Evolving Focus with Growth and Leadership Levels

All contractors are built on the same foundation, which starts with the amazing crafts people on the jobsite who are directly adding value to the customer.

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Using their tools and equipment, they are masters at building projects. This mastery is developed through years of practice.  

Evolving Focus With Growth and Leadership Levels from Tools and Technology to Tasks, Practice Towards Mastery, Processes, Plans, Paths (Strategies), Principles, Purpose, and People

When a contractor is just starting out and the projects are small, the focus on tasks and tools consumes nearly every minute of the leader’s day. All other elements of the pyramid are present and necessary, but a lot less intentionally proactive time is spent on them.

As the contracting business and size of projects grow, it becomes more important to focus on standardizing processes and operating rhythms to keep everyone in sync. As this starts to consume more leadership time, it is critical to have good people in place that are relentlessly focused on task execution.  

As the contracting business and size of projects continue to scale, the leadership at the highest levels must focus nearly all their time on the foundation of the pyramid: the people, path, and principles.  

“As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.”

Harrington Emerson

 

Resources Applicable to Each Level:

Practice: From learning a task through being competent - being able to perform that task consistently to the standard - and toward mastery, where you are making improvements to the task and teaching others.

Process (System, Value Stream, Workflow, etc.): The sequencing, timing, and interrelationships between all the roles, tasks, and decisions required to consistently deliver value to the customer.

Workflow (Process System Value Stream)
  • Tom Foster describes the basic building blocks of an organization, including the layer that designs the system based on Stratified Systems Theory (SST) developed by Elliott Jaques. (5 min video as part of a longer playlist
  • Learning to See: Value Stream Mapping to Add Value and Eliminate Waste (MUDA)
  • Value Stream Mapping: How to Visualize Work and Align Leadership for Organizational Transformation
  • Current State Metrics Process Map and Analysis (16 min video

Path & Plan: Choosing where to play and how to win.

Principles: The foundation that strategies, plans, processes, tasks, and decisions are based on. 

People and Purpose: The ultimate foundation of everything.

 


We help contractors grow profitably by keeping pressure on your vision and developing strengths in individuals.

 

Please contact us to learn more about our training, coaching, and advisory services to help contractors and leaders navigate the stages of growth.  

 




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