Brian Sands on LinkedIn: Carousel2 - sh*t Fan (2024)

Bigger isn't always betterWe often get caught up in our 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 and overlook the value in the 𝗵𝗼𝘄I ran a strategy workshop for a fit-out contractor who wanted to grow, in their words 'to become a real builder' - a general contractorHoles in the ground + cranes in the sky. There was a lot more to it, but here's the crux of it:1. Fit Out Contractor• grow current relationships• post-covid office re-fits• 3 month projects• project margins 12%+• less onerous contracts• quiet IR• over 3 yrs EBIT uplift 4x2. General Contractor• hunt new relationships• competitive general building• 15 month projects• project margins 3%• high risk contracts• very noisy IR• over 3 yrs EBIT uplift 1.5xDon’t let ego get in the way of less stress and better returns.But here’s the thing, how do you shift that long-term burning ambition to be doing something else?___________________________𝗜 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗮 𝟵-𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲.𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿𝘀.#construction #management #leadership

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Someone posted here that crisis 'defines' cultureFair enough, but I think about it differentlyBecause people are your ultimate enablers 📈And your quickest de-railers 📉I don't believe a crisis should be defining your culture, I think culture should be dictating how the crisis plays outSo I think crisis ‘reveals’ culture↳ It’s not about how you react to it↳ It's about how you act because of itDon’t you think?________________________________𝗜 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀.𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗶𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟯𝟬𝘆𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.#management #leadership #culture

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It's not always about the moneySomeone recently DM'd me "...building a $130m business isn’t a big deal… don't mention the dollars, you are diluting your brand."WTF?I've led turnaround, transformation and growth for nearly 20 years.From a tech start-up that went nowhere to activating a $1b development pipeline, and plenty in between.It is not about the money it’s about what enables it:the people we empowerthe purpose we discoverthe risks we managethe opportunities we createthe innovation we unlockthe growth we enablethe technology we adoptthe certainty we findthe scale we accumulateWhat’s your preference, results or ego?___________________________𝗜 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗮 𝟵-𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲.𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿𝘀.#management #leadership #construction

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It’s tough out there but that doesn’t mean you can’t scale a businessSimply chasing bigger cash flow right now isn’t where I’d start thoughHyper-competition becomes a drag race to the bottom.• Big revenue, small margin• Big cost, little control• High risk, no contingencyWe grew a 9-figure construction business over 4 years ✔️without external capital, ✔️increasing profit 20% year on year, ✔️retained earnings 8x, and ✔️net cash flows 10x.We removed ourselves from the crowded residential market.We focused on government + private education.• successful track record• preferred contractor status• debt free sustainable growth When the supply chain is under pressure clients want to know who and where the experts are. Here’s 𝟯 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 we learnt:1. Accelerate what you are good at-not what you think you want to do next 2. Scaling in a sector -more cost effective than chasing an industry3. A one-dimensional focus on the top line-won’t guarantee your bottom lineAre you prepared to niche or do you have FOMO for something broader?____________________________________________𝗜 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀.𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗶𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟯𝟬𝘆𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.#management #construction #strategy

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A strategy session makes some people go all weirdThey control the conversationsThey make scenarios complexThey talk 'me' not 'we'Actually they talk a lotI’ve run a lot of strategy sessions, it’s:1.Pointless without starting at the end2.Fails without contributors3.Irrelevant if leaders dominate4.Too hard with a heap of theory5.Goes well if visual & interactive And then we focus on ‘simple’Sure you need structure, but 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 📈1.wider engagement2.easier implementation3.prioritised performance4.constant iteration, and 5.easy to measure.Ultimately success is about who you’ve got in the room don’t you think?#strategy #management #leadership

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Nothing like outing yourself, right?Like jumping into the deep end with floaties on hoping nobody noticesMy Linkedin hiatus is overThe platform has changed a lotThe positive? I haven’t had to ‘pivot’ content strategy over the last 3yrsBecause there hasn’t been any!Here’s my entry level learnings-✔️mobile friendly format✔️plenty of white spaces✔️no verbal diarrohea✔️hook & re-hook✔️solutions not problems✔️play the funnel✔️impressions go nowhere✔️comments get you everywhereHere’s how I learnt it-• Find top 10 experts• Connect with their mates• Pay for their advice• Don’t be a tight@rse• Do what they say• Adjust to suit your offer• Close your eyes & hope for the bestAnd go for unashamed leverage by tagging them-Lara Acosta – Literally Linkedin unlocked it allMatt Barker – the Digital Copywriter expert Luke Matthews – the Writing with AI bossKen Yarmosh – the solopreneur system guruI help executives transform their construction sector businesses.It’s a coaching & consulting gig based on 30yrs experience.#management #leadership #personaldevelopment

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