Stop Tolerating Poor Performance in Your Restoration Business

If you find yourself complaining—either in your head or to others—about poor performance on your team, ask yourself: Am I tolerating this, or am I doing something to address it?

In this post, I’ll walk through an example of a reconstruction manager not meeting expectations. However, if this specific example doesn’t resonate with your business, think about what does. Where in your organization is someone not meeting your expectations?

Step 1: Acknowledge the Gap

The first step is to identify the gap between where you are now and where you want to be.

For this example, the gap is: We don’t create budgets before starting reconstruction jobs.

If your team is already doing this, great! But as you read on, consider how this concept applies to other gaps in your business. Where is someone not performing the way you need them to?

Step 2: Set Clear Expectations

One of the most common reasons team members fail to meet expectations is a lack of clarity. When expectations aren’t clearly documented or communicated, frustration builds on both sides.

Here’s how to fix it:

1. Define Success: Be specific about what you expect. For example:
• The budget must be presented before the job starts.
• I must sign off on the budget if it doesn’t meet the desired gross profit target.
2. Document Expectations: Write these down in a simple, bullet-point format.

Why is this important? Often, I’ll talk to managers or business owners who are frustrated with a team member, but when I speak to the team member, they genuinely don’t know what’s expected of them.

When there are no documented expectations, there’s no clear target. Your team needs to understand what success looks like.

Step 3: Provide Support

Ask yourself: Does this person have the tools and knowledge to meet the expectations?

For example, if the task involves creating budgets on a computer, consider recording a quick screen capture video using tools like ScreenPal or Loom (both offer free versions).

A video tutorial is a valuable resource that can be reused every time someone new joins your team. It’s a simple but effective way to ensure everyone knows how to perform the task.

Step 4: Follow Through

Accountability is key. Set up regular checkpoints to ensure your expectations are being met consistently.

This isn’t just about reconstruction project managers—it applies to every role in your organization, whether it’s admin, sales, or bookkeeping.

Stop Tolerating Poor Performance

If you’re frustrated with someone on your team, ask yourself:

• Am I providing strong leadership?
• Have I set clear expectations?
• Am I giving this person the support they need?
• Am I holding them accountable?

If you’re just tolerating poor performance, it’s time to take action.

If you’d like to dive deeper into this topic or get personalized advice, feel free to book a call with me. I’d be happy to help. Just click the link below.

Let’s work together to build a team that performs at the level you need and deserve.