How To Improve A Construction Company

How to Improve a Construction Company: A Step-by-Step Guide

In this blog, we’re diving into how you can take tangible steps to improve your construction company or even provide consulting services for others. Whether you’re looking for immediate actions you can implement tomorrow or strategies for long-term growth, this is the blog for you. 

Step 1: Build Your Leadership Team

The first step in improving your construction company is assembling the right leadership team. As Jim Collins famously said, “Get the right people on the bus.” Before deciding where to drive the bus, you need to ensure you have the right people in the right seats.

Here’s a breakdown of the key roles:

• Visionary: The entrepreneurial leader who sees the big picture and drives the company forward.
• Integrator: The person who ensures the organization runs smoothly—usually the president or COO. They manage day-to-day operations and keep everything on track.

Once you have a visionary and an integrator, focus on building a team that includes:

• Sales and marketing
• Finance and risk
• Operations

Even if you’re a small company, having the right people in leadership roles will make all the difference.

Step 2: Find Your “Why”

Understanding why your business exists is crucial. When you’re clear about your “why,” you connect with a sense of purpose and passion that can drive your company through tough times. This is especially important in construction, where challenges are inevitable.

At Elevate Construction, we say that “the vibe will hire the vibe.” When you know your company’s purpose, you attract people who share your passion, and this alignment is key for growth.

Step 3: Stay Connected

Staying connected to your intuition, team, and environment is vital. Whether you find that connection through prayer, meditation, or moments of quiet reflection, it’s essential to stay grounded.

When business leaders lose sight of this connection and let ego take over, their decision-making falters. Taking time to observe and listen to your company, projects, and team will provide the clarity needed to run your business effectively.

Step 4: Create Clarity

Your company isn’t just here to build projects—it’s here to fulfill a mission. A clear vision, mission, and set of core values help everyone in the organization align toward a common goal. Without this clarity, it’s easy for projects and teams to lose focus.

Step 5: Hold the Line on Core Values

Core values aren’t just aspirational—they are the foundation of your company. You should hire, promote, coach, and, if necessary, part ways with people based on these values.

By holding the line on your core values, you create a strong, unified culture that drives your business forward.

Step 6: Place the Right People in Key Positions

Once your leadership team is in place, ensure you have the right people in other key positions. As your company grows, so does your need for influence. The leadership team alone can’t cover everything, so you’ll need to expand by adding people who can fill the gaps.

Whether it’s by market silo or project-based structure, make sure your organizational setup matches the needs of your company’s growth.

Step 7: Set Up Your Meeting System

Communication is crucial in any organization, especially in construction. A solid meeting structure ensures feedback from the field reaches leadership quickly, and directives from leadership make their way back to the field.

Implement a meeting system where every team member knows their role and responsibilities. Regular meetings help identify problems and allow the team to discuss and solve issues efficiently. The Traction book by Gino Wickman, which introduces the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), is a great resource for setting up this system.

Step 8: Identify and Solve Problems Efficiently

Once you have your structure in place, focus on problem-solving. Use the EOS framework of Identify, Discuss, and Solve (IDS) to address issues as they arise. When everyone in the organization is aligned and focused on the same goals, problem-solving becomes much more efficient.

Step 9: Constant Improvement and Training

Continuous improvement is key to scaling any business. Once you’ve set up the structure and identified areas for growth, double down on training.

Ensure your people understand the processes, reinforce best practices with field walks, and maintain open communication between leadership and the field.

To help you further improve your construction company, I highly recommend checking out the Elevate Construction podcast, where we provide daily insights into improving operations.

By following these steps, you can begin to scale your business while maintaining clarity, values, and a culture of continuous improvement. Stick to these principles, and you’ll see remarkable growth.