Stop Managing on Feelings: How Contractors Can Actually Measure Team Performance

Key Takeaways for Contractors

• Clear expectations only matter if leaders are willing to follow up.
• Team performance should be measured with both numbers and field feedback.
• Most “people problems” are often process or communication problems first.
• Hard conversations become easier when trust and honesty are established early.
• Gossip damages culture and should be replaced with direct conversations.
• Employees should not be surprised when accountability reaches a final decision.

Why Contractors Struggle to Measure Team Performance

Many contracting companies rely on emotion, instinct, or scattered feedback when judging how well someone is doing. A project manager might feel overwhelmed, a crew might complain, or a customer might be frustrated, but without a clear system, leaders are left guessing.

Scott and Rick explain that strong management requires both measurable outcomes and honest human feedback. For example, a company can look at revenue sold, revenue produced, gross profit, customer experience, crew feedback, and whether the person is supporting the team effectively.

Metrics and Field Feedback Both Matter

Numbers tell part of the story, but they do not tell the whole story. A manager may appear successful on paper while creating confusion in the field. On the other hand, a manager may be well-liked but still miss profit, production, or customer experience goals.

“It is not one or the other. You have to look at an array of things.”

For contractors, that means leadership should regularly ask the people closest to the work what is actually happening. Are crews getting the information they need? Are transitions smooth? Are jobs starting with clarity? Are managers supporting the people they lead?

Investigate Before Passing Judgment

One of the strongest themes in the episode is curiosity. Before assuming someone is failing, Scott and Rick recommend asking better questions. A complaint from one employee should not immediately become a conclusion about another employee.

Instead, leaders should investigate patterns, talk to multiple people, and look for root causes. Sometimes the issue is the person. Other times, the issue is unclear expectations, poor communication, missing process, or a system that sets people up to fail.

Hard Conversations Should Be Honest, Not Harsh

Contractors often avoid difficult conversations because they do not want to hurt people or damage relationships. But avoiding the conversation usually creates more damage over time.

Rick shares that it helps to ask permission for honesty before the hard moment arrives. A leader can say, “When I see something that may help you improve, are you okay with me telling you directly?” That creates a healthier agreement before tension is high.

“I want to create an environment of safety, but I do not want to sugarcoat it.”

Set Expectations, Then Enforce Them

Expectations lose power when leaders do not follow through. If an employee is expected to show up on time, communicate delays, follow a process, or support the team, that standard has to be addressed when it slips.

The first time a leader lets it slide, it becomes easier to let it slide again. Over time, the team learns that the expectation is optional. That weakens culture and makes accountability feel personal instead of normal.

Kill Gossip With Direct Conversations

Gossip is one of the fastest ways to damage a contractor’s culture. Scott and Rick talk about replacing side conversations with direct, facilitated conversations between the people involved.

The goal is not to punish feedback. The goal is to stop indirect complaining and move toward constructive communication. If someone has a real concern, it should be handled with clarity, respect, and ownership.

Most People Problems Are Process Problems First

One of the most valuable leadership insights in this episode is that many employee issues are not actually employee issues at first. They are process problems, procedure problems, training problems, or expectation problems.

“Nine times out of ten, it is a process or procedure problem.”

When people are placed into a stronger system with clear expectations, better follow-up, and consistent communication, many of them perform better. That is why leaders should examine the system before deciding the person is the problem.

When It Is Time to Let Someone Go

The episode also addresses a difficult but important reality: sometimes a person is no longer the right fit for the company. The key is making sure the company has done everything reasonable to help that person succeed first.

When expectations have been communicated, support has been provided, follow-up has happened, and the behavior still does not change, the decision becomes clearer. At that point, accountability is not a surprise. It is the natural result of repeated conversations.

Contractor Leadership Action Steps

• Define what success looks like for each management role.
• Measure both performance numbers and team experience.
• Ask field employees how well they are being supported.
• Investigate issues before assigning blame.
• Have direct conversations instead of allowing gossip to grow.
• Create follow-up dates after corrective conversations.
• Hold standards consistently across the company.