Strategy, Focus, and Smart Automation
The right strategy makes all the difference.
This is Strategies and Tactics, a bi-weekly post with improvement methods for design and construction.
Highlights
Strategy helps project teams focus on what truly moves the needle.
Simplify first, automate last.
1: Strategic Focus
There’s an infinite number of tasks in any project—safety, quality, schedule, and sustainability all demand attention, leaving teams feeling like there’s never enough time. The solution isn’t to do more; it’s to be strategic.
As Seth Godin writes in This is Strategy: Make Better Plans:
“A strategy isn’t a map—it’s a compass. It’s the hard work of choosing what to do today to make tomorrow better.”
A strong project quality strategy helps teams prioritize. Should they focus on sealants or the countertop the client values most? Both matter, but strategy ensures effort goes where it has the greatest impact.
We can’t focus on everything. As leaders, our job isn’t to demand teams cover it all, but to help them zero in on what truly moves the needle.
2. Simplify First, Automate Last
Before automating a process, simplify it. Many organizations rush to find the perfect tool for automation, but automation isn’t the same as simplification. And sometimes, automation isn’t needed at all.
With AI advancing and the push for productivity in design and construction growing, it’s easy to mistake automation for efficiency. However, tasks that require critical thinking and planning are still best handled by humans. Automating the wrong steps may save time upfront, but will add complexity, cost, and inefficiency in the long run.
Before you automate, ask: Have we simplified this process first? Focus on clarity and efficiency—then decide if automation is the right move.
Last week, I wrote about how company growth can ruin culture, people, and profitability - and how to fix it. You can read that article here.