We are a young company. As we’ve become established, we knew we needed to pause and spend time working on the business.
I’ve worked for larger general contractors, and I know the importance of clarifying and confirming our company’s purpose, values, and direction. From a strategic standpoint, I knew that doing this would keep us from running around in different directions, hone in on a single focus, and make the leadership team stronger. It was just a matter of carving out time and finding the right person to facilitate a meeting.
I’ve gotten to know and trust Eric over the years. He’s not just another consultant; he understands the construction industry. Initially, he came in and met with our leadership team and allowed us to get a feel for his style. We are passionate about building, and Eric is enthusiastic about what he does, so it was a good fit, and the team decided to engage his services.
Before the meeting, Eric sent us the material we were going to use, which helped us prepare. Having a neutral third party facilitate our planning session was invaluable. We all have strong personalities. Sometimes we get stuck on a topic, go in circles, dig ourselves a hole, and lose focus. Eric helped us concentrate, keep on track, and avoid side-bar conversations.
Eric did an excellent job of listening and helping us to think critically about our challenges. He drew out answers from us that we wouldn’t have got by ourselves and enabled us to uniquely describe our purpose and values, not following the corporate herd with some generic mission statement.
The meeting was well structured. We put away our cell phones and computers for blocks of time, but we had plenty of breaks during the day to check for emergencies. The six-hour “three-quarter day” length was perfect. Any longer, we would have lost focus, any shorter, and we wouldn’t have had time to accomplish what we did. Eric guided us to a consensus quickly, and instead of just sitting around talking, we were able to craft a clear action plan at the end of the meeting.
If you’re looking to bring your leadership team together, get clear on your purpose, values, and big picture plan, I recommend Eric. He’s passionate, knows construction, and is an excellent facilitator, and his follow-ups after the meeting are great.
