Competitive Advantage

A contractor’s market strategy is the most highly leveraged decision leadership can make.

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Quote: If you don't have a competitive advantage, don't compete. Jack Welch Retired Chairman and CEO of GE.

Getting this right then executing effectively can easily have a 2X+ positive impact on earnings over the next 5.

  • Identifying market(s) and customers that will be growing over the next 10+ years.  
  • Developing operational capabilities and capacity that adds maximum value to these customers while being difficult, time consuming or costly for competitors to copy.  
  • Building advanced preconstruction services integrated with aggressive business development to identify projects and customers well before anyone else even has a chance.
  • Where possible including operations and maintenance services to the project after the construction phase including special projects and service work. 

General Electric consists of many individual business units each with P&L responsibilities and expected to work together.  Many contractors are structured in a similar way. 

Their management training program teaches people how to run businesses - how to compete.  

“If you don't have a competitive advantage, don't compete.”

Jack Welch; Retired Chairman and CEO of General Electric

What is your competitive advantage today?  

What will your competitive advantage be tomorrow? 

What are you doing to hold onto your current advantage and prepare for tomorrow?




Contractor Business Model: Evolution with Stages of Growth
As a contractor navigates the different stages of growth, the complexity of their business model evolves, including their organizational structure, management systems, and people. Seeing this model visually helps identify bottlenecks and constraints.
6 Progressive Levels of Standards Development
Standards progress through six basic levels as a contractor grows based on impact, frequency, and quantity of different people doing them. Optimum outcomes including scalability are based on choosing the right level - higher is not always better.
Required Leadership Focus Changes at Each Stage of Growth
At each stage of growth, the leadership focus at the top for majority Owners/CEO/President must change to continue navigating growth effectively. Concurrently, the leadership focus from the prior stage of growth must be transferred and expanded downward.