Sometimes, things don’t go well.
You want to bag it. Welcome, dear heart, to being in business for
yourself. This happens to almost everyone at some point in this
business.
At least once a week, I hear these
comments from a potential coaching client. They call me, ready to
throw in the towel. “Why am I doing this to myself? Can I save this
stupid company? What do I do to get out of this morass of debt,
nasty customers and ungrateful employees that I have created?”
Let’s look at what you need to stay
on top of your business and not let it get you or your employees
down. Let’s talk about staying the course.
First, you need courage. It’s what
you carry behind your belt buckle that determines your long-term
success in this business. Fully one third of the people who get into
some form of a construction related business do not last the first
year. Over half are gone by the end of their second year. Three
fourths are history by the end of the third year. Ouch.
Talk to the buying public and
everyone knows how rich contractors are getting. Start a business
and you are assured of vast profits. We haul our wealth to the bank
in cream cans.
When reality sets in, those with
little or no heart drift off to find easier pickings. It takes real
courage to work through the problems of this business on a
day-to-day basis.
One young man, whom I have quoted
before, said, “I know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it is
an illusion to me . . . failure always made me try harder next
time.” –Michael Jordan
Is there any wonder why he is
arguably the best of all time at basketball?
Second, you need patience, lots of
it and in two parts. It takes patience to run your business one day
at a time, to attack problems one problem at a time. Additionally,
you need the ability to set long-term goals for yourself, your
employees and your company. It takes patience to let them happen.
When you started your business, you
knew it would take time to get up and going. All of a sudden we have
to get everything done at once? When it doesn’t all come together
in some pre-determined time frame, many quit and run. They can’t
stand not knowing when things will turn around and the business will
take off. They aren’t in complete control, so they quit.
Things happen that sidetrack and
delay the best laid plans. Patience, young Jedi. Keep your eye on
the target. On the shelf above my computer monitor is a small sign I
put up many years ago. E. Joseph Cossman said, “Obstacles are things
a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal.”
Which brings us to focus. Focusing
your time and attention on your business to the exclusion of all
else takes effort. Few people have the strength to do this. It is
easy to get distracted in our fast paced world. However, to make a
business successful, especially one involved in the construction
industry, focus is essential. You and your people must stay focused
on the task at hand.
You start to do this by setting
your tasks for each day. This should be done every morning.
Prioritize your list and stay focused on the top item until it is
done. Then, move on to item number two, then three, etc. Your staff
should be taught this process and you should insist they use the
same approach to planning their day and their week.
I believe Brian Tracy is the one
who said, “Successful people do the things they don’t like to do,
and they do them first.”
You must become a true leader to
build a strong and vibrant company. To encourage others, to instill
confidence in them, to help them perform at their best requires
first of all that you lead by example.
A true leader refuses to consider
the possibility of failure. Many key events in human history have
occurred because of the resolution, or lack thereof, of one person.
Abe Lincoln, on one occasion, overruled his cabinet (after a 1-9
vote) to see through a resolution he felt he needed to win the
battle at hand and bring the nation back together. Courageous
patience is the true test of a great leader.
The true leader also allows his
people to make mistakes. Mistakes happen regardless of the penalties
you impose, so take a positive approach. Help alleviate the fear of
failure and rejection in others by encouraging them to take a
calculated risk and allow honest mistakes.
Give your people regular praise and
approval. Congratulate the “good tries” as well as the successes,
large and small. Create a work place where your people feel safe
from blame or criticism of any kind. Then say and do things that
make people feel good about themselves and the work they are doing.
One of our coaching clients
recently called and told me about giving a job superintendent he
had employed for several years a transfer to the competition. He
brought in a new job super, turned the chap loose and saw an almost
immediate change in the attitude of his field staff. The new guy had
self-esteem, a plan to get things done and gave the employees a pat
on the back and a “well done” frequently. Now people are getting the
work done on time and are also willing to put in extra effort to get
the jobs completed.
Remember, you and your employees
are going to screw up. Mistakes are going to be made and don’t act
surprised when they do. How you respond to those situations will go
a long way in setting an example for your employees on how you want
things handled or done and what happens when they don’t.
In everything you do, set a good
example. Smile, do your job, stay focused on the work you need to
do. Be someone others are happy to spend time with, even briefly.
Delegate and insist your employees
do the work you are paying them to do. Don’t do it for them. Telling
them to “take care of it” when they start asking you to think for
them, shows you mean business. This will also free up your time to
do the things you need to do each day and each week.
When something happens, i.e.…you
get pushed off the wall, make it a habit to bounce, not break.
Encourage your employees to respond in the same manner and you will
start to see an improvement in the attitude of yourself and your
people. A good attitude makes Staying the Course much easier.
This article was written by Michael
Stone
Construction Programs & Results
1001 49th Street
Washougal, WA 98671
1-360-335-1100
Houston Air Duct Cleaning and the
surrounding area since 1991
