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Core Values are Where Success Begins, Part 2

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They Will Help You Avoid Wandering

Core values are the foundation your life and business are built on. Last week I gave you a brief definition of what my first six core values mean to me. This week I’ll do the same thing with the final six.

Here are the final six:

Build the wall one brick at a time

A more common saying is to eat the elephant one bite at a time. Building the wall one brick at a time is the same thing. It’s just a more construction-focused message. When there is so much to do, it is easy to be pulled in many directions and to lose focus. It is important to concentrate on one thing at a time. Otherwise, we can become overwhelmed and unable to focus on any one thing well. It takes thousands of bricks to build a building, but we can only lay one brick at a time. Focus on that one next brick.

I have two ears and one mouth

It is important to be quiet and to listen to what others have to say. As I process information, I tend to think out loud, which is me talking. I need to remember to listen better and talk less. We are all in such a hurry and have so much going on in our heads that it can be hard to listen. This core value reminds me of the importance of slowing down and listening.

Avoid drama

Life is too short to get caught up in things that are out of our control and/or have no or little effect on what is truly important. Some people aren’t happy unless they have some drama going on. This means they want to pull everyone around them into the fray. Those of us who want to make things better can be pulled into these situations. Don’t be pulled in.

Be accountable

I am responsible for my actions, whatever they are. I have the power to make decisions and act accordingly. Choice is the one superpower that we all have. Too many times we choose not to use it. It’s easy to point the finger at someone else and not take the blame for things that are our fault. If it’s our fault we need to own it.

Take off the blinders, be more observant

Intentionally slow down and be observant. Look around and really SEE things. It can be hard to do this when there is so much to do. Being focused on work and projects is a good thing unless it becomes the only thing. You can be so focused that you miss out on other important things. I tend to get focused like this. That is why this is one of my core values. It reminds me of the importance of this.

Intentional action

This is the second most important one behind “honoring God in all that I do”. Nothing happens without action, and we need to be intentional about doing something. It can be hard to move forward when attempting to achieve perfection. It is important to stop thinking and talking about it, but rather take action and do it. A lack of action holds more people back than anything else. Action without being intentional can take us in the wrong direction if we aren’t careful. Too many times we get stuck looking for a guarantee that what we’re thinking about doing is right. Take intentional action.

And that is all of my core values.

I read through them at the start and end of each day. This helps me to continually build my business and life on a solid foundation.

If you would like to figure out what your core values are you can use the process for building your business on a solid foundation.

Another way to avoid wandering is having good business tools. We’re currently offering a free, customized construction proposal system to one lucky winner.

Here’s what you’ll win:

  • Tailored System: Built to match your unique business needs
  • Digital Tools & Templates: Easy-to-use resources to save you time
  • 1-on-1 Coaching: Weekly sessions to guide you step-by-step
  • Follow-up & Reviews: Stay on track with ongoing support

If you or someone you know would benefit from having a proposal system.

Enter the Giveaway Here

Core Values are Where Success Begins

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Without Them You Just Wander

The past several weeks we’ve been digging down in the dirt and discussing who you are. Who you are is the ground that your business is built on. That ground is what supports the foundation of your business. The foundation is your core values and principles.

Last week I shared the list of my core values with you. They are a collection of things that I’m naturally good at and some things…not as much. I’m constantly working on the things on this list to get better at them.

Here’s a brief definition of what these core values mean to me.

Honor God in all that I do

Because I believe that everything that I have or do, belongs to and comes from God, it is only right that I show my appreciation by giving Him the credit for everything. This is the one core value that all the others are supported by.

Make all I can, Save all I can, Give all I can

Often churches and religions preach that making money is wrong. I have struggled with this for years. Not making a profit is a sure way to lose a business. I think this quote from John Wesley is good advice and fits well with God’s word, “Money is not evil. What we do with it and how we handle it needs to align with God’s purpose.”

Spend time wisely, there is a limited amount

Time is similar to money, if it is viewed from the perspective of a zero-based budget. There is a limited amount of time each day. This means there is a limited number of things that we can spend time on each day. We choose where and how we will spend it. It is up to us to know what the most important things are and focus on them first.

Pay attention to detail

Details matter. Paying attention to details is the best way to circumvent problems. I remember a time early in my construction career when I was working for another contractor. He kept pushing me to go faster, which meant cutting some corners. It ended up that not paying attention to the details cost both of us time and money when we had to go back and redo the work.

Never be satisfied with mediocrity

Mediocrity is the minimum requirement to be average. God has called us to be above average. He has called us to excellence. Going above and beyond is where we set ourselves apart. It is where we accomplish the most. It is where we are working in our sweet spot. This is the place we were meant to be and the thing we were meant to do. Don’t be average.

Find and maintain the balance in everything

Balance is critical to living well. It is a constant lifelong quest. It affects all areas of life and is hard to maintain. I see balance as a large platform sitting centered on top of a small point. Without anything on the platform, it is level. When one thing is placed on top of the platform near the center, things go pretty well, and it stays relatively level. As more things are put on the platform (and things begin to be crowded from the center) it starts to get heavier in different areas. This causes the platform to lean. If one heavy thing or too many things are moved too far from the center, the platform will tip far enough that things fall off. Keeping things from falling off the platform is all about weight and location. Our lives are like this platform. God set our platform balanced perfectly on this point and given us the responsibility of keeping it there. The difficult part of this obligation is the number of things we get to choose from to put on our platform. The choices are endless. There is spiritual, family, work, friends, fun, community, etc. and each of these areas are full of an endless number of smaller things that we can put on our platform. Some things carry more weight than others. As we go through life, the things we have on our platform will and should change. FINDING AND MAINTAINING THE BALANCE of our platform is our responsibility. Will we be perfect at it? No. Can we learn and get better at it? YES!

To keep this post from getting too long, I’m splitting the list in two. Next week we’ll look at the last six of my core values.

Reviewing these core values regularly is a part of my daily routine. This helps keep me aware of them and reminds me to include them in everything I do.

If you don’t know what your core values are yet, go back to last week’s post and use the process for how to identify your business’s core values.

Ready to take the next step in aligning your business with your core values? To help you build a stronger foundation for your construction business, we’re offering a free, customized proposal system giveaway.

Here’s what you’ll win:

  • 4 training sessions to make setup simple
  • 3 follow-ups to perfect your proposals
  • Templates and documents to save you time

If you or someone you know would benefit from having a proposal system…

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Build Your Business on a Solid Foundation

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Your Core Values are the Building Blocks

Over the past several weeks we’ve discussed the importance of a solid foundation for building a successful business. We talked about the ground the foundation is set on is who you are and how you can know your why.

This week we’re going to go back to the foundation. We’re going to take a more detailed look at core values and how they work as the building blocks of your business’s foundation. 

Core values are your fundamental beliefs. They are your guiding principles.

It’s like your business conscience. It is who you are.

The definition of CORE is – the central or most important part of something. This is the most inner part of who you are. This is like your conscience. The deep down, on the inside, who God made you to be.

VALUES are – the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something; a person’s principles or standards of behavior; one’s judgment of what is important in life. This is the part that you choose. How you want to be, how you will treat others, etc.

This doesn’t mean they are good. Some people’s values may be selfish or greedy, but regardless, we choose what values we will live by.

These are the non-negotiables. The things that, when faced with decisions, will help your business withstand earthquakes.

How to identify your business’s core values:

  1. Look at a list of values. Find a good, extensive and thorough list of values (like the one below) and start digging through it.
  2. Identify the ones that resonate. From the list, identify the ones that feel most important and mark it with a 1 for most important, 2 for somewhat important, and 3 for least important. Narrow down your number 1’s to six to eight values that feel like an absolute priority. To help you figure it out, ask yourself who a few people are that model what you inspire you, and look at your number 1’s to see what matches. 
  3. Know your heroes. You can also find your core values by thinking about your “heroes,” reflecting on what they embody, what they stand for, and how they embrace it.
  4. Notice your patterns. Being aware of your patterns that are healthy versus unhealthy can guide you in identifying your core values. You can learn about what you want and what doesn’t feel right to you in this process,
  5. Assess whether you’re happy. Ask yourself whether your experiences or choices are making you happy. If not, there are likely core values that aren’t being met in those decisions and situations.

Here is an abbreviated list of personal core values –

  1. Integrity
  2. Freedom
  3. Autonomy
  4. Justice
  5. Faith
  6. Success
  7. Wealth
  8. Grace
  9. Play
  10. Joy
  11. Balance
  12. Peace

Here is an abbreviated list of work core values –

  1. Clear direction
  2. Efficiency
  3. Dedication
  4. Growth
  5. Collaboration
  6. Creativity
  7. Research
  8. Professionalism
  9. Timeliness
  10. Quality
  11. Problem-solving
  12. Discipline

You can see the complete lists here.

My personal and business core values are the same. They are a collection of things that I’m naturally good at and some things…not so much. Things that I’m constantly working to get better at.

My core values are things that are in alignment with what I believe God wants from me and for me.

It’s hard to define your business’s core values if your business is more than just you. We are all individuals and recognizing this will make the process easier.

My Core Values—other than the first one—are in no specific order. Some you may recognize as quotes or common sayings. Others are things that I have modified in some way that are meaningful to me. And some I conceived on my own. All of them are values I hold high and strive to live out daily.

Here they are:

  1. Honor God in all that I do
  2. Make all I can, Save all I can, Give all I can
  3. Spend time wisely, there is a limited amount
  4. Pay attention to detail
  5. Never be satisfied with mediocrity
  6. Find and maintain the balance in everything
  7. Build the wall one brick at a time
  8. Remember that I have two ears and one mouth
  9. Avoid drama
  10. Be accountable
  11. Take off the blinders, be more observant
  12. Intentional action

Over the next couple of weeks, I will break down these core values and give you more insight into what they mean to me and how I try to live them daily.

How Would You Like to Take Control of Your Business?

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It Means Getting Past the Intangibles

Construction companies regularly find themselves stuck in the rut of doing the same thing over and over hoping for different results. Most of these businesses get started knowing construction, but not business. They plod along doing construction hoping that something is going to magically happen so they can get control of the business side of things.

Your construction business isn’t what you expected.

What are you going to do about it?

take control, if not now, when?

This is where the hard work begins because you don’t know what to do about it. Or if you do, you don’t have the time or energy to do it.

Knowing something needs to be done, but doing nothing, is the most common problem construction companies deal with.

This problem comes down to tangible vs. intangible.

Construction deals with the tangible. The ability to touch and see the benefits of your actions each and every day. This is one of the most rewarding sensations in construction.

I’ll never forget that feeling of exhausted accomplishment at the end of the day. Looking at those walls that are there now and weren’t when we started. Having a blueprint of where the walls are supposed to go. How the parts are supposed to fit together. Laying out those studs and wall plates, nailing them together and standing the wall. This physical accomplishment is evidence of progress.

These things are tangible.

On the other hand, building a construction business is intangible.

We can have ideas and plans for building a business. We can see it in our mind, but it’s not a building. This process doesn’t require boards and nails. There is no physical reality that doing any of these actions is going produce anything.

We can work on building a business for days and weeks and still not be able to step back and see that anything was built. It’s not like looking at a newly framed and stood wall.

The fact that building a construction business is intangible is why most aren’t doing it.

It is hard to commit to something that is intangible. It sounds great but…what if it doesn’t work? What if it takes longer than I expected? The unknown is scary.

Ultimately, it’s up to you.

Do you want your business to be more than just a job?

If you do, it’s up to you to do something about it. Change is required. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. I know change is hard, but this is the only way things will change.

The evidence of progress with the business is more subtle than physical construction. It shows up in places that you don’t normally look. Places like increased profit, consistently happy customers, having money to pay bills and taxes, construction projects going smoother than normal.

You have a choice. You can continue doing things the way you have or change.

The only way you will ever get control of your business is by pushing past the intangibles. If you would like some help taking control of your business, schedule a free 30-minute construction company consultation.

What Should I Do First?

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Deciding What Your Big Rocks Are

Self-employed people, especially those in construction, struggle trying to keep up with all the things there are to do. I’ve experienced this from both sides. First, as a general contractor, struggling to get subs to show up when they said they would. Second, as the construction contractor, who didn’t accomplish what I said I would, when I said I would.

This practice of over-promising and under-delivering is all too common.

More times than not, over-promising and under-delivering is unintentional. We mean it when we say we’ll be there at a certain time. Then life happens and everything gets derailed.

I’ve been dealing with this problem quite a bit lately, when subs or suppliers don’t follow through at the time they said they would.

This has led to multiple conversations about prioritizing.

What makes one thing more important than another? What are the most important things to focus on today if I’m going to achieve my goals?

This reminded me of this post that I wrote back in January of 2021. It was about focusing on the most important things (the big rocks) first.

What are the big rocks that I need to put in the jar first?

I read about this time/priority analogy several years ago in Steven Covey’s book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. In this book there’s a good analogy of managing our choices.

Here’s how this story goes:

One day this expert was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration I’m sure those students will never forget. After I share it with you, you’ll never forget it either.

As this man stood in front of the group of high-powered over-achievers he said, “Okay, time for a quiz.” Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar.

When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?” Everyone in the class said, “Yes.” Then he said, “Really?” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.

Then he smiled and asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was onto him. “Probably not,” one of them answered. “Good!” he replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?”

“No!” the class shouted. Once again he said, “Good!” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked up at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”

One eager beaver raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!”

“No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is:

If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.”

Dr. Steven R. Covey, First Things First

I love this big rock example of prioritizing our actions.

Too often we approach time as though there’s no limit.

There are so many great things to choose from but there is a limited amount of time.

We all need to do better at managing our time and what our priorities are. If I’m going to be the most productive, I need “focused intensity” on the big rocks that will help me to achieve my goals. 

What are the big rocks in your life?

Growing in your faith? Spending more time with your family? Serving your customers better? Paying off debt? Taking better care of yourself physically and mentally? Helping with community projects?

Here are a couple of short videos of how putting the big rocks in first matters:

Time Management & the Jar of Life

Jar of Life

Your Construction Business Isn’t What You Expected

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Now What Are You Going to Do About It?

If you had known how hard it was going to be to own and operate your own construction business…you probably wouldn’t have done it.

It’s hard work, time-consuming, and risky.

The problem is that no one told you how hard it was going to be. Or, if they did, you didn’t believe them.

This isn’t to say that it’s not worth it…because it can be.

The problem is being faced with things like –

  • Finding the time to do the physical construction and the paperwork
  • Constantly feeling like your life is out of control
  • Construction projects behind schedule
  • Not having enough money to pay the bills
  • Construction projects going over budget
  • Disappointed and upset customers
  • Misunderstandings with customers and production teams

And not knowing what to do about these problems.

If you work in the construction industry, you’ve probably experienced some or all of these things.

So, what are you going to do?

Are you going to just keep plodding along, hoping that something is going to change? You know the definition of insanity is “Doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.”

If you want different results, you’re going to have to do something different.

The question is…what are YOU going to do? Are you going to continue living in the current insanity or are you going to do something different? What you know about the crazy mess that you find yourself going through daily seems less scary than the unknown.

New and different is scary.

Deciding to do something different is the first and hardest step in a series of hard steps.

If you want to stay in business you need to take this hard step. You need to DO SOMETHING. Otherwise, you will eventually go out of business.

You need a change of perspective. Some new and different ways of doing things.

As scary as this is, it can be less scary than going out of business.

What you need is someone to help you with this. You need someone who has been there and done that to guide you through finding the solutions you need.

This doesn’t mean that it’s going to be simple or easy. Building a new building isn’t simple and easy.

When you started working in the construction industry you didn’t know what you know now. Building a business is the same way.

Someone taught, trained, and helped you to learn your construction trade. What you need now is someone to teach, train, and help you to learn how to build a construction company. This teaching, training, and help is available for you at Solution Building. We’ve been where you are and would love to help you with our forty plus years of experience. If you have questions about how we can help, you can set up a free, 30-minute construction company consultation.

Keep Your Business Balanced and Supported

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An Out-Of-Balance Business is Like a Short-Legged Table

Have you ever felt like your business and/or your life were out-of-balance? This is a common situation with self-employed companies. It’s like a three-legged table with one short leg…kind of wobbly.  

I know I’ve felt this way and sometimes still do. You’ve probably heard the saying feast or famine. This saying is used quite often in the building industry.  

Balance time and money

It refers to the common problem of having too much to do. Or worrying about how you are going to pay the bills if you don’t get some work soon.  

Sometimes this is caused by situations beyond our control. The economy, the weather, or some other external force. More often than not it is an out-of-balance business. It’s wobbly like a table with one short leg.  

Most of us that are self-employed started out by learning our trade as an apprentice, working for someone else. I know this is how I got started.  

The problem with this is that while I learned how to build a building, I wasn’t taught how to build a company.  

After years of struggling and learning things the hard way—paying the expensive tuition to the school of hard knocks—I’m still not close to graduating yet. 

This became apparent this past week. I realized that I was not maintaining balance in the business. I was letting things distract me and not being intentional about what I was doing. 

One of the things that I implemented years ago was having a different focus for each day of the week. I had been neglecting this. So, I was intentional this week to focus on the specific focus for that day. It was a productive week. 

Keeping the business balanced and supported is an ongoing process. 

I was reminded that my business is like a three-legged table.  When all the legs are the same length, it helps provide a level, sturdy platform for my company to sit on.  

When any one or two of them are short, the table starts leaning. If it leans too far the company will slide off.  

It’s never good when a company crashes to the floor. 

The three legs of the table are: 

1 – Sales/Marketing – Searching for and finding customers that you can help. Sharing about your service and/or product through word-of-mouth, advertising and awareness. Meeting with potential customers, determining what they want/need and preparation of estimates, proposals, and contracts. 

2 – Production – Organizing, scheduling and maintaining projects or products. Determining who the right people are to perform specific tasks. Knowing the parts that are needed and making sure they fit. Maintaining communication between all parties involved. 

3 – Administration/finance – The preparation of documents needed to communicate, track, and record all aspects of the business. The filling out and filing of income, expense, banking, and tax papers. This leg is one of the easiest for ‘tradespeople’ to neglect.  

When any one of these legs get short, it can really cause the whole table to lean. 

The tabletop is the big picture: planning and organizing. It’s what connects the three separate legs. It’s easy to give too much attention to one or two legs and forget the other.  

Getting so focused on the production of a project that we forget to follow-up with a new customer. Or working so hard on preparing proposals that we forget to invoice. Or even working so diligently on tracking expenses that we don’t leave enough time to work on the construction project.  

There is no perfect answer to keep the table from ever leaning.  

The most important thing is to realize that it can happen and to continually work to keep the table balanced.  

Updated from a previous post 4/30/16 

Riding on a Runaway Train

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Getting Control of Your Busy Life

For years I’ve used the example of a runaway train as a comparison to my busy, on-the-go, overscheduled, out-of-control life. It’s like I am riding on a speeding train of which I’m supposed to be in control.

The problem is, instead of being seated comfortably in the engine car at the front, I am barely hanging onto the ladder on the back of the caboose, trying to not fall off. The train keeps speeding along, with no way for me to get control from the caboose.

I start pulling my way forward, one train car at a time. First through one, then another, then even a third. Look at me, I’m making some real progress here. It won’t be long now and I will have this train back under control.

Then—wouldn’t you know it—the train hits a bump. I lose my grip and catch the caboose as it goes by. Now I get to start clawing my way back toward the front all over again.

How am I ever going to get this crazy train called life under control?

Runaway train

If you’ve ever felt like this, then here are some ideas that might help:

            Have a plan – This is where gaining control starts. How are you going to make it to the engine? The key is to not quit. Don’t ever let go of your train unless you’re dead. As long as you are still alive, you can do something about your situation. You need to be intentional about how you want your train to operate.

            Review the past – Look back at what has worked and what hasn’t. What was it that caused you to lose your grip from the train? Determining this will help you to know how to hold on as you move forward next time.

            Find your purpose – God has given each of us specific talents that fit who we are created to be. It is up to us to find out what they are and put them to good use. This determines who we are and what kind of train we have. Is it a freight train? A passenger train? Or maybe something different?

            Don’t overload your train – Once you have determined what kind of train you’re on, you can decide what kind of cars it should have. Most likely there are some that will need to be disconnected and left behind. Overloading your train is a very common problem. Most of us think we have a ‘super train’ that can pull as many cars as we hook onto it. It’s okay if we don’t pull them all. They might fit in someone else’s train better or are just a waste of good fuel. Who knows, maybe you will need to add some different cars. The important thing is to know how many are too many and which ones don’t belong.

            Get help from other trains – Sometimes when our trains are overloaded there are others that can help us with our load. Maybe they can give us a push, a pull, or take some of our cars. It’s okay to get help. Our train isn’t the only one. If we get our load right, then we are better prepared to help other trains when they need help.

In this world, there is no such thing as a perfect train. We will never have complete control or a ride without any bumps. What is important is to not give up or quit. Keep working to make your train better. Be aware and understand what your train should be.

Work every day to make your train the best train it can be and remember, ENJOY THE RIDE!

This post is reworked from my previous post on June 16, 2016.

I Want To Be More Accountable

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How Can I Do This?

As it seems to happen fairly regularly, the business mastermind that I’m a part of discussed accountability. This topic came up regarding things we need to accomplish in the last quarter of this year to be prepared to reach our 2025 goals.

Accountability is not a new topic for me to discuss. Back in June of 2021, I wrote about how being accountable is up to me. This post was also generated from that same mastermind.

Accountability is a hard thing to do.

Being accountable is taking responsibility for what you do or have done. Accountability is the quality of being accountable.

In the previous post, there were some examples of some subcontractors taking responsibility for problems and doing the right thing.

A couple more cases have come up just this past week.

One of my subs had an employee drill some holes through floor joists that they weren’t supposed to drill. The owner of the company is going to install some supports that are code approved. This is accountability!

The other situation was a breaker that tripped. This led to the food in the customer’s refrigerator going bad. The electrician offered to pay for the food, even though they weren’t sure if they were responsible for tripping it. This is accountability!

Being Accountable, take 100% accountability

Being accountable is good business.

Why do we avoid doing things we know we should do?

For me, there are a few different reasons, all of which are within my control.

There’s fear – being afraid that we’re going to fail, afraid we aren’t good enough, or afraid it’ll cost too much.

What about busy – I don’t have time to do that, it takes too long, and I already have too many other things to do.

Don’t forget uncertainty – I don’t know how to do that thing and it’s going to require me to learn something new.

I previously wrote about filtering my life using my core values. One of those is being accountable.

Ultimately, accountability is up to me. It is a choice.

One of the struggles with accountability is trying to do too many things. Overpromising and underdelivering is not very accountable. Scheduling better will help.

Five things that will help with scheduling:

  1. Find the balance of accuracy and urgency – This is a big struggle that I have when scheduling. I know that I’m deadline-oriented. If I allow two hours to do something it will most likely take twice that long. If I allow four hours, it reduces the level of urgency, and I will procrastinate. Something else will take its place. I’ve figured out that if I schedule myself short on time, I focus better, and the increased urgency will get it done faster. Figuring out your balance of accuracy and urgency can be tricky, but is critical.
  2. Give as much importance to my schedule with myself as to others – When I put things on the calendar that are for myself, I tend to be more lenient. This is different than when I have a meeting scheduled with someone else. If I am going to honor God and others, I need to also honor myself. This is hard for me but is one of those areas where I need to be more accountable. If I hope to spend my time efficiently, I need to be realistic when scheduling with myself and honor it.
  3. Stop trying to do too many things – But there are so many important things that need to be done. If I don’t do them, they won’t get done or they won’t be done right. This tendency of trying to do too many things has always been a characteristic that I have been proud of. This is what movers and shakers do, right? Being a micro-manager doesn’t help either. There are just too many pieces to put together by myself.  I need some clarity of focus on what my time is best spent on and to stop trying to do everything if I want to be the best steward of my time.
  4. Take into account the number of things out of my control – The bigger the project being scheduled, the more things there are to schedule. One small delay can have a snowball effect by pushing things farther and farther back. There needs to be some margin scheduled in to cover these delays. The important thing is to not let the margins become areas of wasted time. It is critical to communicate clearly to those involved the importance of being on schedule. I use two different schedules with projects. One with the customer and one with the subcontractors.
  5. Plan for unforeseen things that interrupt the plan – There are always things that can’t be planned for. It doesn’t matter how well you plan, if something breaks down or there’s an accident, the priority and focus can change quickly. This is out of my control. The difference between this point and the previous one is in the frequency and the level of disruption. We can only plan for these things to a certain point. It is more about being aware that it can happen and being ready to deal with it the best we can when it does. This is flexible rigidity.

Being accountable is being aware of these things. Understanding them. Taking intentional action to do something about it. And continually learning.

As a construction contractor adding coaching and consulting to my list, it seems that construction projects are more important than coaching and consulting…or is it?

The question is, how many more people would benefit from construction companies knowing how to do business?

Being accountable is up to me. Ultimately, it comes down to this…

I’m accountable to God.

What am I going to do about it?

There’s Not Enough Help for Construction

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What Does This Mean for the Construction Industry?

As part of my morning routine, I listen to Albert Mohler’s podcast: The Briefing. This past Friday’s episode started out talking about the falling birth rate and the effect this will have on the world.

We’ve heard how extreme this situation is in some countries like South Korea, China, and Japan. Dr. Mohler pointed out that this is not just happening in these countries, but around the world.

This is a problem because ultimately, if we continue down this path, there’s not a future for civilization if you’re not having babies.

A falling birthrate means you’re not going to have enough workers.

Not enough help

You’re going to have more aging people leaving the workplace than younger people joining it.

Just look at what’s happening in Japan, where they are using robots to take care of people in nursing homes. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want a robot taking care of one of my family members.

The Communist Party of China enforced a one-child-only policy to prevent a future threat where they had too many babies. It turns out, the threat is too few.

They’ve ended up with an imbalance of males to females because of the preference for male babies. Now, there are millions of Chinese men who aren’t able to marry anyone because there aren’t enough women.

That’s a shortage in the tens of millions.

This got me to thinking about how the struggle of finding good, qualified help in the construction industry.

This is not a new problem but seems to be a growing one.

I think this is due to more than just the decreasing population. I think it’s a combination of a society that has gotten spoiled and untrained.

A lot of young people see life as something owed to them. They’ve not had to learn to work. Then, you have those of us who’ve been doing construction for a long time. We’ve been too focused on our work and never bothered to share our experiences and knowledge.

It doesn’t matter if the shrinking number of qualified people is due to a shrinking or an untrained work force.

What matters is getting the ones that are out there, trained.

That’s why I’m working to find ways to coach and consult people in the construction industry that need some mentoring and guidance.