A must for on-time delivery

Posted: September 7, 2018 | Categories: Customer service, Leadership, Management, Team Building

If we want our product or service to be competitive and profitable, we need to deliver on time, within budget, and meet quality requirements.  To consistently achieve these objectives, there is one area I am finding increasing frustration:  Management of vendors and subs.  Since these folks are not on the payroll, we do not have the line authority and control that we do over our own employees.

In my 40 years of coaching and training, there is one business owner that stands out as the best vendor/sub manager I have ever known.  His name was John, and he was a contractor.  He built homes in the $1 million-plus range and was famous for always finishing the home on time and within budget.  He also had customers who were “wowed” and eager to refer him to their friends.  John’s recipe was simple:  He knew the four steps of project management:

1. Begin with the end picture in mind.

2.  List every single task and activity that needs to be done.  Prioritize the items and put them                                                  in sequence.

3.  Plan each task.  Negotiate and set deadlines with your subcontractors.

4.  Hold your team accountable

As simple as it sounds, it is not easy.  John’s strength was in step #4:  Holding people accountable.  If a sub committed to a time and date, John expected the sub to be there.  He was not a harsh man.  He simply went by the “Four F’s”:  Firm, Friendly, Frank and Fair.  I role-played with him in class to challenge him.  I played a sub that was trying to re-schedule a date I had committed to.  John said to me, “Steve, that isn’t going to work.  Here is why:  We are a team with a reputation of doing things right and on time.  If you don’t do your work here on Tuesday, that will set our job behind.  It would compromise our reputation.  You don’t want that.  Neither do I.  I want you to go back to your schedule and work it out, Steve.  I am counting on you to be there on Tuesday as we have agreed.”

That’s leadership!