Management

Ep.179: The Secret to Successful Bonuses and Incentives with Doug Panozzo

Join guest Doug Panozzo as he helps us wrap up our 4-part series on Bonuses and Incentives.  Doug shares the many facets of incentives and ways he has been successful in motivating his team.

Doug is the production manager at Hogan Design and Construction and joined their team in 2017 after several years managing projects for a technology company.  He brings leadership, communication, organization, and attention to detail to his job and we hear all about it in this episode.

Tim, Steve and Doug talk more about:


4-Part Series on Bonuses and Incentives:

Ep.177: The Secret to Successful Bonuses and Incentives with Eddie Casanave

This is PART 2 of a 4-part series focused on Bonuses and Incentives. 

Eddie Casanave, Owner of Distinctive Remodeling in Raleigh, NC joins Tim and Steve to talk about the bonus and incentive program he and his team use.

In business 1987, Eddie has seen and tried many different bonus plans, and they seemed to all have limited life.

The current plan he uses seems to have the elements to make it long lasting.

Tim, Steve and Eddie talk more about:

  • Financial bonuses vs. incentives
  • The origin of the bonus program and how has it developed over time
  • Which part makes it appealing to their team
  • Customer Satisfaction issues
  • And More


4-Part Series on Bonuses and Incentives:

Ep.176: Bonuses and Incentives with Andrew Kerr

This is PART 1 of a 4-part series focused on Bonuses and Incentives. 

Financial incentives and bonuses are often how many companies attract and retain great talent.  Guest Andrew Kerr of Landis Construction is here to share how bonus structures can potentially lead to increased motivation and involvement within a company.

Andrew has been with Landis since 2001, and as their COO he now oversees the company’s architecture, estimating, construction, and process management departments.  Prior to joining the company, Andrew held a position as a PM at Centex Homes, managing construction for new homes, and also worked at the White House for the National Security Council.

Tim, Steve and Andrew talk more about:

  • Unfulfilled bonus promises
  • Bonus structures and customer satisfaction
  • Financial bonuses vs. incentives
  • And more…


4-Part Series on Bonuses and Incentives:

Get Your Production Team Focused on Profit!

Keep your production team sharp and focused on profit throughout the new year with our weekly Production Team Training Masterclass, starting up on January 10th.

Instructor Tim Faller covers 6 hot topics that have proven to be game-changers for companies all over the country and will definitely raise the bar in your world.

This course is geared to your production staff and at the end of each session, Tim will assign homework that the team can use to reinforce the topic and implement the new ideas.

Ep.172: Pull Planning for Smooth Production with Jack Miller – Part 1

In this episode, Host Tim Faller shares a process called Pull Planning, and how he thinks it can change the way the residential remodeling world schedules projects.  Instead of creating a schedule from start dates, the focus is centered around end dates, and guest Jack Miller is here to talk about how this technical tool can eliminate the huge costs and high stress from production scheduling delays.

Jack started Jack Miller Contractors in 2007 with the vision of a team of highly skilled professionals working together to deliver exceptional projects, a vision which has since come to fruition.  He also leads his parish Buildings & Grounds committee and is on the advisory committee to Charles H. McCann Technical School. 

Tim, Steve and Jack talk more about:

  • What can cause schedules to fail
  • Organizing Pull Planning meetings
  • Identifying project milestones
  • And more…

Peer-Power for your Production Team!

Due to ongoing demand, we will be taking new members into our 7th Roundtables Group, specifically for Project Managers, in January 2022.

Developed and led by our Senior Consultant and “Production Guru,” Tim Faller, this special Roundtables™ Program focuses on all aspects of production management; People Management, Technology, Training & Development, Customer Service and more.

For more information about this great program, click here.

Ep.166: Taking the Client Experience to the Next Level (Part 2) with Jeremy Kelley

People mysteriously up and leave without giving notice, and we are stuck with the issue of keeping and retaining that “good help.” From a manager’s perspective all was going so well, but still, there is something going on in the employee’s head that causes them to leave. 

In almost all cases, getting more money somewhere else is the most common explanation.  Money is the prominent tangible item in the experience, so it is often used as the excuse. But what prompted them to even look someplace else? Why did the good relationship get to the point where someone was not wanting to stay?

In this two part series, we will be talking about how our personality and more importantly, the other person’s personality impact these relationships.  Tune in to part 2 to hear about the internal client, with the help of guest Jeremy Kelley.

Jeremy joined BACK Construction four years ago after running his own Residential Design/Build company for 11 years. Over the last year, his position has changed slightly from Production manager to Director of the Remodeling Division. 

Tim, Steve and Jeremy talk more about:

  • Being a better listener
  • Controlling your “natural style”
  • The critical ideas for any relationship
  • And more…

Whether you are listening in the truck on your way to your next client or at your desk during a lunch break, PowerTips Unscripted brings you your next big idea, success tip or even just a chance to hear from those that have achieved great success in the remodeling industry.

PowerTips Unscripted is available on Apple iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher and always on PowerTipsPodcast.com

Ep.165: Taking the Client Experience to the Next Level with Jeremy Kelley (Part 1)

People mysteriously up and leave without giving notice, and we are stuck with the issue of keeping and retaining that “good help.” From a manager’s perspective all was going so well, but still, there is something going on in the employee’s head that causes them to leave. 

In almost all cases, getting more money somewhere else is the most common explanation.  Money is the prominent tangible item in the experience, so it is often used as the excuse. But what prompted them to even look someplace else? Why did the good relationship get to the point where someone was not wanting to stay?

In these next two episodes, we will be talking about how our personality and more importantly, the other person’s personality impact these relationships. We will discuss the external client in the first episode, and the internal client in the second, with the help of guest Jeremy Kelley.

Jeremy joined BACK Construction four years ago after running his own Residential Design/Build company for 11 years. Over the last year, his position has changed slightly from Production manager to Director of the Remodeling Division. 

Tim, Steve and Jeremy talk more about:

  • Utilizing temperament tests
  • The importance of “listening well”
  • Working better together through understanding better
  • And more…

Let Us Turn Your Project Manager into a Superhero!

Remodelers Advantage presents a Masterclass course explicitly designed for Project Management personnel in the remodeling and custom-building industries.

This two-day program, held in-person at our office in Maryland, focuses on two of the most critical aspects of managing a project – hitting the agreed-upon budget and working with and managing the team effectively.

Industry and business experts Tim Faller, Victoria Downing, and Doug Howard will be facilitating this course.

Ep.163: Sales for Non-Sales People (Part 1) with Jeff Borovitz

Some see salespeople as shifty, crafty people that try to trick you into buying.  So, how do we take steps towards reducing that stigma?

In part one of this two-part series with guest Jeff Borovitz, listeners will learn about the general ideas as to why it is so important to embrace the field of sales, and some potential outcomes in the event that we don’t.   

Jeff is a franchise owner of Sandler Training and the Remodelers Advantage Sandler Sales Trainer. He has advised, trained and coached small and medium-sized companies as well as large enterprise companies on developing stronger sales teams, closing more sales and leading organizational change.

Tim, Steve and Jeff talk more about:

  • The DISC Factor
  • Sales and its role in remodeling
  • Putting this advice into practice
  • And more…

Speaking of Sales... We're Hiring!

This might be exactly the opportunity you have been hoping to find! Remodelers Advantage, the leading provider of peer groups, education, and consulting to the home remodeling industry, is looking for just the right candidate to join our extraordinary team as Sales Executive. Could that be you?

[ Click Here for More Information About the Available Position ]

Episode 162: The SPAR Process with Tim Faller

Employee review strikes fear into everyone’s hearts.

Something has to change in the process of developing and figuring out how much someone is worth to a company, as well as a number of other aspects in the employee review process.  This episode talks about a change in this process to ensure employee growth, and how to take the necessary steps towards seeing employee reviews through a different lens.  

Host turned guest, Tim Faller, is a senior consultant and the “Master of Production” for Remodelers Advantage. For the past 17 years, he has worked with hundreds of remodeling companies, large and small, to help improve profits by creating smooth, efficient production systems.

Tim and Steve talk more about:

  • The SPAR process
  • Focusing on employee growth
  • The need for training and developing production staff
  • And more…

Get Your Production Team Focused on Profit!

Keep your production team focused on profit with weekly team training, whether they are in the office or in the field on a phone, tablet or laptop.

This Masterclass, led by Tim Faller, is held every other week on Monday afternoons, and the next class starts on September 13, 2021.

[Click for More Info]

Ep.157: Going From the Frying Pan into the Fire with Charles Boucher

More and more companies are reaching that point in their development where they require a production manager. It is one of the toughest jobs out there, since it feels at times that their attention is needed from almost everyone. There are the trades, the employees, the client and of course, the boss.  

Companies have tried all kinds of ideas to fill this role, such as promoting a “Lead Carpenter” and are typically left without achieving what they had hoped for.  Guest Charles Boucher joins this episode to share his experience in his role as a production manager and where you can look to find a great one.

Charles is the Production Manager at Neals Design Remodel in Cincinnati, Ohio and with many years of experience in the manufacturing industry and hospitality management, he brings a new point of view about production management and its benefits in remodeling.

Tim, Steve and Charles talk more about:

  • Project Managers and Lead Carpenters
  • Where to begin the search for a great production manager
  • Industry related roles
  • And more…

Upcoming Production Masterclasses

R/A Masterclasses are rich, intense, interactive learning experiences with plenty of hands-on instruction; blended with information, advice and strategies from some of the most experienced instructors in the industry.

The following Masterclasses will be focused on Production and led by Tim Faller:

Ep.155: The Games People Play with Jeff Neal

One of the most important topics in our industry is the labor situation. A corollary is once we have good staff how do we keep them? There are many answers to that question but the one that pops up more frequently than others is to have a great culture.

One thing is for sure you have to care about the people that work for you and let them know that in every way you can. Another component seems to be – have some fun.

Back in Episode 5, our guest, Brad Yetman, referred to what we have come to call “mini games” or different ways we can motivate and engage with our team members to keep them interested and on board.

In this episode we look at things from a slightly different perspective with guest, Jeff Neal from Ozarks Remodeling and Design in Springfield, MO. Jeff joined Ozarks in August of 2020 to take over managing the production side of the business and has been able to grow the production staff to double the size, allowing them to reduce their backlog and serve their customers sooner.

Tim, Steve and Jeff talk more about:

  • Background and description of Ozark Remodeling (size, types of work, etc.)
  • The Definition of a “mini game.”
  • Where the concept come from and the motivation behind offering them to the team.
  • An example of a game that has been used to “fix” a problem.
  • And more…