Name three things that, in your opinion, are construction business killers…
- Lack of professionalism? Sure.
- A bad bid on a project? Yup.
- Missing a deadline? Absolutely.
But something is missing from this list; something big.
The “we’ve always done it this way” mentality is the construction business killer that you should fear most.
Companies who remain on top are those who identify when a course correction is required and take the steps necessary to navigate into uncharted territory.
A Pennsylvania and Maryland based engineering firm, JDB Engineering, says, “Those six words effectively destroy innovation and keep companies from growing and evolving.” And the construction industry specifically, they write, is notorious for this. The result? Construction productivity remaining stagnant for over 50 years.
But it’s not just “we’ve always done it this way” mentality that’s causing innovation in the construction industry to come to a screeching halt.
It’s also phrases like…
- “That won’t work in our industry”
- “The old way doesn’t take that long”
- “We know there’s a better way, but we don’t have time for implementation.”
If you’re guilty of saying these yourself, or are sick of hearing them around your office, it’s time to pave the way for change.
Construction Business Killer Be Gone!
As Entrepreneur says, “Change is a big part of being successful. Not only is change good, but it’s accelerating at an increasingly rapid pace.”
Here are a few suggestions they give on how you can start embracing change and lead the charge for your organization to avoid this construction business killer.
- Take small steps: No one should expect a big change like using new technology and tools to happen overnight. Those are decisions that have to be made over a period of time with a multitude of stakeholders and add in a learning curve. But identifying what you may be willing to try – like a new CRM or workforce planning tool – and starting the process step-by-step will help get you to the end goal when you’re ready.
- Try, try again: Failure is inevitable when you try something new. You may find a piece of technology that you thought would be successful in your business but it turns out to be a flop; or you may take on a different type of project than you’re used to and realize you don’t have the capacity. These things happen, and it’s frustrating because now you feel like you’ve gone backwards but no risk means no reward. You must continue re-introducing new ideas to keep up with modern innovations, in business change is the only constant. Along the way your organization will find those ideas and products that stick as well as those that don’t.
- Leave yourself out of it: Your knowledge and expertise? That should be front and center. But your ego or unwillingness to change needs to take a backseat. Entrepreneur says, “typically, the biggest roadblock to change is you.” If you’re worried about failing or having to start over, just take another read through #2 and you’ll get through it.
- Fail correctly and smartly: Don’t spend too much money or time on something before you’ve proven its success. Ask for a trial period of a new product or take on a small job in a different trade before committing to a larger project. The risks are smaller and you won’t feel guilty or irresponsible for pushing forward if it does fail.
Stop this construction business killer from infiltrating your organization TODAY. Embracing the “Why haven’t we tried this yet” mentality, instead of its alternative, will set you and your construction business on a better path towards success. You’ll start embracing change, trying new things, and become a leader for innovation.
Give it a shot.
