Do Less, Better
“The Mantra for 2024: Do less, better.”
“In the dog-eat-dog world of the construction industry, the prevailing culture often echoes the sentiment that more is better. Bid more projects, acquire more work, and generate more revenue at all costs—a formula that has long been considered the pathway to success,” says Skiles Group CEO Keyan Zandy, writing in D-CEO December 19, 2023, in an opinion piece titled “Crushing the Profit First Mentality: How to Cultivate People-centric Leadership”.
“However, I’d like to challenge this conventional wisdom and debunk the myth that “more” translates to the “best” way to grow your firm.”
The reality is that an incessant pursuit of growth often brings unintended consequences, creating a cascade of challenges for construction owners. More work means more headaches:
- There is an urgent need to hire more people.
- A weakening of company culture.
- Increased employee exhaustion.
- Added opportunities to make critical mistakes.
Zandy offers 3 Resolutions for 2024:
- Invest in Employee Well-Being
- Fire the Wrong Clients
- Be More Transparent
Zandy calls this: “a strategic evolution towards a more sustainable and prosperous future.
As leaders, it’s time to crush the profit-first mentality and usher in an era where success is measured not just in revenue but in the satisfaction, well-being, and success of the people who make it all possible.”
READ DETAILS OF THE 3 RESOLUTIONS HERE
Keyan Zandy is the CEO of the Skiles Group, a construction management firm based in Richardson, Texas, recipient of the 2023 LCI Pioneer Award, and co-author with Joe Donarumo of The Lean Builder, a widely acclaimed book on Lean Construction principles “written for a specific group of people: the leaders in the field—the superintendents and Last Planners®.“