FIND A CONTRACTOR BUYER'S GUIDE
BECOME AN INDUSTRY PARTNER
MCAA Logo
MEMBER LOGIN JOIN
NEWS
The 2026 MCAA Annual Online Auction is Now Open ↗

Identify your targets

Words: George Hedley/Public/News/20111118060000-1.jpg" width="600" height="338" border="0" alt="The first step to success is simple — just write your targets down." />
The first step to success is simple — just write your targets down.
Most companies, managers, project teams and field crews don’t have a clue when they hit a homerun or do a good job. Employees are told to do their best or work as hard as they can, but not given specific milestones for which to shoot.

Most companies and managers never sit down and write out their company or project goals before they start a new job. And then, feedback and review of success or failure rarely is discussed with those who actually do the work. These facts were discovered, based on a recent survey I conducted with more than 2,000 construction industry companies.

Do you aim at anything?

You may know exactly what your profit and sales goals are. But, only 46 percent of companies surveyed set and track progress toward their annual profit and sales targets. The rest seemingly just try to do as much as they can, and remain satisfied with whatever they get.

Do you have specific, written targets for every area of your business? You are in the majority if you don’t. The survey shows only 30 percent have clear targets for their overhead budgets, 24 percent for safety, 17 percent for customer service, 12 percent for employee development, 8 percent for repeat customers, and 6 percent for bid-success ratio. This lack of targets affects everyone from the top, down: Less than 29 percent say their field employees have specific, written goals for any area of their work.

Baseball without batting averages?

Can you imagine a baseball team for which the coach didn’t have a team goal for winning games, and players didn’t have individual goals for hitting, fielding or pitching? Sadly, most companies send their teams onto the field without targets. At the project level, only 40 percent set clear goals for job profit, 30 percent for schedule, and 29 percent for productivity. Even in companies that do set goals, only 38 percent ever tell their employees what they are.

The result: Most management, field and administrative players don’t know when they get a hit or make an error, what a good batting average is, or if they win the game.

Aim at something

The truth is that people who have written goals are twice as successful as those who don’t. The first step to success is simple: just write your targets down. To set your goals use my swat.com method:

S = Specific
W = Written
A = Attainable
T = Time-Deadline
.
C = Challenging & Clear
O = On-Purpose, On-Target
M = Measurable

Start with your overall company goals, and then write project and individual goals. If a company goal is to finish every project on time, each project must have written goals with specific action steps. Use this goal worksheet example to set your goals:

Project Goal: Finish project on-time
Deadline: Complete project by July 31
Action step 1 — Get project team together
Action step 2 — Identify resources and responsibilities
Action step 3 — Set project team meeting schedule
Action step 4 — Implement weekly field review
Action step 5 — Track progress weekly and adjust resources

Remember to:
  • Set Weekly Targets
  • Set Monthly Goals
  • Set Pre-Project Milestones
Incorporate goals into your company mindset. If your priority is to stick to a schedule, assure your team knows it’s a priority, and what the milestones and deadlines are. Otherwise, it is too easy to get sidetracked by “urgent” job problems and miss your targets.
 0
The Importance of Instructor Support
April 2026

Whether you are a new or veteran masonry instructor, we all need support throughout our careers. We can never stop learning, and keeping up with ever-changing technology, materials, and installation techniques can be overwhelming alongside the everyday pr

Curtis Hoover
Resources
Read More
Vibing Masonry #11: Innovative Concrete Masonry Technologies in Healthcare Design
April 2026

In the high-stakes environment of healthcare design, every material choice is a clinical decision. Architects, engineers, and facility administrators are tasked with creating spaces that are not only resilient and code-compliant but also conducive to heal

Steve Blye
Technical Talks
Read More
Why Termination Bars Still Matter: A Practical Look at Long‑Term Flashing Performance
April 2026

In recent discussions across the masonry industry, I have heard termination bars described as “old school.” The implication is that with modern materials, primerless peel-and-stick flashings, advanced sealants, and structural insulated sheathing, mechanic

Linda Potter
Technical Talks
Read More
Building Solutions: The Critical Role of Cavity Space in Masonry Moisture Control
April 2026

Long before “rainscreen” became a popular term in building science, masonry cavity walls were functioning on that very principle. A brick veneer cavity wall is designed with the expectation that water will penetrate the exterior

Linda Potter
MAP Partner
Read More