Know Your S- - -!
Would you hire yourself for preconstruction of the next critical, high-profile, pivotal MEP project? Are you the absolute best person in your marketplace to confidently carry out all the activities needed in preconstruction? If you have any doubt about replying with a resounding “yes”, then why would your customer choose you for such an important position on their project?
Your customer wants to work with the absolute best in the business. That’s why they spend so much time reviewing every aspect of your proposal, asking probing questions in interviews, checking references, and looking for stand-out qualities.
Steps to get smarter:
Start by conveying confidence in everything you do. This will then create a self-fulfilling prophecy to motivate and cajole you to actually learn more to be the best (read on below). Your customers will notice this and make a quick judgement about you based on first impressions.
Notice what you know and don’t know. Take an inventory of what you know and how you learned it. Chances are, you learned by on-the-job training and experiences. Consider other people’s experiences to be more efficient with your time. Write down the names of the three best people in your marketplace for what you do and what makes them great at what they do. Then, write down what it would take to make you better than them. That’s what you don’t know, and will have to figure out how to close that gap.
Commit to the actual learning needed. Find the appropriate resources for the gaps you need to fill. These could be books, blogs, podcasts, videos, trade magazine articles, or working with a mentor or consultant. Find someone who has successfully accomplished what you are seeking to improve, not just someone who tells you what you want to hear. If the content does not serve you in the best way, don’t torture yourself, just end that resource (book, blog, etc.) and find another one.
Commit to being a life-long learner. YouTube video algorithms may suggest similar content that can help you. Take advantage of these – you never know what new material you can find. But continue to read or watch something new each day. A little each day can make a big difference over a year. Work on extending your daily time and branching out to new subjects as well.
Compare yourself with yourself a month, a year ago, in the areas you are working on. Notice any improvements in ancillary areas you aren’t working on. Keep a journal and reward yourself with for small accomplishments for further motivation.
Go to places to show off your new knowledge where your customers are. This will continue to give you more motivation, but mainly, it starts to separate you from your competitors.
Life gets easier and much more rewarding when you adopt these habits. You become more valuable to your employer and your customers, and your family and financial future will reap the benefits!