Henry Goundreau Coaches Top Construction Executives, Here Are The 10 Habits He Says They Should All Have
It's a favorite saying of performance coaches that it takes as much energy to develop a bad habit as a good one. And it takes the same amount of time, too - roughly three weeks.
Henry Goudreau ran a multi-million-dollar construction firm for years before changing course into construction business coaching. A firm believer in the power of good habits, he assists contractors that own their own companies and construction executives in running the best, most profitable, and reputable construction firms in the country.
Through his personally developed Golden Hard Hat Mentoring Program, he has graduated over 100 construction business owners and helped them to increase their incomes tenfold during weekly mentoring calls.
Though many of his clients were already flourishing when they approached Goudreau, he has helped them, on average, increase their profits by 21% with his unique brand of coaching.
Below are the ten healthy habits he thinks every construction executive should develop.
Goal Setting
Without goals, there is far less progress. Goals provide a clear focus on achievements. However, Goudreau says that most owners believe they don't need to write these down, believing they have it all under control in their heads.
Instead, the coach suggests that you get in the regular habit of writing down your goals - and then revisiting the list to ensure that you are progressing.
Develop a Vision
"There is a big difference between a goal and a vision. The goal is something you want to achieve; the vision is how you want other people to see it once you've achieved it," said Goudreau.
He always tells his students to get in the habit of finding the vision and a pathway to achieving it.
Plan Strategically
Strategic plans are quite a bit different than a standard plan of, say, talking your team out to dinner after completing a big project. Instead, a strategic plan considers everything, from the top to the bottom of your business. It answers who, what, when, and how.
It would be best if you habitually update your business's strategic plan to achieve higher profit margins and exceptional success.
Be Systematic
There are only so many hours a day, and a busy business owner must make the most of them. So have systems in place for all that you do. For example, create an auto-reply for business inquiries and set aside 30 minutes daily when you respond to the most complex queries. And during that time, you do nothing else.
Your systems will ensure you get things done linearly without multitasking, often leading to wasted time as your mind shifts from task to task.
Routinize Employee Training
Training new employees is expensive and time-consuming. If you are running a growing and healthy business, there is not much you can do to avoid this time and money expenditure, but you can minimize it by developing tried-and-true training systems to make the process as streamlined as possible.
Use Targeted Marketing Plans
Marketing can be a rabbit hole of wasted time, money, and resources, but it doesn't have to be.
"Successful contractors utilize targeted marketing, which is laser-focused on only those potential customers that will buy their services with a high degree of certainty," said Goudreau.
This means having your buyer personas on hand, knowing who your client is, what they want, and why. And targeting your marketing spending to ensure they know that you are the contractor who understands them.
Don't Give Up
There are always going to be bad days. Maybe you didn't win a bid, an employee was injured, or your job came in over budget, and the client was unhappy. We all have these days when things don't seem to be going our way.
Successful contractors don't give up. Instead, they take a step back, analyze the situation, and figure out how they can keep the unfortunate situation from happening again.
Don't Blame Fate
Instead of blaming back luck or fate or other people, simply accept responsibility for the circumstances or situation and react with grace. Your employees and clients will think highly of you for it.
Believe In Your Career
Always remember: you got into this business for a reason. Goudreau mentioned the satisfaction of seeing a perfect angle, a project that came out just right, and the look of joy on a client's face when they know you have brought their dream to life.
When things get bad, remember those feelings and stay on your path, success is bound to be right around the corner.
Sharpen Your Business Saw
'Sharpening Your Business Saw' is among Goudreau's favorite coaching phrases. It means that if a carpenter never sharpened his saw, it would develop a dull blade, leading to poor results and less work.
"To be more effective and efficient with your business, you must be just like the master carpenter and take the time now and then to sharpen the saw to keep its razor edge and be more effective and efficient with your business," he said.
With these habits firmly in place - and a fully sharpened saw - you're sure to grow your construction business in no time.
About Henry Goudreau
Henry Goudreau is the Founder of HG Associates and Golden Hard Hat Mentoring Program. Goudreau has mentored over 100 clients to 10x their businesses. To find out more about his weekly mentoring calls, please visit this Website.
