Management

Ep.198: Becoming a Memorable Leader with Howard Prager

Howard Prager joins the show to talk about how memorable leadership can help retain good employees, increase productivity and improve customer service.  He outlines his VIP model of leadership, which is easy to apply, proven effective, and will help create a company with which customers will want to do business and employees will want to work.

Howard Prager is president of Advance Learning Group, the author of the book Make Someone’s Day Becoming a Memorable Leader in Work and Life, speaker, executive coach, and consultant who helps managers become memorable leaders.  He has worked extensively with Fortune 500 companies as well as numerous small businesses and has won multiple professional awards for his work. 

Tim, Steve, and Howard talk more about:

  • Characteristics of a leader
  • Leadership vs. Management
  • And more…..

Ep.197: From Project Manager to Production Manager with Morgan Thomas

Join Tim and Steve as they talk to Morgan Thomas about her role as a production manager at Leff Design Build.  Morgan discusses how she had to shift her focus from individual projects to looking at the business on a global level, and from solving problems herself to coaching others on how to solve them.

Morgan was born and raised in Sonoma County, and after moving out of state to pursue a degree in Journalism from Gonzaga University, she returned to Sonoma County and landed in a career in commercial construction management.  She then found her way LEFF, where she worked her way up to become the company’s production manager.

Tim, Steve, and Morgan talk more about:

  • The differences between Project and Production managers
  • Tools needed by a Production Manager
  • And more…….

Ep.196: Inventory Management on the Go With Selema Lawson-Jack

Selema Lawson-Jack joins the show and discusses how she found a technology fix to solve an inventory management issue, but was able to expand its capabilities to create efficiencies across the organization, and generate revenue at the same time.  She talks about how Sortly, the affordable app she implemented, operates and how she was able to successfully integrate it into the organization.

 

Selema works for Schroeder Design Build of Fairfax, VA and is the Director of Production, where she oversees all projects in the construction phase.  She is the first point of contact on job sites and leads a team of project managers, project developers and carpenters. She was recently named to Pro Remodeler’s top 40 under 40.

 

Tim, Steve, and Selema talk more about:

  • Organizing inventory using Sortly
  • How Sortly improves the processes for the team
  • And more……

Ep.194: Encouraging Diversity

Join Tim and Steve as they talk to Nicole Warren about embracing and increasing diversity in the trades, and in this case, with women.   Tim makes the case that professionals in the remodeling industry must be more proactive in reaching across traditional boundaries in order to attract high preforming talent.  Nicole is a great example as her strong work ethic has helped her outperform her male colleagues to secure a number of promotions in her career.  Crossroads had the insight to encourage diversity and has reaped the rewards of that with Nicole.

Nicole, along with her father, is a carpenter for Crossroads Contracting  in Londonderry, NH.  She has always liked working with her hands, and once she had a child, she needed family friendly work hours. Becoming a carpenter allows her to work in a fulfilling career, but have the work-life balance she needs for her family. 

Listen as Nicole, Tim, and Steve discuss:

Creating the awareness that there are opportunities for everyone

How to ensure that the wording in communication does not exclude anyone

And more…

Episode 189: The 5 Statements You Should Not Make

What we say is a reflection of what we think, and as clinical counselors will tell you, what we think will dictate how we act. So, how we act will of course dictate success. 

Following this logic, words are very powerful factors in our success.  But do we pay attention to those words?  We tend to be concerned about what we say as it affects others, but what about the effect on ourselves?

What we say is often said without thinking of their potential consequences.  They can be seen as excuses or statements of desperation, or they can be simply things we say when nothing else seems to fit. But all of them can have a negative impact on us and our work, so Tim and Steve share specific examples and how to avoid them.

Tim and Steve talk more about:

  • Encouraging new thought processes
  • Rephrasing the things we say
  • And more…

Ep.186: Thoughts on Leadership with Wayne Ottum

One of the consultants here at Remodelers Advantage specializes in company leadership development. So, we asked him to join us on the show to help us understand what leadership is and perhaps help start the shift from “how to manage people” to “how to lead people.”

Wayne Ottum is a consultant, author and speaker dedicated to creating extraordinary businesses and leaders and is President and Founder of Ottum Enterprises, LLC in Kirkland, Washington. Now in his 19th year, Wayne is especially proud of the work he has done to guide owners of remodeling companies to create a clear and compelling direction, purpose, and culture for their companies.

Tim, Steve and Wayne talk more about:

  • Leadership V. Managing
  • Leadership across roles
  • And more…

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.