PICK SMART Improvements

Contractors will never have enough resources to solve all problems or take advantage of every opportunity they face.

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Leadership Tools: P.I.C.K S.M.A.R.T. Improvements.

There are a couple tools that can be used to align the team around the best utilization of resources:

PICK Chart:

  • Brainstorm the potential improvements with a cross-functional team.  This is about creating alignment as much as prioritization.  
  • Consolidate your list down into a manageable number of items - no more than 20.
  • “Force Rank” them first in order of impact highest to lowest then on execution risk to distribute them into the four quadrants.  This is harder than it seems. Try having several people do it independently then discuss and decide.  
  • Think about this as a tool that is continuously used - what might be in the “Kill” or “Challenge” categories today may be in the “Implement” category in a few months. 

SMART Improvements:

  • Starting in the “Implement” quadrant begin identifying specific improvements that can be made within the next 1-30 days.  
  • Your focus is on making progress towards your goal - beginning to climb the mountain.  Your whole path will become clearer as you start the climb.  
  • If the improvement item is too big break it down making it more specific.  
  • Set a regular weekly meeting rhythm to review progress, identify new items, adjust and keep climbing.

This seems easier than it actually is and it takes a lot of energy to keep progress moving forward.  As you gain momentum with the team you can continue to refine the process.  




6 Phases of the Strategy and Planning Process
The strategy and planning process for a contractor can be broken down into six phases. Each phase is integrated but has a different objective and involves different people. These phases will help you create the right process for your stage of growth.
Diffusion of Innovations Curve - Leading Change
The contractors that dominate tomorrow’s market will be those that have built strong capabilities for identifying opportunities or problems and then rapidly making lasting changes throughout the organization.
Levels of Design / Development / Detail - Beyond just Design
Contractors can improve business results by applying many of the same processes and vocabulary to their business that the industry is applying to projects. Consider how the different Levels of Detail (LOD) could be applied to your planning processes.