Mistake 1: Lack of Clear Accountability

When building a restoration business, one common mistake that we see with RestoPrenuers is giving focusing on tasks rather than outcomes. This causes delays and blown budgets. It's critical to provide clear, detailed instructions for each task in the form of Standard Operating Procedures. However, it's equally important to explicitly define who is accountable for each task. This helps your team understand their responsibilities and prevents them from shifting blame. Establishing clear accountability improves efficiency and the leadership team can focus on outcomes rather than micromanaging tasks.

Accountability is a component of the most successful companies, and it's particularly important in the restoration industry where responding to emergency situations is a fundamental element of success. Without clear accountability, tasks fall through the cracks, deadlines are missed, and quality suffers. This leads to unhappy clients, lost business, and a damaged reputation.

To establish clear accountability, start by defining the roles and responsibilities of each role in the organization. Forget about the people for a moment. Focus on the tasks and on going projects that are required in order for the company to A) survive, but B) thrive. 

This is be done using an organizational chart, with each role having 3-5 accountability items for each role. Once you’ve mapped it out, identify the people that have the skills or ability to fill the roles as outlined. Make sure each team member understands their role and the expectations that come with it.

It's important to create a culture of accountability within your organization. This means holding everyone to the same standards, rewarding success, and addressing failures. When team members see that accountability is taken seriously, they're more likely to take their responsibilities seriously as well.

By avoiding the mistake of not clearly defining accountability, you can build a more efficient, effective, and successful restoration business.

Mistake 2: Micromanaging and Lack of Accountability

While it's essential to monitor progress, constantly hovering over your team's shoulders can be demotivating. Trust is a crucial element in any successful business. When you trust team's expertise and give them the autonomy to complete tasks in their own way, within the provided guidelines, you empower them to take ownership of their work. This not only boosts morale but also encourages creativity and innovation.

OUTCOMES > TASKS

•  A leader focuses on outcomes. 
•  A manager focuses on tasks. 
•  A micromanager hyper focuses on tasks.

Micromanaging often stems from a lack of trust or a fear of failure. However, it's important to remember that your team members were hired for their skills and expertise. By allowing them to work independently, you're showing that you believe in their abilities and are dwilling to give them the space they need to succeed.

Of course, this doesn't mean you should be completely hands-off. Regular check-ins and progress reports are still necessary to ensure that everyone is on track and to provide support and guidance when needed. The key is to strike a balance between oversight and autonomy.

E.D.G.E

E - Educate - Explain the process

D - Demonstrate - Show the process

G - Guide - Have the student try it as you watch over them

E - Evaluate - Let them do it on their own and check in periodically to support

 It's important to hold team members accountable for their tasks. This means setting clear expectations, providing regular feedback, and addressing any issues that arise. When team members know that they will be held responsible for their work, they're more likely to take their responsibilities seriously.

By avoiding the mistake of micromanaging and fostering a culture of accountability, you can build a more motivated, engaged, and productive team. This, in turn, can lead to better results for your restoration business.

Mistake 3: Failing to Set Deadlines

Without clear deadlines, it's easy for tasks to fall through the cracks or be deprioritized. Deadlines provide a sense of urgency and help to keep everyone on track and focused on the project at hand. They also serve as a way to measure progress and ensure that tasks are completed on time.

When setting deadlines, it's important to make them realistic and achievable. Overly aggressive deadlines often leads to stress and burnout, while overly lenient deadlines leads to procrastination and a lack of urgency. The challenge is to find the balance between challenging and achievable.

It's important to communicate deadlines clearly to your team. Not only telling them when a task is due, but explaining why the deadline is important and how it fits into the overall project schedule. This will ensure that everyone understands the importance of meeting deadlines and is motivated to do so.

Regular check-ins and progress reports can also help to keep everyone on track. In the leadership team this is done with weekly meetings with a consistent agenda where the day and time every week is sacred. In operations, this is often done in the form of a Work In Progress (W.I.P. For short) meeting with the field operations managers. When structured correctly, these meetings provide an opportunity to review the status of each task, address any issues that have arisen, and adjust deadlines as needed.

By setting realistic and clear deadlines you can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your restoration business.

Mistake 4: Not Providing The Right Resources

While the lack of equipment and supplies can be frustrating and lead to low morale, inefficient systems and processes are often the leading cause of frustration and employee turnover in restoration businesses. Inefficient systems can lead to delays, rework, and wasted time, all of which can frustrate your team and impact their productivity.

Review your current systems and processes. Look for areas where there are bottlenecks, inefficiencies, or unnecessary steps. This could include everything from your project management system to your communication processes. We advise our clients to not be emotionally attached to a process. Even if “it’s the way we’ve always done it” challenge the system by eliminating the process all together, then rebuilding it from scratch. 

It's absolutely critical to involve your team in this process. They are the ones who use these systems and processes every day, so they are likely to have valuable insights into what works and what doesn't. Their input can help you to create a system that works for everyone. In terms of accountability, what better way to hold someone accountable? They developed the process. If they don’t or can’t follow their own process, then you’ve got bigger issues that need to be addressed. 

By avoiding the mistake of not providing efficient systems and processes, you can improve the productivity, morale, and retention of your restoration business.

Mistake 5: Ignoring feedback

Feedback is a valuable tool for improving your team's performance and identifying areas for growth. It provides insights into what's working well and what could be improved, helping you to make informed decisions and adjustments. Ignoring feedback can lead to a lack of engagement and motivation among your team members, as they may feel that their opinions and ideas are not valued.

Start by creating a culture of feedback in your organization. Encourage your team to provide feedback on the tasks they're working on, and be open to their suggestions for improvement. This can be done through regular meetings, surveys, or even a suggestion box.

When you receive feedback, take the time to listen to it and consider it. If you don't agree with the feedback, it's still very important to acknowledge it and thank the person for their input. If you decide not to act on the feedback, you need to be sure to explain why. This reinforces that you value their opinion and are making an informed decision.

It's important to provide feedback to your team. We recommend setting up a feedback schedule for the entire team. You should be specific, objective, and constructive. There is an old saying, “What gets measured, gets managed.” When team members know that their performance is being monitored and that they will receive feedback on it, they're more likely to stay engaged and focused on the things that they are being measured by.

By avoiding the mistake of ignoring feedback, you can create a more engaged, motivated, and productive team. This, in turn, can lead to better results for your restoration business.

Conclusion

Building a successful restoration business requires careful planning, efficient systems, and a strong team. By avoiding common mistakes such as micromanaging, ignoring feedback, and failing to set clear accountability, you can create a more productive and motivated team. Additionally, providing your team with the necessary resources and tools, and encouraging a culture of feedback and continuous improvement, can help your business thrive.

Remember, the key to success in the restoration industry is not only in the quality of your work, but also in the efficiency and effectiveness of your operations. By focusing on these areas, you can build a strong and efficient restoration business that stands out in a competitive market.

If you're looking to avoid these common mistakes and build a strong and efficient restoration business, reach out to Restoration Advisers. Our team of experts can help you identify areas for improvement and develop a strategy to take your business to the next level.