Family Album

Good to Great
By: Mike Bolen

About ten years ago in a series of Executive Committee meetings, we took stock of ourselves and debated about what we thought McCarthy should look like in the future. The debates were lively, and resulted in a very clear and beautifully simple vision. “Our Goal is to be the Best Builder in America.”

At first glance you might say “that's pretty damn optimistic” and you are exactly right. That my friends is the point. “It” is a high bar that gets higher each year, and to stay within reach of it we must get better each and every day. That was our passion then and after ten years on our lobby walls I believe that we all still share that common goal.

So ten years into our journey, how are we doing? I'm glad you asked.

As part of our current Strategic Planning Process, we've surveyed dozens of clients, architects, subcontractors, and many of you. The feedback is very consistent and the consensus is that McCarthy is a good solid company. Maybe even “Very Good”, with tremendous progress made over the last five years. Clients trust us — especially on their most difficult projects. Architects listen to us and value our opinions. Subcontractors want to work with us. And our employees on balance are very excited about the Company's future.

Pat each other on the back. Being judged “Good” to “Very Good” — especially in the turbulent economic times of the past few years is a fabulous place to be. Most companies, and not just construction companies, would give their right arms to be classified in that way. “Very Good” certainly pays the bills and has provided well for our employees and their families.

But can we do better? Should we try to do better?

All of the client and architect surveys want us to and think we can. You say we can. Most importantly, your survey results say you want to improve.

The reality is pretty simple — we must do better.

While “Very Good” is a nice start and certainly an improvement in recent years, “Very Good” as an end point doesn't support our goal of becoming The Best Builder in America. In fact, when you think about it, status quo isn't even possible. If we're not getting better we are falling behind; it's as simple as that.

To approach that Goal on our lobby walls, we must find a way to get from Good to Great.

Great — now there's a word for you. What the hell does Great mean? If you read the papers or watch TV, anything and everything is Great. How can an overused, misused word like Great have significant meaning for McCarthy? Well hang in there with me and let's see if Great isn't the perfect idea to describe where we need to be as a Company.

Before we talk about what Great is for McCarthy, let's make it clear what Great isn't. Great is not about working harder. This business already required very hard work. Great is about working smarter and getting more satisfaction from what you accomplish. Sounds like a lot more fun to me.

Great is not Communism. Karl Marx saw a world like this — “From each according to their ability; to each according to their need”. He was dead wrong. At McCarthy the DEAL is — “From each according to their ability; to each according to their contribution”.

Soo— what does being Great mean for McCarthy? Here's what I think:

• Great companies recognize their potential and focus on reaching it. Let's figure out what we can be best in America at, and go there.
• Great companies are energized by change. We must have the collective wisdom and self confidence to embrace positive change.
• Great companies become magnets for great people. They are the fuel for our growth and improvement. We each have to have the courage to surround ourselves with people who can be better than we are — and then help them get there.
• Great companies sell performance not promises. For our customers that means certainty, and they will pay for that. We must add value at every step in the process or we will fail.
• Great is measured by consistency over time — Many years.

A few years back the Florida Marlins went from no where to a World Series title in one year. That is not greatness. The New York Yankees had a century of consistent top performance. Love'em or hate'em, that's greatness. I'll take the Yankees. I will judge the value of my career at McCarthy not by anything that happens while I'm here, but by how the Company does after I'm gone.

Good to Great. That's where we're going. If that excites you, you're in the right place. It will not be easy — but it will be worth it.