By Mark Harari Originally published November 27, 2018 The short version, 5 ways to improve company culture as you grow: Lead from the top. Model your values yourself, especially work/life balance. Run weekly all-hands meetings so no one operates in a vacuum. Tie goals to values, broken down by department. Celebrate small wins, not just […]

By Mark Harari Originally published October 17, 2017 A work in progress report (WIP) is a schedule that calculates earned revenue and over and under billings on each active job. It is one of the most important financial tools a remodeling company has, and one of the easiest to get wrong. I have given two […]

Here’s something I keep seeing in residential remodeling companies:  Strong sales. A growing pipeline. A good reputation in the market. And quietly, beneath all of it, good tactical leaders are leaving. Not because the work isn’t meaningful. Not because they don’t believe in what the company is building. But something about working inside the organization […]

Building the pre-closeout quality system that prevents punch lists from accumulating in the first place. If you only have systems for the end of the project, you’re already managing the consequences of not having systems during it. Zero Punch List isn’t a closeout strategy. It’s a production strategy that makes closeout easy. PM Site Visit […]

The backwards planning timeline that separates great project managers from reactive ones. Here is the most common closeout mistake I see in remodeling companies: The team starts thinking about closeout in the last two weeks. By then, it’s too late. The problems are already stacked. The subs have moved on. The client’s expectations have drifted. […]

This week, I had a conversation with a business owner about systems, accountability, and people management. At one point, he leaned back in his chair and said something that I think a lot of leaders wrestle with: “How much process is too much process?” He went on to explain that part of him wanted tighter […]