Observe, Hypothesize, and Experiment

Contractors would run much better including improved field productivity if they applied the simple lesson we all learned around middle-school science class:

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
Share
Quote: Stop debating and start experimenting. Because if you don't run experiments you can't learn. Adam Grant from Power Moves.

The Scientific Method:  

  1. Make an observation
      
  2. Ask questions about the observation and gather information

  3. Form a hypothesis about what created the outcome and make predictions about the future state based on the hypothesis

  4. Test the hypothesis in an experiment that can be reproduced

  5. Analyze the data from the experiments that either validates or invalidates the hypothesis

  6. Reproduce the experiment until there are no discrepancies between observed results and theory

Experiments are hard to run in complex environments like a construction company.  That does not mean that you should not attempt to make the best observation, hypothesis, and experiments you can for a given situation.  

Adam Grant talks with the CEO of Goldman Sachs in the book Power Moves about experimentation in what works best for recruiting and retention. 




Asking Good Questions
The ability to ask good questions will improve your learning, teaching, hiring, selling projects, building projects, and growing your contracting business. The discipline of formulating good questions often answers the original question and many more.
Executive Toughness and Focusing on Process
When leading any team to victory, you can’t underestimate the value of strategy or that burning desire to win built deeply within yourself and everyone else on the team. They only represent a small part of what it takes to win consistently.
Profitability and Predictability
Contractors who are consistently improving their scoreboard, including profitable growth, focus on making the behaviors and actions that LEAD to profitability consistent habits.