Time To Clean Out the Dead Wood?

Words: George Hedley

In golf, players who artificially inflate their handicaps to gain an unfair advantage during competitions are known as "sandbaggers." The term comes from the concept of filling your golf bag with some sand so it’s heavier than normal, causing you to get tired and not play to your potential. To keep high handicaps, sandbaggers do little things like missing short putts on purpose when they don’t need to win a hole. Performing poorly at times keeps their scores high, and then they only play their best when it counts. This strategy may help them win matches, but it is far from honest. Similarly, construction business owners often find themselves taking shortcuts or delaying decisions, which can hurt profitability. With the daily pressures of managing projects, meeting deadlines, and overseeing staff, it’s easy to fall into a habit of postponing tough decisions like whether to keep poor performers hired or replace them.

Just as sandbaggers mislead their competitors, not doing uncomfortable leadership tasks you know are needed will continue bad results, deeper problems, less profitability, and a lack of teamwork. For instance, if you retain underperforming employees or stick to the same subcontractors or suppliers without exploring additional competitive options, you save time but avoid hard decisions, which ultimately cost you money and reduce your bottom line.

Make Positive People Decisions Fast!
Who on your crew or staff causes you the most grief, doesn’t do a good job, or has a bad attitude? These poor performers are infiltrating everyone on your team and bringing them down. Poor performers should be cleaned out and removed fast. Think of employees as trees in the forest. When they die, run out of life, or stop growing, they become dead wood. Dead wood gets in the way, is a fire hazard, and causes you to trip or fall as you move forward. When you let the dead wood remain, you tolerate and accept poor performance. When you don’t remove or clean out dead wood, other employees must put up with it, work around it, and cover for them. Additionally, your good employees lose respect for a boss who won’t do what’s right and accepts less than the best from his people.

Evaluate your team and identify those who consistently underperform or have negative attitudes. Just like deadwood, these employees obstruct progress and hinder the effectiveness of your team. Keeping them around not only affects team morale but also affects your performance and attitude. Consider rating your employees based on their results, skills, teamwork, enthusiasm, attitude, and willingness to take on additional responsibilities. This can help you identify who truly adds value and who detracts from your values. You might also find that a few old-timers or relatives are not on your ‘keep’ list. Owners find that by addressing the issues and removing ineffective team members, productivity and morale significantly improve.

Some owners make the excuse that they are too busy to clean out the dead wood or find new people to do a better job. But by doing nothing and walking by poor performers, you avoid tough decisions and lose more money. One dead tree can reduce your crew efficiency by 25%. It’s understandable not to address letting go of employees, but tolerating mediocrity is costly. By taking decisive action, not only do you pave the way for better performance from remaining staff, but you also create an opportunity for new, more effective hires who share your vision for excellence.

Don’t Postpone Reality
I know that every employee you hire will not be a perfect fit for your company. It’s not a reflection of your hiring skills, as some people don’t fit the required job description or will aspire to excellence in your company’s environment. Cleaning house and getting rid of the dead wood fast will foster a more productive environment that encourages growth and accountability. And on a positive note, you free them to find a better place to thrive. To transform your business, make it a priority to identify and eliminate inefficiencies in your operations. Initiate a thorough review of your team and take the necessary steps to improve performance. To get started, reach out to GH@HardhatBizcoach.com for suggestions to help your business. Now, get out your axe, make tough decisions, and trim the dead wood. Then make it your priority to find positive people who’ll make your company a better place.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
George Hedley CPBC is a construction certified professional business coach, consultant, and speaker, He helps contractors increase profits, grow, get organized, systemize, and move to the next level! He is the author of “Turn Your Construction Business Into A Profit-Making Machine!” available on Amazon.com. To schedule an introductory coaching session or get his free e-newsletter, email GH@HardhatBizcoach.com. Watch his videos at youtube.com/@HardHatBizCoach or download online courses and get his contractor templates at hardhatbizcoach.com.

Time To Clean Out the Dead Wood?

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