider overlapping facilitators having the outgoing facilitator sit in on your side of the table providing additional continuity.  

Consider bringing in some of your key customers, vendors and subcontractors as part of your strategic planning process.  Whatever you do; don’t underestimate the value of this process.   

Learn More




Business Development - Two Basic Principles
Business development is crucial for any contractor to grow sustainably. This starts with choosing the best market strategy for your company at this point in time.
Fixing a Messy Teenage Bedroom
Most parents will teach their kids how to keep a clean bedroom through a combination of leading by example, training and daily management until the kids form their own good habits. Lean tools like 5S are the organizational equivalent.
How Wealthy Are You
Beyond having a reasonable level of security, shelter, and food, wealth is measured in many other dimensions, including relationships, health, self-actualization, and impact. Building a great life and a sustainable business requires a holistic focus.