Building a Strong and Effective Restoration Team: Tips for Leading and Managing Growing Restoration Companies

From the desk of Toby Clem (No AI was used in the creation of this blog)

Restoration Businesses share similar challenges no matter the size

I just got back from an amazing week with a company that is growing. They are experiencing some growing pains. They are realizing in real time something Klark has said for a long time, “What got you here, won’t get you there.”

Just want to let you in on a little secret.

$15M problems are bigger (higher impact) than $1M problems. But at their core, the problems are very VERY similar.

Leadership and management are two of the most important components of a successful business, especially when it comes to large teams. These terms are thrown around and often used incorrectly. It's important to understand the terms and learn how to implement them accordingly. 

As companies grow, their problems become more complex and require a different approach to solve them. Recruitment and hiring practices, for example, become increasingly important as companies expand and need to hire more people to keep up with demand.

To build a successful restoration business with a large team, it's crucial to have down-line leaders who share your vision and can hold their teams accountable. This is where recruitment and hiring practices come into play. By hiring the right people and giving them the tools and training they need to succeed, you can build a strong team that can weather any storm.

This blog is not about recruiting and hiring practices. But now is a great time to tell you about our Restoration Business Retreat in June. We are still finalizing the details, but we are setting our sights on an incredible little town in Montana. 

Our focus will be on getting the Right People in the Right Seats in your organization. We’ve got some tools that will be shared at this retreat that will help you identify a good fit for your organization before you hire them. We also have tools for you to assess your team if they are currently employed. 
There will only be 12 seats available. Most of them are already filled. You can find out more here. Be sure to check back often as we are finalizing the details and will update the page soon. 

Back to the subject at hand. 

How do you lead and manage a large team effectively? 

Hint: The same way you lead and manage a small team. 

Here are a few tips… all things that we discussed during my visit with them:

1. Use Data and Metrics to Stay Ahead of Potential Problems

• To stay ahead of potential problems and bad actors, you need to have a scorecard, dashboard, or other tools that allow you to track data and metrics related to your team's performance. By having a clear understanding of how your team is performing, you can identify problems early and take action to address them before they become bigger issues.

1. Educate, Demonstrate, Guide, and Evaluate

• To help your team succeed, you need to provide them with the tools and training they need to do their jobs effectively. This means educating them on the processes and procedures they need to follow, demonstrating best practices, guiding them as they learn, and evaluating their progress as you gain the trust to allow them to perform the tasks on their own with the knowledge and education you have given them.

1. Make Sure Every Role Gets It, Wants It, and Has Capacity

• To ensure that your team is performing at its best, you need to make sure that every person in every role understands what they need to do, wants to do it, and has the capacity to do it. This means making sure that they have the skills, knowledge, and resources they need to succeed. This term comes from the book “Traction”, by Gino Wickman.

1. Follow Up Regularly

• To keep your team on track, you need to have a good system and process for following up with them regularly. This is where Accountability is practiced. This means checking in on their progress, providing feedback, and addressing any issues that arise as soon as possible.

By following these tips, you can build a strong and effective team that can take your business to the next level. 

Think about the CEO of any large organization you may be fond of. These folks are classic examples of working ON the business, not IN the business. I use this example often. Imagine the CEO of Walmart trying to go and be the cashier to fill in for someone out on maternity leave. It can’t happen. Impossible. The CEO likely doesn’t know about the ins and outs of an individual store in an organization that large. The CEO looks at the performance of regions. The CEO has regional managers to handle the day-to-day and operate their region as if it is their own business. There are processes and procedures in place to ensure that they perform to the standards that make the shareholders happy. 

If you own a restoration business, depending on your goals, you need to think more like a CEO than an owner-operator. 

Of course, building a successful business is not without its challenges. As you grow, you may encounter new problems and roadblocks you didn't anticipate. That's why it's important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices. You can do that by joining Restoration Business Academy. A resource for restoration businesses that includes resources (downloads), education (courses, videos, and Live coaching sessions), and a community of other vetted restorers to help you achieve your goals without the big investment of a 1:1 coaching relationship.