We Can't Do That -3 Objections Your Boss May Have About Hiring a Construction or Remodeling Industry Expert
As an employee often times I bet you see challenges and opportunities at the business where you work that you believe your boss doesn't. It’s not necessarily that you might be smarter than your boss, although that sometimes is the case. It’s typically because you are involved in the business in a different way than your boss. If you are a Lead Carpenter perhaps that involvement exposes you to the day to day realities in the field while your boss is working on other things. Or maybe as the production manager you're the one who has to manage the projects and build from the information provided by your boss; but you can't. You have to constantly call him to get answers and or details.
Often times I find that employees can be the eyes and ears their bosses are missing in certain areas. If you are a dedicated and conscientious employee you may want to share what you see and offer solutions to help your boss. One solution can be to hire a construction industry expert to come in and help right the ship. This suggestion might probably be a good one. However, if your boss objects to it, what can you do or say?
Here are a few suggestions you can consider depending on the objection.
Objection #1: It cost too much.
Hiring a construction or remodeling industry expert certainly can be expensive. Depending on the nature of the problems to be addressed the fees can add up quickly. However, compared to the money lost over time by not correcting or improving things that slow you down or increase project costs, years perhaps, the lost revenue and compromised profitability can far exceed the initial cost to fix the problem. Perhaps you could help your boss see the cost as an investment. To do this consider using a simple analogy from your world as an example to help get your intended point across. Maybe consider using the example of having a table saw. Sure you could do your job without one, but it sure would go a lot faster and come out a lot better, and at a much lower labor cost, if he made the investment in a good one sooner than later. And by doing so the labor savings alone would quickly cover the cost of buying the table saw.
Objection #2: Don't have the money right now, so we would have to wait for a profitable job to pay for it.
If you hear that objection it may be the truth. But you know what they say about the definition of insanity. Depending on your relationship with your boss perhaps you could ask what he has already done or will do different to get that profitable job. The positive news is that often times the business is actually already in pretty good condition. I find many construction businesses might only need a few tweaks and or new processes to make significant improvements. If the expert helps start with low hanging fruit the initial changes can often generate the additional money needed to finance additional changes.
Objection #3: This isn't a good time, we are straight out right now.
Again, this may be completely true. And again I'm not sure how you would do or say this depending on your boss, so be careful and be respectful. Come up with a safe way to remind him that it's been pretty much like that every day and all the time for quite a while now since the company started running more than one or two jobs at the same time. If true, also remind your boss that things were going really well on the jobs when the company only did one or two jobs at a time. Point out that maybe some additional preconstruction activities and or introducing a Lead Carpenter system might be the answer. To help really make your suggestion practical you could also share your willingness and desire to take on additional responsibility provided you get the right training and tools to do so.
Last thoughts
Most construction business owners are thoughtful and kind people. They are also typically very busy and put in a lot of hours to help keep the business going and keep the employees working. If you see things that your boss doesn't, keep these considerations in mind. Choose a good time to share your opinions and offer your suggestions. Most importantly, do it with good intention and respect. I hope you have a boss who is willing to listen and will hear your suggestions.
If you give any of these suggestions a try let me know how you made out by posting a comment. If you’re afraid to say anything I hope you'll share that here as well. If you're afraid your boss will react negatively to a posted comment, email me your comment and I will post it anonymously for you.
