Happy Holidays – Make This Your Very Best Holidays EVER!

Happy Holidays with the season in full stride it is easy to let the events of the past year - two or three might be a better way to put it – get in the way of enjoying this special time of the year. I would suggest that you enjoy the holidays and have a plan to make 2010 a better year than 2009 or 08 or 07. We can not change yesterday and can only marginally change today but tomorrow is another matter entirely. Make up your mind to make 2010 different, better and more fulfilling.

I can only speak for myself however for me I believe we live in the best country in the world, a country that gives everyone a second chance when we fail. I believe that with every failure an opportunity presents itself. We need to realize our weak points (some may call them failures) and determine how to work around them to take advantage of the opportunities available. Are you prepared to take advantage of those opportunities?

If you have read our previous Monthly Tips you will have read several of the steps that I believe are critical to both contractors and individuals alike. I believe that we need to work proactively not reactively, now contracting is a reactive business to a very large degree, but we see many contractors and employees that just say nothing could be done for this particular emergency or that emergency and that after all this is contracting – rubbish. This is just holding onto a crutch and that crutch will really hurt your chances of success in the New Year. Work on the items that are on your priority list when they are the number one priority. It is not really that difficult, all that it takes is the will power to make it happen. I would highly suggest that you read a book called “Eat That Frog” by Brian Tracy - its subtitle is “21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time”. This book consists of 117 pages of logical steps to help get you working in a proactive manner and more. This is a great book that can be purchase at many book stores or online for twenty dollars or less. If taken serious this book can change your life I have seen it work wonders for many students and it has helped me in many areas.

I would also strongly recommend that you address a business plan for both your business and for your most prized business - your personal business. Do you think that businesses like Microsoft, IBM, and other fairly successful firms operate without the benefit of a written business plan? I doubt it, if it is that valuable to the larger more successful firms why is it not part of your arsenal both in your business and personally lives? I believe not having a written business plan is very similar to being on a sail boat in the middle of a lake with a busted rudder, where are you going to go in this situation? The answer is simple where ever the tide takes you, you really have no control. This is the same situation that a business is in without a plan.

For Construction crews a schedule is critical, having a construction schedule from the owner or general contractor for the entire duration of the projects is very important to a projects success. Adding to that a written sequenced rolling 3 week schedule can make all the difference in the world making sure that the materials, information, labor and tools are all scheduled properly. For longer projects a 3 month look ahead schedule can also benefit you - making your life much less stressful, making sure that longer lead time items are sequenced properly.

Without a doubt the best item you can do is to get the people that work together to all work towards a common goal. Part of the problem is that upper management rarely shares that common goal with the people under them, which leave those employees not in upper management wondering what is happening. Newsletters are good ways of letting your employees know what is going on in the firm. Another item that I strongly believe in is praise in public and scold in private. I am surprised that I have never hired a skywriter to announce when someone working for me has done something well, I have embarrassed many employees with lavish praise I have given them in the company of their co-workers. Most of those employees publicly hate it, but in truth it leaves them with a warm glow knowing that they have been recognized for something special. Scolding an employee is a lot more difficult as no one (even the boss) wants the confrontation. This can be a more substantial benefit to both the employee and the other surrounding employees (no, do not broadcast that you are scolding an employee – but trust me everyone will know) then the praise. Every one needs to be held accountable for their actions (or lack of action), or everyone may assume those people that are not meeting their goals are acceptable.

We all plan, whether we have a plan or not, if you have no plan then your plan may be to fail. I prefer to plan for success - how about you?

At JDE & Associates we have two primary classes, one is Fundamental Estimating and the second is Contractors Guide for Success – Project Management. Both classes have various class methods from on site classes to webinar classes to home study classes (one on one with the instructors). We also hold field productivity classes for various firm’s field crews. Our mission statement is “We Get to Help People Succeed!” and we believe in that statement. You may not need (or want) to attend a class - you may have a question about a particular area that may be able to be answered quickly. Give us a call or email us with your question we may be able to help you - we have never been a hard sell company and intend to stay that way. What have you got to lose?

Our wish for you is for a happier more prosperous new year if possible we would like to help you achieve that goal.

Any input to these ideas are more then welcome.

Thank you for reading ours.