When I look back at the growth we have experienced at CLR Builders, one number that stands out to me is 42 percent. That was the consistent year-over-year sales growth we were seeing after we moved into a stronger position with our government contracts. A number like that looks impressive when you put it on paper, but being responsible for operations has taught me that growth is never just about a percentage.
There are people behind that number. There are projects, supervisors, inspections, decisions, mistakes, long days, and plenty of questions that have to be answered along the way.
As Regional Director of Operations, I have learned that one of the hardest parts of growth is making sure the operation grows with the business.
Growth Changes the Job
When I first became Regional Director, our company was ranked number seven out of 15 builders that were registered and approved to take government contracts. In my first year, we moved up to number two and showed a 32 percent increase in sales compared with the previous year.
The following year, we reached number one and began showing consistent 42 percent sales growth year over year.
That kind of change is something you obviously want to see. Nobody running a business is going to complain about strong growth. But I quickly realized that growth creates its own problems if you are not prepared for it.
More contracts mean more work. More work means more people, more supervision, more inspections, more communication, and more opportunities for something to go wrong.
I remember thinking about that early on. It is one thing to grow. It is another thing to make sure you can handle the growth without losing control of the operation.
You Cannot Do Everything Yourself
One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that you cannot personally manage every detail when an operation gets larger.
I oversee more than seven supervisors in different areas, and each person has responsibilities that I have to trust them to handle. That does not mean I step away and forget about what is happening. It means I have to build a system where people understand what is expected of them and know that I will follow up.
Following up is something I take seriously.
I have learned that sometimes people hear an instruction and believe they understood it, but what actually matters is what happens afterward. Was it completed? Was it completed correctly? Did something change? Does the supervisor need help?
Those questions become even more important when the amount of work increases.
The Numbers Are Only Part of the Story
A 42 percent increase sounds great, and it is something I am proud to have been part of. But I never want to look at a number like that without thinking about what is underneath it.
Are we maintaining quality? Are our supervisors keeping up? Are projects being inspected properly? Are we training people enough? Are we staying on top of our profit and loss?
Those questions matter.
There can be a temptation when a company is growing to focus only on the next contract or the next sales number. I understand why. Growth creates excitement and opportunity. But operations has to keep pace with that excitement.
If you take on too much work without the right people and processes in place, the growth can become a problem instead of an advantage.
That is something I have kept in mind throughout my time as a Regional Director.
Developing People Becomes More Important
As the operation grew, I also became more aware of how important it is to develop the people around me.
I spend a lot of time training, following up, and helping supervisors improve. I do not believe my job is simply to tell people what to do. If someone is going to be responsible for an area, I want them to understand why something needs to be done and how their decisions affect the larger operation.
That takes time.
There are days when it would probably be faster to just handle something myself. I have had to learn that doing everything myself may solve today’s problem, but it does not necessarily build a stronger organization.
If I can help someone become better at their job, that benefits everyone over the long term.
Growth Brings More Responsibility
Another thing 42 percent growth has taught me is that success does not necessarily make the job easier. In many ways, it makes the responsibility greater.
When you are ranked seventh, you are trying to move up. Once you reach second, you are trying to become number one. Once you reach number one, the question becomes how you stay there.
That creates a different kind of pressure.
I have had to learn not to get too comfortable when things are going well. There is always another project, another inspection, another supervisor who needs support, and another decision that needs to be made.
I also have responsibility for profit and loss, so I cannot look at growth from only one perspective. Sales are important, but so is understanding what those sales mean for the operation as a whole.
What I Take Away From It
Looking back, I think the biggest lesson from that consistent 42 percent growth is that successful operations require consistency more than anything else.
You have to keep communicating. You have to follow up. You have to train people. You have to pay attention to the numbers. You have to make decisions when they need to be made, even when you do not have every answer.
I have made mistakes along the way, and I have had situations where I had to stop and rethink how we were handling something. That is part of the job. I do not think anyone gets through a career in operations without having to adjust.
For me, the goal has always been to keep learning and stay focused.
The 42 percent number is something I am proud of, but I see it more as a reflection of the work behind it than an accomplishment by itself. Running an operations division is about making sure the people, projects, finances, and responsibilities all move in the same direction.
That is what I have learned from growth. It is not enough to grow bigger. You have to become better at handling what comes with that growth.