First Friday - November 2026 - Fall Back…or Fall Behind?

Last weekend most of us got an extra hour of sleep. Then we walked around the house resetting clocks. Thankfully, our phones updated automatically; however, the oven, the microwave, and the one in the service van did not. If you are like me, at least one of those clocks will probably be wrong until March, forcing you to do the math in your head every time you look at it.

Interestingly enough, every business has a few of those clocks. They are the things we do because we have always done them. Some of them are the reason we are still here. Others are quietly costing us money, people, and time, and we have learned to do the math in our heads.

So, this month's question is: Which of your traditions are anchors that keep you steady, and which ones keep you stuck? Meaning there are some “Fall-Backs" worth keeping. Some old ways are old because they work. Don't apologize for them. They could include:

• Answering the Phone
• A real person who provides a real answer right away is priceless in today’s world.
• Your Word
• If you said you would be there Tuesday, be there Tuesday.
• Owners/Leaders Showing Up
• When leadership is present on job sites, in the shop, or at the install, it shows care and pride in the solution you deliver. It also sets the tone for your team and demonstrates that their work matters.
• Investing in Your People
• Providing training and mentorship to grow new leaders and cross-train team members is mission-critical.
• Faith & Family First
• The companies I respect most never lose sight of what matters most to them.

If those traditions and values are part of your culture, protect them. They are your competitive advantage. However, I bet we can all look around and find some clocks that need resetting. These are habits that made sense in 2006 and haven't been revisited since. Here are a few suggestions to investigate to make sure your clock is on time:

• Outdated Pricing Practices
• “We have always priced it this way” doesn’t mean you are pricing it properly. Recalculate your true labor burden and material costs, then reprice your top 10 services.
• Poor Scheduling Systems
• Service calls, installations, and inspections written on a whiteboard and in memory aren't enough. Move scheduling into the software you already pay for and track first-time fix rate. It may be time to look at a complete software system to run your business. Give me a call if you want to know my top 2.
• No Contracts/Service Agreements
• Thinking your customers love you and don't need contracts or service agreements is a serious mistake. First, get your customers to sign agreements. Trust me, your legacy and lawyers will thank you. Second, on the service agreements, offer one simple plan to your 20 best customers and see who says yes. You can refine from there.
• Owner Approvals
• Instead of having the owner approve everything, set a dollar limit your managers can approve without you. This should take 85% of decisions and approvals off your plate. Again, you can always refine from there.
• Archaic Comp Plans
• A comp plan written 10 years ago that pays for the wrong behavior won't help you build your business. Pay for gross margin and recurring revenue that incentivizes multi-year agreements tied to RMR, not just top-line sales.

None of the above means bad people make bad decisions; it's simply clocks that need to be reset. So here is a quick one-question filter to put into practice. Ask this question about anything your company does: “If we were starting this company today, would we do it this way?” If the answer is yes, keep it and be proud of it. If the answer is no, it is time to reset the clock.

Your Challenge

• Grab your leadership team and spend one hour on this. Call it the hour you got back last weekend.
• List five things your company does "because we always have."
• Put each one in one of three columns: Keep, Change, or Stop.
• Pick one item from Change or Stop and fix it before the December First Friday.

You may be motivated to tackle all of them, but pick one and take the time to change it the right way. Help your team build momentum and begin thinking this way, and then be methodical in implementing change across your business. Remember, momentum beats perfection.

Finally, falling back is not the problem. Going back to what works is wisdom. Staying back because change is uncomfortable is how good companies fall behind. Strategic Planning season is here. If you want a fresh set of eyes on which clocks need resetting in your business, let’s talk about it and book some time here: Robert's Schedule, so you don’t have to keep doing the math.

Best,

Robert Few

Managing Partner

The Connection Xchange (TCX)

201-838-0091

Robert.Few@TCX.email

www.theconnectionxchange.com

Calendar link: https://calendly.com/robert_few/one-on-one