December 19, 2023
Are you still using outdated and inefficient methods for construction bidding? If so, it’s time to make a change. The construction industry is evolving rapidly, and those who don’t adapt will be left behind. But change is hard, and it can be challenging to know where to start.
Luckily, there’s a proven change management model that can help you navigate the process successfully. The components of this model include:
Without these components, your change efforts will likely result in confusion, anxiety, resistance, frustration, and feeling like you’re on a treadmill. Below is a slide that summarizes this change management model:
Someone once told me ‘Clarity creates Confidence’. Change requires a clear vision for why change is happening. You have to communicate:
Your team members must have the necessary skill sets to implement the change effectively. Leaders must ensure that they have subject matter expertise, can gather and understand the requirements, evaluate technology, and be able to mentor, coach, and train all the stakeholders. Without these skills, the team will feel stressed about how to execute the vision of the change.
We have a 9, 12, and 14-year-old and live in a hybrid ‘monarchy/dictatorship’. It’s run by our Queen and ‘Because I Said So!’ is written on the house flag. This mantra is necessary because people resist change that they perceive is not in their interest.
Incentives are crucial to overcoming resistance to change. So, it’s essential to communicate the incentives for driving the change and the consequences of not doing so. If someone successfully drives change in your organization, what happens? Is there a pat on the back, or are they passed up for promotion? Do you have a tolerance for failure?
Time: Everyone we call on….and I mean EVERYONE…..is busy. If you want to drive change, it requires time. If you can’t make time for it, your change will only come by luck OR the market forces you change. By that time, you are at a serious disadvantage.
So what would your organization do with more time? Could you bid more, spend more time on estimates, better follow up? Efficiency is one of the drivers of the RhinoDox platform. Every client will tell you that it absolutely saves time….if you’re into that.
Money: Change rarely ever comes for free. We sell a solution that improves your bidding process and drives an economic outcome. Building it yourself will not save you money. You will definitely spend more, it will take longer and probably will not get the same results.
And this is important….
Spending money on the wrong things during tough times can be a death sentence. Successful companies invest in the change they know they need in tough times. Investing in change during tough times mitigates the risk of an uncertain future.
One of my favorite sayings is ‘The War Is Won Before It’s Begun’. Successful change requires an action plan. Without a structured approach, implementing new software will likely feel like a treadmill. Define the problem, the desired outcome, the responsibilities, establish timelines, and monitor progress. The worst mistake you can make is to buy software and think it will solve a problem. Define the problem first, and then create a plan for implementation.
Change is painful. To get to a better state, you have to go through some pain. But the pain curve can be minimized with a process like the one we’ve described above.
The construction industry is changing rapidly. Don’t get left behind. Start implementing the components of the change management model today and you will spend less time in the valley, ascending to the mountaintop of prosperity faster and with increased confidence not that you understand the Components of Change.
The next 3-5 years do not appear to look like the last 10. What are you doing to prepare for that? Change benefits you in good times and bad.
