Strategy Season, Part 2: The Difference Between Planning and Actually Building Something That Works
The Challenge
I was on a call a few weeks ago with an owner who told me he already had his 2026 plan figured out. He pulled up a spreadsheet with revenue targets broken down by quarter, margin goals for each division, and a list of equipment purchases. He walked me through it with confidence, explaining how they were going to hit $40 MM next year, up from $28 MM this year.
I asked him one question. "Who on your team knows these numbers, and the plan exists?"
Long pause. Then he admitted that he hadn't shared it yet because he wanted to finalize everything first. He also wasn't sure his project managers would truly understand the bigger picture, so he figured he'd just communicate the key points as the year progressed.
That's not a strategy. That's a wish list with numbers attached. And it's exactly why so many contractors hit a ceiling they can't break through. They confuse having goals with having a plan. They think that because they wrote something down or plugged numbers into a spreadsheet, they've done the hard work. But the hard work isn't creating the plan. It's about building a strategy that your entire leadership team understands, believes in, and can execute without your constant supervision. If your team doesn’t believe it, then it WON’T happen!
Most owners I talk to can tell me what they want to achieve. Very few can tell me how their team is going to make it happen. And even fewer have taken the time to make sure everyone in a leadership position actually knows what winning looks like. So when the year gets chaotic, and it always does, people default back to what they know. They react. They put out fires. They work hard but drift further from the target because there was never a shared roadmap to begin with.
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The Impact
Here's what happens when strategy lives in one person's head. Projects get bid without understanding how they fit into the bigger plan. Your best people burn out chasing work that doesn't move the company forward. Departments start operating like separate businesses, each doing its own thing with no sense of how their decisions affect cash flow, capacity, or culture. And the owner ends up becoming the bottleneck because nobody else has the full picture.
I've watched companies flatline for years because of this. Revenue stays stuck in the same range. The leadership team becomes reactive instead of proactive, and eventually, the best people start looking elsewhere because they don't see a future they can be part of. The owner feels it too. The weight of carrying everything alone starts showing up as stress, frustration, and resentment. They wonder why their team doesn't think like an owner, why nobody seems to care as much as they do. But the truth is, you can't expect people to think like owners if you never let them in on what you're actually trying to build.
The Shift
Real strategy starts with getting the right people around the table and having an honest conversation about where the company actually is right now. Not where you wish it was. Where is it? That means looking at the numbers without the spin. Which clients made you money, and which ones cost you time and stress? Which projects ran smoothly, and which ones exposed gaps in your systems or people? What's working in your operations and what's quietly dragging you down?
Once you've got clarity on that, the next step is defining what success looks like twelve months from now in a way that's specific and measurable. Not just revenue targets, but the kind of company you're trying to build. What does your client mix look like? What does your leadership structure need to be? And most importantly, who on your team is responsible for driving each piece of that forward?
Accountability is a MUST!
This is where most planning falls apart. Owners set goals but never assign ownership. A real strategy connects your vision to the daily decisions your team is making. It defines what matters most and makes sure everyone knows their role in getting there. When I walk contractors through this process, the shift happens fast. The leadership team isn't just taking orders anymore. They're contributing ideas, identifying problems before they become crises, and making decisions that align with where the company is headed because they finally understand the destination.
The Closing
Building a strategy that actually works isn't about locking yourself in an office with a spreadsheet. It's about bringing your leadership team into the process and making sure everyone leaves the room aligned, accountable, and ready to execute. The companies that grow from $50 MM to $ 100 MM or beyond don't do it by accident. They do it by creating a clear plan that their entire team can rally behind.
You've spent years building this business. You've survived slow years, tough projects, and every challenge the industry has thrown at you. But if you want to break through to the next level, you can't keep doing it the same way. The next few weeks are your window. Use them wisely. Because 2026 will reward the contractors who prepared, not the ones who reacted.
Gerard Aliberti
Pro-Accel, Owner
If this message hit home and you want help building your 2026 plan, send a note to jerry@pro-accel.com. I can support you through Executive Coaching, Operational Assessment, or Strategic Development Planning.
Webinar Announcement!!
On November 13th at 11:00 a.m. EST, I’ll be joining forces with Patrick Shurney, Financial Coach and Owner of 3P Consulting, to host "From Builder to CEO", a paid masterclass that brings the financial and operational sides of contracting together.
This 90-minute session is built for contractors in the $5M–$100M range who want actionable steps, real deliverables, and immediate ROI. We’ll cover how to align your numbers and operations so you can step out of builder mode and into CEO mode.
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