Can't Read the Label From Inside the Jar

By definition it is impossible for any of us to know what we don’t know.

D. Brown Management

July 2, 2018 2 minute read

Quote: You can't read the label from inside the jar.

We could be in the top 5% inside our domain and better off spending time scaling the machine rather than perfecting it.
We could be missing something major and not be able to see it.
We could be in a very high-leverage position where even a small improvement could have a huge impact.
We could be missing so much context for the model that we have difficulty seeing how new information fits in thereby limiting our Situational Awareness.

Who are the top 5 people inside your organization that help each other refine your models of projects, your company and the industry?

Who are the top 5 people you are mentoring and coaching to help them refine their models?

Who do you turn to on the outside of your organization that is experienced and unbiased to help give you perspective?

Retirement Onboarding and Ownership Transitions

The onboarding and integration of a new team member is something the best contractors rigorously manage as one of the 9 critical talent processes. What we don’t always pay as close attention to is what Sue Weiler-Doke frames as “Retirement Onboarding."

Integrating Metrics and Organizational Structure

Having a high-level scoreboard for a contractor is just the beginning. The much more valuable part is breaking these high-level scores down into specific and prioritized metrics at each level within each functional area of the organization.

Capital Constraints to Growth (The Basic Formula)

Capital is one of the three primary growth constraints for construction contractors. Use this simple formula to determine how much of your pre-tax net profits need to be retained in the company to support growth and to establish your safe growth limits.

capital cash finance growth