Dan is the 2024 Indiana PHCC Leadership Summit Workshop Leader

What do you see as the 2 biggest obstacles P-H-C Contractors are facing over the next 5 years?

Dan: I think we’re going to see a bit of an evolution as Private Equity continues to take a prominent place in the market. I don’t believe the independent contractor is going away. But the way they each show up in the market will shift. There will be an increased migration of leadership to and from those PE groups. The deck will continue to be shuffled. The obstacle is the opportunity – be ready to recruit leaders. That’s number one. Number two, I’d say the next five years will be pretty good for business, but all indicators seem to say that the 2030’s will bring a decline. I’d be hoarding cash and resources for the next five years. Build your leadership team, and put away some resources.

You have been working with contractors across North America.  You have seen best practices. I know this is not a fair question to ask, because you cannot solely concentrate on one thing, but if you were to select just one best practice for a contractor to focus on, what would that be?  

Dan: No hesitation – People development. Invest in career path development. Technical skills. Interpersonal skills. Leadership development. This industry is high-touch; people interacting closely with people at every level. Internally, within the structure of the company. Externally, with clients and vendors. The quickest path to sustainable growth is the human beings. Get thoughtful, intentional, and persistent with your investment into your people.

Leadership continues to be a topic of conversation throughout Indiana PHCC members.  What are specific traits in employees that should be observed when making some critical decisions about who can help lead a business?

Dan: There are three behaviors I seek out that I consider at the top of the list. These are Guiding Principles for me. They get measured weekly, talked about daily, and acknowledged whenever we see them exhibited.

1. Do, not complain. The comma is necessary and intentional. We look for someone who, instead of complaining in “the meeting after the meeting” – you know the one, it happens outside the shop after every meeting – someone who skips that meeting and takes immediate action. Someone who bring solutions rather than complaints. Complaining is paralyzing. Search out and train for a take-action spirit.
2. Relationships first, then transactions. This is a behavior that translates from the frontline all the way up to the highest levels of leadership. In real-world application, this means I’d rather have someone who likes me but doesn’t buy from me than someone who buys from me but doesn’t like me. In a leader, this is someone who cares about their team and seeks understanding before passing judgement. It’s a field player who will jump over to a different to lend a hand because those are his friends and teammates. It’s a display of selflessness stemming from a strong desire to build strong relationships. That makes one hell of a leader.
3. Say Yes! This is the person who leans into new opportunities. It’s the opposite of ‘yeah but’. You know, when something needs to be done that is outside of traditional lanes of responsibility, many team members will say “I’d do that but…”. I don’t have the training. I don’t have the time. I’m not completely prepared. That’s not my job. These are always valid reasons, but the Say Yes person will jump over all of them. Yes, I’ll do that. I’ll need a little support, maybe some resources, maybe a coach to lean on. But yes, I’ll take it on. Let’s go! You’ll find these people are resourceful and will be at the crux of growth for your organization. It’s the old saying “If you want something done, ask a busy person”. They’re busy for a reason. They say Yes.

We know that recruiting new plumbers and HVAC technicians has been a difficult task.  How can we, as an industry, get more individuals interested in joining the industry?

Dan: Get involved in High Schools. Find and support your local college ‘entry to trades’ programs. Host career days at your shop. Get organized around making the trades a first-choice career path. Visit Explore The Trades for help with this. I like to hire summer help. There are often grants available for this kind of thing. The future of our business belongs to those companies who provide the best career path to the young people.