Parm Bhangal, managing director, Bhangals Construction Consultants, believes that an experienced business coach can help alleviate the burden of burnout in the construction industry
It has been an understandably challenging time for businesses across the board, and as a business owner, when it gets hard, you have to put more in. You need a relentless determination to succeed – an unwavering drive and resolution to give it your all. But this means work can quickly occupy your every waking thought and become all-encompassing.
Sharing the load and asking for help, can be the simplest yet most effective way to avoid burnout in the construction industry. Tailored support from a business coach can help you keep your drive and determination intact, while working together to provide the support and knowledge to enable you to work towards sustainable business growth through strategic thinking.
There are numerous approaches to sharing best practice and one form of coaching won’t suit everyone. Coaching is very specific to a person – it is hugely subjective. Personally, you might like to be told how to approach a situation but someone else might prefer to be guided through by someone asking the right questions.
Do you want information drawn out of you, or do you want to be given the answers?”
Whatever the method, construction professionals need a business coach with extensive industry experience who can advise with proven strategies to help systemise your operations, offer a unique experience to your clients, and grow your business – as well as yourself.
You should never stop learning in business
Knowledge truly is power when it comes to running your own company. With an ever-changing market and new trends to keep up with, you have to constantly innovate, adapt and learn new skills in order to really be successful.
American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist Warren Buffet once said: “The best investment you can make is an investment in yourself. The more you learn, the more you’ll earn.”
Exactly.
The right business coach will inspire, encourage and motivate you to keep learning, strive for better and achieve more. Enlisting the help of a business coach can give great insight into your company and your leadership.
It is important to focus on what is important to you from day one. That is how you will see quick and efficient progress. Identify what it is that you want to improve and start that journey straightaway.
You can glean invaluable nuggets of advice that can help you push your business and your career to the next level.
You are required to constantly adapt as a business owner, which can make it challenging to stick to a structure. Lack of structure can result in you feeling overworked, stressed and out of control.
Avoid construction burnout
While it is vital as a company owner to have drive and ambition, too much of this and pushing yourself too hard can lead to burnout. It’s about waking up and saying, I’m going to do this and that has to stay with you throughout the business journey.
That determination is what will keep you going. It’s a fine line though, you must avoid it going from your ally to your enemy. To avoid construction burnout, you must nurture resilience.
It’s really important to be resilient as a business owner as things are ever changing. You might start a day with a plan of what you want that day to look like and all of a sudden, everything changes. That is a common occurrence as an entrepreneur, so you need to be resilient and resourceful and not fazed by the unexpected.
Learning the art of recovering quickly from challenges will allow you to successfully overcome difficult periods in your career and business, reduce burnouts, set realistic goals and expectations, manage your time better and develop and grow as a business owner.
You must learn to delegate, work with purpose, take control of time management and avoid unnecessary stress – easier said than done.
Support for construction professionals
Making money in construction is not an easy task. At some point, many construction professionals find themselves in difficult situations, with little or no work, or team problems, and are ready to quit. Others get more business than they can handle but are not seeing any improvement in their finances.
The experience of a mentor or business coach can create a significant sounding board and help you to formulate proven methods and strategies to create visible results. Being in charge can be very lonely and isolating. Sometimes all you need is someone to listen to your ideas, validate your thoughts and help you through the fog.
Whether it be quick wins or more long-term sustainable strategies to turn your business into an industry giant, a business coach can assist in creating a carefully thought-out plan of action. Brilliant strategies lead to exceptional results.
Competitor analysis will also help you to keep your standards up. It is important to have competition and be aware of them for that reason. Through a competitor analysis, you can identify your competition’s key strengths and weaknesses. This will allow you to improve your own processes and methods, which will help you find your gap in the market and dominate the industry.
But before you start any kind of coaching, you must realise that you are the one that needs to be able to implement any changes you’re going to make.
Your coach or mentor will undoubtedly be able to help you with your focus, your systems and your processes within the business and give useful insight on how you can improve going forward, but you have to be willing to put the hard work in and implement these strategies – that’s the most important part.
Your coach is that person who will be non-judgemental, yet hold you accountable for the improvements you promised to make. They are the objective fresh pair of eyes on your books, on your staff, on your ethos, on your day-to-day.
Every good athlete out there has multiple coaches. Not because they are not the best, it’s because they want to be better. In business it is about making decisions, sticking to them and achieving what you said you were going to achieve. If you need a helping hand to do this, take it. For if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.
Parm Bhangal
Managing director
Bhangals Construction Consultants
Tel: 01604 871808
