Winning Coaches Win Games!

by anthony_capkun_2 | 15 April 2026 1:13 pm

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The construction business used to be a lot easier. All you had to do to be successful was “bid it” then “build it” and finally “bill it!” To grow your company, you work a little harder. To make more money, you work a little longer. To get some more work, you just bid on a few more jobs. To keep your customers happy, you met them on the jobsite and worked out the issues. To get paid, you called your customer to ask when you could pick up a cheque. Simple!

After your first few years in business, it gets more complicated as the company grows and gets more referrals. You must next hire more people to help get all the work done. You now have several jobs under construction at once, and each customer has different demands. They all want perfect service, excellent quality, on schedule completion, and your full attention.

You begin to struggle with the everyday tasks of running a business, as well as estimating, project management, and supervision. The job description changes from superintendent and project manager to leader, operations manager, chief estimator, general superintendent, finance manager, office manager, customer service, salesperson, bill collector, purchasing agent, negotiator, and referee.

Think about what it now takes to grow and maintain a successful construction business. What are the most critical aspects to building a profitable company: doing the work right or managing the business? I’m sure you agree it takes both to be successful. Getting jobs completed takes priority over phone calls, problems, and challenges that continually occur on the jobsite and need to be addressed immediately. Plus, all your field crews must be working efficiently, or you’ll lose money. But to grow a business and make money takes more than getting the work done right.

What plays should I call first to win?

Football coaches need playbooks, coordinators to train their players, and talented, experienced players to execute the plays correctly. The head coach works with his coaches to develop a strategy to win the game, stays off the field, and delegates play-calling to his assistants. To improve and win the game of business, you must create a game plan and then identify what plays you want to call.

I provide contractor business coaching and help owners improve their businesses. When owners call for help, they are overwhelmed and frustrated by so many challenges, problems, and stresses; they can’t think straight and don’t know what to do. They have failed in their attempts to fix everything themselves. The first thing they say is: “Help! What should I do first to get organized, make more money, or grow?”

Take the winning business test … do you have these?

1. Playbook: We have a written and updated strategic business plan with a clear purpose, vision, mission, values, focus, targets, and goals.
2. Results: We have a written and updated three-year financial plan with measurable results, including sales, overhead, and profit goals.
3. Growth: We have a written, detailed estimating, sales, and marketing program with specific customer and project targets, a marketing activity calendar, and weekly goals and action plans.
4. Owner’s role: The company owner’s top priorities are to profitably grow the business, build customer relationships, develop top talent, monitor systems, and provide inspirational leadership, rather than doing the work.
5. Management team: The company is building a strong management team to run the business, plus an organizational structure and clear job descriptions with accountabilities and responsibilities.
6. Financial management: The owner knows the numbers and has a clear ongoing understanding of the company and project results, job cost data, production rates, receivables, profit and loss, and the balance sheet.
7. Enforced systems: There are written company systems and a playbook for the players to follow and use.
8. Talent development: We have a people plan that includes programs to recruit, hire, develop, train, incentivize, mentor, coach, and manage the best talent available.
9. Team meetings: We hold regular management, project, and crew meetings to review and track results.
10. Our company wins, works well, and delivers the expected results.

Are you the coach or the player?

Imagine you are the head coach of a college football team. What would you concentrate your time and energy on to build a winning team? I attended the University of Southern California (USC) from 1967 through 1972. We had great football teams, often winning the Rose Bowl, and were ranked number one a few times. Coach John McKay led USC to victory during those years, and was followed by another winning coach, John Robinson. Both coaches went on to the NFL as head coaches.

After they left, our football program went downhill, and USC was unable to field a winning team. Not until many years later did Pete Carroll become head coach, and then USC started winning again and was ranked number one. Why?

Like in football, to be a winner in business, you need to ensure all areas are working efficiently and at the highest level, and surround yourself with the best possible management team. Winning teams are led by coaches who identify their team’s needs, hire assistant coaches who are the best at what they do, and recruit and train their players to implement excellence.

The coach is the key. The coach doesn’t do the work. The coach’s job is to identify the plan of attack, develop the strategy, recruit and train good players, and then coach the team to execute the plan.

Unlike successful football coaches, business owners often fail when they try to run their companies as the quarterback without a playbook or a winning strategy to achieve the desired results. When you try to run your business by the seat of your pants, not knowing the score, without a well-utilized playbook or enough talented players, and keeping everything in your head, the company will not be able to grow or make the profit it should.

What’s your decision? Get organized and in control, or stay stressed out, overworked, and underpaid? Now’s the time to start running your business like a professional coach with a playbook, great coaches, and a winning strategy.

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George Hedley, CPBC, is a certified professional construction business coach and speaker. He helps contractors build better businesses, grow, profit, improve estimating and field production, and get their companies to work. He is the best-selling author of “Get Your Construction Business to Always Make a Profit!” available on Amazon. Visit Construction Business Coaching[2] to schedule a free introductory coaching session, receive his monthly Hardhat Hedlines Biz-Tips e-newsletter, download his template package, or watch his webinars and online video courses.

This column originally appeared in the April 2026 edition of Metal Construction News, which you can find in our Digital Edition Archive.

Source URL: https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/articles/winning-coaches-win-games/

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