Go-Time 2016 John McManus With 25 official working days left in the year, managers are testing the 'better, faster, cheaper' challenge throughout home building land. Counting today, there are 25 non-weekend, non-holidays left in 2016. No time like go time trying to get new homes delivered before calendar yearend. Mostly, a fair response to a challenge to most of our associates--even when getting work finished on time comes down to the wire--to deliver "better, faster, and cheaper" would be: "Pick two, that's all you get." So, as we come up on the Thanksgiving holiday break, I'm going to venture to guess that one of the things we may be most thankful for this year are the sparks of young leaders rising in our midst. Maybe, just maybe, the response to that challenge--for quality, velocity, and efficiency... simultaneously--might be, "we're on it." This thought struck me as we saluted a half dozen "Leaders" in awards proceedings at our 13th annual AHF Live Conference in Chicago. Nothing is more important to our business right now than our ability to attract a next generation of talent willing to belly-flop into the "cauldron of opportunity" of today's housing market. Ironically, these six individuals got no time for "remarks" as they accepted the Young Leaders honors during the award ceremony. Clearly, though, none were necessary. Passion, focus, tenacity, purpose, and an unshakable urge to help others was written all over their faces. Their being there in the spotlight for a moment said it all. Now is not just for us; it's for them, for who comes next; for the children. It's those "leaders" who are literally our organizations' future. Today. And when that talent comes along, as it can do, and has done, and will need to continue to do, we'll begin to experience what "better, faster, and cheaper" can look like in the real world. Here, Harvard Business Review contributors and leadership consultants Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman assert that the three imperatives don't necessarily self-cancel. Zenger and Folkman contend that some leaders work fast without sacrificing on precision, quality, and excellence. They write: We sought to identify the most differentiating behaviors of leaders who were rated as having high levels of both speed and quality. What did they do differently from other leaders? The analysis identified seven unique factors that appear to identify what it takes to combine these two seemingly contradictory critical leadership goals. Which of your "leaders" would you say show signs of developed ability or strong progress on these seven factors? • Provide clear strategic perspective. • Set stretch goals and maintain high standards. • Communicate powerfully. • Have the courage to change. • Consider external perspectives. • Inspire and motivate others. • Innovate. This Thanksgiving, let's be really thankful for the young leaders we've attracted into our home building businesses, and give them reason to want to turn that contradiction in terms--better, faster, and cheaper--into an operational mantra they've figured out for themselves. November 2016 | HBRA of Fairfield County | 21
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