The Answer is Yes … Now What Was the Question?

After what felt like too many false starts to count, I finally got the opportunity to bid on a dream project. It was a large commercial loss for a high-profile client, a great carrier, and less than five miles from my shop. It all seemed to be lining up for me! After a lengthy interview with the local representative and another two with the national staff, we signed a contract.

I remember practically floating out of that meeting, only to come crashing to the ground as I approached my truck in the parking lot. I had no clue how to complete this project. What would it take to pull this thing off? My confidence had just landed me a job that my expertise could not execute.

Sound familiar to anyone?

Once I slowed my racing mind, I remembered that I had been fortunate enough over the years to meet some great people and build a network of experts, colleagues, and friends who would be able to walk me through the process. They helped me to fill in the gaps of my own expertise in order to complete a successful project.  

I admit, though, that it could have gone smoother for the customer and ended up more profitable for the company. It’s not a stretch to realize that this occurs not just on large, unique projects, but in the day-to-day decisions as well. You say yes in the now, based on the best of intentions, only to figure out the how at a later time. 

When I meet someone new within the restoration industry, the first couple questions I ask them are, “What drew you to restoration, and what keeps you here?” I normally hear something about how they want to help people who have experienced a loss or be there to make things better for people when circumstances are really bad. This altruistic attitude—which I respect immensely and personally identify with—can lead to making some poor decisions if you are not careful when planning the execution. 

Based on trial and error (and to be honest, some error again from my experience), let’s pause here and take a few minutes to look at some ways to consider the questions before immediately delivering an answer.  


Factors to Weigh when Deciding to Take on a Restoration Project

The Knowledge – When presented with a new opportunity, I recommend you start by asking yourself if you have the know-how to complete the project. Or if you don’t, do you know how to get it? From the example above, I was able to lean on my network, but building this group of people took time and effort in advance. Without naming it while signing the contract, I believe that knowing I had experts waiting in the wings to help gave me the confidence I needed to follow through. 

Is it wise to learn on the fly? I wholeheartedly believe that there are times to give new things a try, but it may be wise to stop and consider the risks. Your name, reputation, profits, and future work could well be on the line.  

I am consistently guilty of underestimating the timelines of a new task, figuring it will take me 30 minutes to complete and 3 hours later I’m still stumbling my way through to finish it up. A little honest assessment of your know-how at the start of something new can lead to better results, respect in the eyes of those who are hiring you, and potential opportunities down the line. 

The Means – I feel like this starts with similar questions, like whether you have the right materials and equipment. Or if not, do you know how to get them? The items you need to complete a project professionally are easier to gain than the knowledge, but this still needs to be planned. Will your suppliers be able to deliver in the midst of a surge event or into unknown, sometimes questionable locales? Do you have the needed relationships set up ahead of time that can come through in a pinch? 

I often found that a large project could provide the opportunity to add or upgrade equipment, but again, this needs to be thought through. Rentals are a tried-and-true method to supplement inventory, but without relationships already established, they may not deliver when you need them to. If your large project is coming in the midst of a catastrophe, you cannot assume the vendors will be able to come through as they can in more normal circumstances. As an example from recent events, you cannot start thinking about traveling to Florida for hurricane work once the storm has already hit. 

An overlooked but crucially important part of getting the correct materials and equipment onto the project is figuring out how to pay for them. Often, you will be required to float the initial purchases to gear up for the job and get things moving. Do you have access to capital when you need it, in the form of reserves or credit? 

The Time - Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Even when you have the requisite knowledge and the right equipment, a quick yes may not be the prudent path. Have you considered all the facts before saying yes to this opportunity? What else might you be saying no to? Can you still cover your home base workload day in and day out? These are relationships that took years to build and these people are counting on you to be there when they call.  

It is tempting to get distracted by a new, fun opportunity but what about the people who depend on you? Will you be allowed to complete the correct scope of work on this shiny new project or will you be asked to cut corners? Do you know how and when you will get paid? Too often, pride rules the day and a decision is made from the thrill of the chase, leaving you without cover for the truly important. 

The Patience – Completing a new project often requires new learning and with learning can come mistakes. How do you know when to let your people figure things out? Or more directly, when should you jump in? When I first had the opportunity to manage people, one of the best pieces of advice I ever received was about when to engage and when to allow space, even when to tolerate failure in the name of progress. Allowing people to make mistakes and have the chance to learn from them needs to be a calculated decision that considers the associated risks. Will this project allow for learning, even failure, or will the constraints of the job dictate that a low tolerance for missteps forces a more direct approach?

The Bandwidth – It is hard to always say yes. What does an “on demand” or “always yes” mentality take out of you? As someone who was on-call for over 20 years and poor at setting boundaries, I can provide first-hand experience of the toll it takes out of you to always be ON. Probably more importantly, so can my wife and children. Certainly, they had respect for the job and my willingness to help people, but there are only so many Thanksgivings you can leave or games that you miss before it starts to have consequences.

When the yes becomes routine, it can become easy to overlook who else the yes affects. Take a few minutes, pause the response, and think it through. Sometimes a no on the project is a yes to the right things for you and your people.

  

At first glance, it may appear as though I am trying to look for the no and find ways to not take on a new or exciting project. In reality, it is quite the opposite. I am searching for the reasons to say yes, but to be able to say yes with conviction and to be confident in the why behind the decision. A new opportunity is fun and can provide learning as well as profits. Jump on the chance but do so rooted in solid planning and forethought.