Incentive Compensation for Contractors - Introduction

Every successful and profitably growing contractor we work with has a comprehensive and integrated set of incentive programs in place at all levels of the organization.

Courtney Stearns Profile Picture
Share
Contributors Sue Weiler-Doke Profile PictureSue Weiler-Doke David Brown Profile PictureDavid Brown

These programs reinforce the daily actions and behaviors that make them successful.

These incentive programs are typically a mix of compensation and other benefits, and when you look deeply at them, they are also a mix of formal and informal. They are truly integrated into the culture and operating system of the company.

It is important to know that there is no such thing as a single best incentive program. There are absolutely guiding principles to consider, definite no-no’s, and many great ideas, but no prescriptive type solution.

Each contractor will have to develop their program based on where the business sits today and where their strategic plan has them heading.

While incentives are powerful, they will not create competencies or solve deep behavioral problems.

Incentives can be very effective when linked to measurement tools such as production tracking. Just keep in mind that measurement alone rarely tells the whole story.

Technology applied to a bad process will magnify the inefficiencies, and likewise, when you apply an incentive program to a bad plan or culture, it will only magnify the problems.


In this video series, Courtney Stearns, Sue Weiler-Doke, and David Brown discuss the most common questions we get from contractors about incentive programs, including a bunch of great questions from the audience.

This is Part 1 of a 20-Part Series


Topics Covered in the Series Include:

  • Who Benefits?
  • Calculations
  • Prerequisites
  • Behaviors
  • Alignment

All relationships start with a simple conversation. Let’s schedule some time to talk about your specific challenges and opportunities.


Incentive Compensation for Contractors - Introduction
Every successful and profitably growing contractor we work with has a comprehensive and integrated set of incentive programs in place at all levels of the organization. These programs reinforce the daily actions and behaviors that make them successful. ...

Incentive Compensation for Contractors - Introduction
Every successful and profitably growing contractor we work with has a comprehensive and integrated set of incentive programs in place at all levels of the organization. These programs reinforce the daily actions and behaviors that make them successful. ...

Production Tracking - Having Fun and Winning
Contractors will get the most out of their teams by building a culture around the fun of the construction game and how fun playing a game is and how good winning feels. How fun are you making your projects?
Two Planning Dimensions
Some of the impacts you see on a project are not as clear as a design change, conflict, or obviously changed condition. Some impacts, such as poor project sequencing or congested work areas are hard to notice if you don’t have good tracking systems.
The ABCs of Strategic Market Choices
Strategic Market Choices for where a contractor chooses to play must be balanced between diverse enough, large enough, and focused enough. These are the highest leveraged decisions that leaders of construction businesses make.