Steering a Course

Ian Featherstone

Ian Featherstone is a business advisor and leadership coach, and the owner of Glass Half Full. He specialises in the construction industry, particularly the joinery & cabinetry sector.

For more information or to fi nd out how you can move your team forward, please visit www. glasshalff ull.co.nz

Being fully booked does not make us immune to hard times

Another year has fl own by, and it was another very diff erent one for most of humanity. Many of us are pleased to be working in the building industry, at least there is plenty of work, and the outlook for 2022 remains strong.

However, for many people, these last couple of years has taken a toll on our mental health, and there are many people suff ering as a result. It’s easy to think that this is just happening to us but remember the Master Joiners slogan; “don’t go it alone”. You are not alone. Reach out for help if you need it.

I have had more contact this year with joiners and cabinetmakers than almost any other year, and whilst fi rms are “fl at out busy”, I see a lot more anxiety, uncertainty, frustration and generally less happiness.

There has also been a productivity drop due to the stop and re-start because of lockdowns. Every time we come back from a long break, it simply takes time to get “back into the groove”. To add to this, our industry has suff ered interruptions and re-work from global and local supply chain delays.

Anyone providing joinery to new builds or major renovations will be having a signifi cant % of their installation dates moved out due to delays in building materials, shortage of subcontractors, or further restrictions on site. This creates a never-ending juggling of the plan, and many companies are adjusting schedules daily as a result.

It’s an excellent time to remind ourselves that we can only infl uence or do something about the things within our control. For many situations, all we can do is communicate appropriately to the aff ected parties as soon as we know something has changed.

"You can only control what you can control"

Heather O'Reilly

All these things increase costs, impact customer and team satisfaction, and reduce profi t.

So, what can we do to minimise the impact and risks of these “happiness and profi t hazards”?

• Be realistic; know your capabilities and capacity and plan to this level, allowing a % for job schedule slippage. • Learn to say no, decide who your “A” customers are, and plan to look after them. • Reduce complexity and supply risk by specifying reliable products from reputable sources. Simplify designs so that a site measure is either not required or there are less critical measurements required before you can start.

Provide full-size templates if necessary, or mark the fl oor for builders, hold each other to account for accuracy. • Review your trading terms to allow for larger deposits to cover more materials, reserve the right to change the specification of some items, with consent, when supply impacts your start date or results in additional site visits and extended snag lists. • Utilise the clause in your t&c’s to increase prices if the quote is past its expiry date, if you don’t have such a clause, get advice, and add it in. • Consider adding a clause to allow you to use a variation process when extra labour costs will be incurred due to site schedule changes or return to site trips to fi t hardware or other items not available at the initial installation time (often items specifi ed by other parties).

Talk to your clients about this. • Review your prices and hourly charge-out rates, make sure you charge for professional services such as design, technical advice or drawings for building consent or client sign off.

Don’t just think they are an overhead cost, they are not. • List Health and Safety compliance in your pricing and if appropriate, disclose this amount to client. These costs have been imposed on you and will ultimately be passed to the consumer. • When you face a situation where a client requests to delay for a few weeks, and you have no more space for 3-6 months, let them know your situation and that you may not be able to make a fi rm commitment to a new date if they give up their booking. They may miss out and must wait. Just like what is happening to NZ citizens trying to get a MIQ booking.

Let clients know in advance of this potential situation during the sales process.

I wish you all well for the remainder of 2021, a good restful holiday, and a renewed fl exible mindset for 2022 and beyond.

If you would like to talk in confi dence about any of the above or feel the need to reach out, please call me.

Calling all timber joinery apprentices

The Master Joiners Apprentice Awards program is now open for entries. All timber joinery apprentices across New Zealand are encouraged to enter. For all details on how to enter visit www.masterjoiners.nz

All entries are automatically entered into the Peoples Choice Award. The People’s Choice award voting will open on Thursday 19th May 2022 at the Master Joiners Annual Conference, held at the Marlborough Events Centre, Blenheim.

Who will join our 2021 winners in being our next People’s Choice Award Winners in 2022?

Antonio Fruean from McNaughtons Doors & Windows, Auckland. Winner of the Awisa-Master Joiners Peoples Choice Award 2021 Over two years, & Winner of Highest Judged for workmanship and skill. Kelly Irvine of Lee Brothers Cabinets and Joinery, Rotorua. Winner of the Awisa-Master Joiners Peoples Choice Award 2021 Under two years, and Best Timber Project Under two years.