New Year’s resolutions for successful construction projects and contractors

Image by Simon from Pixabay

"The end of the year is a time to contemplate the past year and consider the coming year."

2023 – A New Year – make it the best construction year ever

2022, where did it go so fast? The last few years have been tough for many. Some of you will look back on 2022 and curse the gods of construction that were against you, rising costs, subcontractors that let you down, the weather, politicians, uncooperative clients, competitors that undercut your prices, employees, the economy, in fact usually everybody and anyone. But this serves little purpose.

The end of the year is a time to contemplate the past year and consider the coming year. It’s that time of year when many make New Year’s resolutions. These include; getting fit, losing weight, stopping smoking, drinking less, taking up a new hobby, managing stress, changing jobs and spending more time with the family. Unfortunately, few successfully keep these resolutions because they’re often poorly thought through, spur of the moment decisions (sometimes made after a few drinks), or because they just seemed like the right thing to say and do. There’s no plan on how to go about keeping the resolution. So other than providing some optimism and a brief feeling of good, they often achieve little.

" How will you make this year better than last year? Do you have a plan?"

​What will you be wishing for in 2023? No doubt you are wishing for company growth, increased profits, successful construction projects, a developing career, more family time, good health, less stress and a year with few problems. But have you really thought how you’ll achieve these aims? Do you have a plan? How will you make 2023 better than 2022?
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Before you get totally immersed in the hassles, problems and work in the New Year, take some time to consider things you could improve in your company, your projects and your everyday life. Why not put some New Year’s resolutions in place, and keep them.

Try these construction resolutions in 2023

• ​Training – investing in your employees and yourself with appropriate training will yield dividends. We always put training off because it never seems the right time. “We’re too busy.”” Our team is too busy.”” We don’t have money.” ” People will leave the company after they’ve received training.” Stop making excuses. Guess what – there will never be time to train and learn unless we make time! Having skilled employees can provide huge benefits to you and the company and is usually money well spent. People appreciate learning new skills and will more likely stay with a construction company they see is investing in their future. Prepare a training schedule now. Of course, make sure the training is effective and useful, and not just training for the sake of training. And, don’t forget about you – we can all learn something new. Read a new book about construction management or building a successful company. Attend courses – construction finance, construction variation claims, communication, effective delegation, dispute resolution – nothing will be wasted.​

"We can all learn something new"

• ​​Invest in new technology. Many of us become stuck in our tried and tested old ways. However there is new construction technology out there that can be hugely beneficial to your construction projects and your construction company. Of course make sure that it is appropriate, and get buy-in from your team. Don’t be left behind by your competitors!​
• Improve your market intelligence. Ensure you know what is happening around you, what new construction projects are coming up and what other contractors are up to. Often we are so focused on managing our construction projects or company that we don’t see what’s happening in the world around us and miss new construction opportunities. Start tracking possible future construction projects, delegate tracking forthcoming projects to individuals, talk to clients, and encourage employees to keep you informed of possible future construction work.
• Effective delegation is an art that needs to be practised. It empowers and motivates our employees. People feel more trusted. Delegating work will give you more time to look at the bigger picture stuff, talk to clients, plan for the future, maybe even spend more time with the family. However delegating responsibility shouldn’t mean you abdicate responsibility. You need to follow-up without micro-managing. Also, ensure that the person has sufficient knowledge and support to carry out the task delegated to them.

"Effective delegation empowers and motivates our team."

• Make time to walk your construction projects. Being on the project site, at the “construction coal face”, gives you a feeling for how well the project is run. Add value as you go around, look at safety, quality and productivity, and greet your team (they’ll appreciate it) and talk to your clients.
• Improve the way you communicate with your team. Do they know where the company and projects are going? Are they focused where they should be? Often we are so focused on where we are going that we neglect to keep those around us informed. Lead and motivate your team. You will be amazed at what a motivated and inspired team can accomplish

"Pricing shouldn’t be a shotgun approach – firing off as many prices as possible hoping that one of them will hit the target"

• Improve project tendering or pricing systems. Look at your project pricing procedures. Study your price submissions. Are they acceptable? Could they be done better? What percentage of your quotations or tenders do you win? This year may be the time to invest in new construction pricing software, look at ways of improving your pricing submissions and maybe even be more selective in the construction projects you price. If you lose a bid, try and understand why, what you could have done differently. It’s not always only about price! You need to sell your company to clients, convincing them that you are a professional construction company and can deliver the project they’re looking for. Pricing shouldn’t be a shotgun approach – firing off as many prices as possible hoping that one of them will hit the target – that it will be the lowest. Learn to be more selective, then put every effort to winning the projects that you have the best chance of winning, and the construction projects that will be most beneficial to the company.
• Be open to learning new ways and construction methods. Don’t get trapped in always doing things the same way.  Be prepared to ask questions. Look around. Investigate other options. Be prepared to learn from others.

"A little appreciation can make a huge difference to your team."

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

• Say thank you. This is something we often don’t do enough of. Congratulate your team, or an individual, on a job well done. A little appreciation can make a huge difference to your team.
• Spend time with your family. Don’t let working long hours and on weekends become a routine. Plan a few long weekends away with the family now. Before you know it you will be half way through the year and you won’t have had time away. Learn to leave your work at your office.

Image by Ben Kerckx from Pixabay

"Your crew wants to know that they belong to a successful team."

• Celebrate success. We are often so busy we don’t stop to celebrate winning a new construction project, or successfully reaching a project milestone. Success is inspiring and motivating. Your crew wants to know that they belong to a successful team.

Successful contracting in 2023

Don’t let another year go past without making a few necessary changes. Before we know it 2023 will be half gone! Take action now on just a few of these points and you’ll certainly be able to look back at the end of 2023 with a sense of achievement.
Write down the resolutions you want to implement. Include a short plan on how you’ll tackle them. Then, don’t forget to monitor progress through the year.

"You can make the difference with some planning and a little effort."

​Make this year a new beginning. Don’t let this become another forgotten New Year’s resolution! You can make the difference to your construction project, your company, and your life with some planning and a little effort.

How do you plan to transform your company, your construction projects and your career this year? Please share your thoughts.
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If you put some of these ideas into practice please don’t forget to give us feedback on how they helped you.
Wishing you an inspired, happy, healthy and successful 2023. Thank you for your continued support.

"Very useful guide regarding the management of the construction projects. Open, direct and insightful." (Reader review Amazon.co.uk)

Paul Netscher has written several easy to read books for owners, contractors, construction managers, construction supervisors and foremen. They cover all aspects of construction management and are filled with tips and insights.
Visit to read more.
The books are available in paper and ebook from most online stores including Amazon.