Scoring a Touchdown with your Goals in Construction

“Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.” Tom Landry (NFL Coach & Player)

Simply setting goals won't get you to the touchdown, and it definitely isn't enough to win the game. Goals are a longer term investment in a desired outcome. Goals are like road maps - you need them to define where you are going, but you can’t get to your destination without a taking a series of actions. Goals are easy, when you can set a target and move directly to the plan. However, in the construction industry there are so many moving parts that are out of your control: weather, subcontractors, other projects, employees leave, difficult clients, estimating, marketing... all of these things distract us from our goals. Soon we find that we are focusing on the day to day, and have completely lost focus on our goals. We find ourselves in survival mode.

So how do we move from just setting goals, to consistently hitting the mark? Setting well defined, measurable goals are important for any organization. First we need to start with well written goals. Well written goals follow the SMART model (originally coined by George T. Doran and subsequently adapted by many others).

S: Specific

M: Measurable – includes a quantity or an indicator of progress

A: Assignable – defines who will do it

R: Realistic – possible with available resources

T: Time-bound – defines when it will be done

As the leader of the organization, it is your mission to keep everyone else moving forward toward these goals. So keep a list and look at it EVERY morning. This will help you stay focused on the mission, no matter what comes up through the day.

Next, let your employees know what your goals are. Speak them out loud. Let others know where you are going, so that they can assist you, and hold you accountable. (Another sign of a great leader is listening to constructive criticism - but we will touch on that later).

Equally important is defining an action plan - the detailed steps that will keep you (and your company) progressing toward reaching your goals. What are the skills that you need to grow to make sure that you achieve the desired outcome. What about your employees, what skills do they need to learn? What are the tasks that each person is responsible for? Who do they go to when they need assistance?

Email me at shane@shanenocus.com and I will share my free Goals Setting Workbook to help you get started.

Action and accountability distinguish a good goal from a good idea. Inspire your people and keep moving your organizations to be the best it can be.

My goal is to help you establish goals and action plans that will advance your construction business to a better position by the end of 2020. My Catapult Coaching Program is designed to quickly advance your construction business to a better position by helping you focus on the five Core Areas of Purpose, People, Processes, Performance and Profitability. Start with this free E-book, or connect with me at shane@shanenocus.com.

Let’s work together to set and achieve your goals.