From the Remodelong Blog

It is very easy to get caught up in the day-to-day events of running a business, even for the most organized remodeling owners. Depending on your business model, there may be sales people, production managers, office staff and, yes of course, customers. Having to manage many facets of your company can seem overwhelming at times. So how do you maximize everyone’s performance?

I remember the early years in my remodeling business and the feeling of anxiety that when I put the keys in the front door to the office at 6 a.m. and thinking, “What do I have in store for me today?” I knew then I need to know the pulse of my business, so I could feel in control and lessen the anxiety.

I talked it through with my mentor, who told me it’s extremely important to be the “man in the middle.” As a business owner you have to be the one that receives all the important information through meetings and reports with key employees. I discussed this in a previous blog, Building a Culture of Success.

The owner has to be the center hub—the “person in the middle.” There are three aspects to maximizing employee performance. You have to monitor, motivate, and hold them accountable.

Monitor
Everyone needs to know your company standards and procedures. The best way to ensure these standards are met is to follow up on leads, projects, service calls, and talking to current clients. Once you have their feedback, evaluate it. Review issues with the proper personnel. Let them know you are involved. If you have a large number of projects, it may be difficult to collect this information. If that is the case, spot check the projects. Review the information with you team, and take this as an opportunity to train them and make recommendations for improvement.
For example, you can visit projects on a consistent basis to inspect the progress, monitor your crews and subcontractors, and talk with your customers. These visits also let the team know I cared and built confidence with our customers. My crews knew I would arrive unannounced anytime. This made them more productive, quality minded, and efficient.

Motivate
When you take the time to monitor your team’s progress, don’t let this information go to waste. Are you happy with the progress or results? Is there room to improve communication, the quality of the workmanship, the ordering process, scheduling, and job site safety and cleanliness? Educate the team members on how they can improve in these categories and help them set goals for implementing more effective practices.

Accountability
By consistently monitoring and motivating your team, you should see progress. For the best results, you should set specific goals for each person. Show them the path on how to reach those goals. Attaching a deadline for achieving the goal will ensure that it happens in a timely manner.

Building a culture of success and enhancing your customers experience will truly grow your business with a positive reputation, which should also increase the bottom line. Be the person in the middle and watch the positive changes in your business!