The Power of Categories
Whether you think of it as a well-oiled machine or a streamlined operation, the health of your construction contracting business depends on putting the power of categories to use.
Among the principles of being organized is the basic concept of categories.
In everything from the bins of supplies to the chart of accounts, categories make accessibility possible. And accessibility is a make-or-break detail when it comes to efficiency, productivity, and functionality.
For instance, when you enter a library (physical or online) categories help you home in on the information (or entertainment) you’re seeking. Categories and subcategories get you where you want to go. Fiction or nonfiction. Business or personal. Idea or action.
Categorizing isn’t a new skill you must learn. You already use your categorization skills all the time. For example, you not only know the difference between a cat and a dog, but you also know whether a dog is large or small, long-haired or hairless, dark or light-colored, office compatible, or a mean son of a gun.
The Scope of Categories
The prerequisite to any organizing effort within your construction business is the determination of categories. The systematic, methodical, and precise use of well-determined categories can be used throughout your business and to your advantage. For example:
· Administrative procedures
· Workspaces
· Meetings
· Events
· Accounting processes
· Computer configuration
· Cloud space usage
· Chain of command
· Calendar
· Projects
When determining categories, here are the types of questions to keep in mind:
· What goes where?
· Who is responsible?
· When does it start and end?
· How much time does it require?
· How will it be found easily?
· Who needs to know?
Categories Keep on Giving
Once you’ve discovered patterns, purged, sorted, grouped, and subgrouped, maintaining functionality is less of a burden. That doesn’t mean there will be no work involved in continuing to be organized; it means there will be a better blueprint in place for going forward.
Manage spaces, functions, and activities within your construction company using categories to avoid confusion, unnecessary duplication, and preventable setbacks.
A Category Story
A friend of mine recently asked through social media if he was the only one who thought just dumping the flatware into the drawer made more sense than taking the time to sort it out.
Beyond the fact that he stated his wife hated the dump-and-run method, there is another consideration.
The ease of tossing everything into one pile dissipates when you consider the problem that comes to the person asked to “set the table.” Digging through and finding four forks, four knives, and so on becomes a time-wasting hassle. Heck, just finding a butter knife for the cooling toast may be the first stinking annoyance of the day.
BTW, most of the answers my friend received were funny, if not all that helpful.
Later, I found this interesting bit from How to Make Sense of Any Mess by Abby Covert. She states, “Sorting is easier than deciding how to sort.”
Reading takes only a few seconds, and the information is valuable.
Putting Categories to Use
Often, determining a category begins with defining an object's purpose, a person's role, or the relevant classification of an action.
Now begins the fun part. Now that you’ve begun to see the value of categories, I doubt you’ll look at the objects, spaces, jobs, tasks, and people in your vicinity without considering to which category they belong.
Note: Watch for levels found in categories. Here is an example from nature:
1. Plants
2. Trees
3. Palo Verdes
And this example from your business:
1. Accounts
2. Accounts Receivable
3. Individual Clients
Ambitious Construction Contractors look to The Profit Constructors to provide advocacy in dealing with:
Clients and customers
Employees and subcontractors
Vendors and service providers
Governmental entities
Working with The Profit Constructors gives Construction Contractors the means to organize their operations in ways that help them:
Remain informed
Avoid hassles
Reduce risks
Be future-ready
Ready for action? Or want to know more? Get in touch today to schedule a complimentary discovery call. 866-629-7735
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