Kevin French is CEO of Scarborough, a construction management firm of Maine Landry/French Construction. Opinions are typical of the author.
One of the most striking decisions that a business leader can make is to choose who around. During my career, I have learned that high -performance individuals, those who love what they do and act constantly in the interest of both the company and the client, are the most valuable investment you can do.
You do not need to be a massive company to adopt this mentality. Whether you have five employees or 500, sustainable success comes from prioritizing quality for quantity. Instead of safe playing, we grew up to a $ 300 million company doing daring actions and building a team of professionals who share our vision and live our values every day.
Kevin French
Permission granted by Landry/French Construction
Often, I feel that construction executives say, “We do not want to pay first -level salaries, so we will hire someone with less experience.” That is why I ask “at what cost?” This thought is how to step on wheelbarrows full of money to save a few dollars.
My approach is to hire a combination of experienced staff and invest in inexperienced people, looking to the future.
For example, I may be looking to hire a project executive or a project manager and a candidate asks for $ 80,000 and has a limited curriculum. Another calls for $ 160,000 and has a proven history and a great resume that inspires confidence in both customers and colleagues. I will take the latter every time. Why? Because this individual generates a bigger ROI in all the interactions, decisions and results of the project. This is not a cost. This is value.
Chemistry of the building
I see the business in the same way that I see sports and all the winning teams are based on chemistry. Your team must be aligned and united around a shared mission to achieve success and score. When this chemistry weakens due to the performance, the mentality, the attitude or the desalineation, it drags the entire organization down.
Like a coach who builds a championship team, sometimes you have to make difficult calls. You must rebalance the list; It is not easy, but it is a need for success.
I think investing in people is the most performing investment we can do. That is why we offer specialized training, professional development reimbursement, strong advantages and four elective Friday that employees can use in their discretion, as well as their regular PTO.
We have also invested in our workspace to support not only productivity but connection. For those who want to enjoy Maine’s good weather, we offer a comfortable outdoor working space with seats and wifi. Inside, we have created a large meeting place with a billiard table, bar board, ping pong and a pinball machine. Employees are recommended to enjoy these spaces during the breaks or after a long day of work.
They are not only advantages, they are part of our culture. They promote the connection, cause spontaneous collaboration and help create a strong sense of community through our team.
Careful hiring
We have also become more disciplined in our hiring practices. We surrounded ourselves with high performers and had the courage to separate us when the adjustment was not correct.
During my career I read Well to big by Jim Collins. Its “The right bus people have shaped how to hire, lead and maintain a cohesive team. I have given this book to many of my executive team, because I want them to understand the values that drive the decisions of our people.
Be the best you can be, day by day. You are here to contribute, to produce and lift the bar for those around you.
Surround yourself with people who believe, take and inspire action.
And equally important: identify, mentor and promote People who provide energy, optimism and solutions. These are your difference manufacturers, who will feed your growth and increase others with them.
