A Business Exists to Serve a Customer

Without satisfied and growing customers, nothing else a contractor does will matter.

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
D. Brown Management
February 11, 2019 2 minute read
leadership principles sustainable growth wisdom
Share

Few things are more profitable for contractors than recurring work negotiated with a select group of project owners. That’s why customers are the first key metric on the scoreboard. 

Quote: A business exists to serve a customer. Peter F. Drucker

Likewise, few things unite a culture faster than creating an intense focus on the customer in every job role description and evaluation.

Review your stated mission, vision, values, strategy, job descriptions, meeting discussions, evaluations, calendars, and other communications. How often does the customer come into them? Are they framed in a positive or negative manner?  

How clear is your market strategy, including your existing top customers and ideal customer profile? 

Recommended Reading: The Effective Executive:  The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter Drucker

Management and Leadership (Similarities and Key Differences)
A growing contractor requires both great leadership (right direction) and great management (right actions). The creativity required to attract, motivate, develop, and retain people are where management and leadership intersect.
Related Article
General Mattis - Operations Occur at the Speed of Trust
Retired General Jim Mattis uses the word trust 65+ times in Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead.  "Trusted personal relationships are the foundation for effective fighting teams, whether on the playing field, the boardroom, or the battlefield."
Related Article
The What, Why, and How of a Construction Business (Vision, Mission, Values)
There are thousands of details to get right while building a successful construction project, business, or career. Clarity around the basics of what we are building, why we are building it, and how we will behave and decide along the way is crucial.
Related Article