A successful remodeling contractor friend emailed me the following:

As I start to envision what my little company will look like in two, three, five years, I begin to wonder if there is a comprehensive list of characteristics that a great remodeling company should strive for. For instance:

  • Production metrics in place, data collected, reported and reviewed regularly
  • Employee review process in place and used regularly
  • Customer feedback mechanism in place and used regularly
  • Job autopsy process in place, data collected and close the loop process in place
  • Contingency plan in place for unforeseen absence of key employees
  • dot dot dot...

Any such list around?

My response was: I don't know of such a list. But here are some key characteristics you might keep in mind:

  • The company makes money for the owner when the owner is not there.
  • The employees enjoy working in the company and have its best interests in mind.
  • The owner is away from the company often.
  • The owner has a rich life outside of the company.
  • The company's clients feel they are smart that they hired the company.

Make sense?

Often, folks latch onto process as the path to success. What actually drives success is purpose. Get clear about the purpose you want to achieve. Think carefully about this. All decision-making begins with the end in mind.

The needed processes will become evident the clearer you are about your goals. It doesn’t matter how you get the ball in the net. It just matters that you do.

What do goals look like in your world?