Many of the remodelers I work with and speak with are doing better than they have in quite some time. Over the last year to 18 months companies that reduced overhead and staff dramatically are experiencing an increased work load, some so much so that there simply is not the time to catch one’s breath.

I counsel people to keep having the company’s regular meetings as doing so becomes even more important when the company is running full speed ahead. One thing that could be useful for any company, even one that is not experiencing an up-tick in business, is to have a company meeting to simply to reflect on the year.

There are a lot of lessons to be gathered by doing so, most of which will be forgotten and have to be relearned if there is no opportunity for a download. Who likes the pain of learning the same lesson multiple times? How to make it happen?

SCHEDULE IT

Right now schedule a meeting for mid-December. Pick the date and time. I suggest early in the day as opposed to late in the day, as you and your people want to be fresh for this. One hour is more than enough for this meeting.

TIME TO REFLECT

Ask your people, between now and the meeting date, to note all the things they think could have been done better/differently and all the lessons that they learned during the year. That will give them time to reflect and will change the way they look at what they do from that point forward.

CAPTURE IDEAS

At the meeting have a flip chart and some markers. Write down the points that are offered by everyone. Then see what can be combined to make the input more manageable. Prioritize the list so it reflects what is most important.

CONSIDER INPUT

Now tell your folks that you will take in all their input, thank them for providing it, and tell them the date and time when you will report to them on what you have decided the company will be doing differently in the new year.

If you are too busy to think about what is being done right and what is not then you are doomed to stay the same. Is that okay with you? Then don’t have the meeting. But if you are committed to continuous improvement, then have the meeting and keep on improving!  —Paul Winans, a veteran remodeler, now  works as a facilitator forRemodelers Advantage, and as a consultant to remodeling business owners. Contact him at[email protected].