- Highspire
- Posts
- Want 2026 to be different? Don’t just hope. Plan it.
Want 2026 to be different? Don’t just hope. Plan it.
Top construction companies don’t guess their way into growth. They plan with intention.
Every builder enters a new year with some kind of goal in mind:
“We want to grow.”
“We want to hire better people.”
“We want more margin and less chaos.”
But there’s a big difference between having goals and getting clear on how to hit them.
The builders who grow the fastest and protect profit as they do it, they aren’t winging it.
They take strategic planning seriously.
Not in a “woo-woo vision board” kind of way.
But in a boots-on-the-ground, data-informed, system-driven kind of way.
They carve out time, ask hard questions, and set priorities that guide the next 12 months.
Here’s what that can look like even if you’re not a large firm with a boardroom and facilitator.
1. Good: Block Time and Fill Out a Simple Review
You don’t need a big team or fancy setup to do this.
All you need is a few uninterrupted hours, a clean doc, and a commitment to reflection.
Start with a tool like our ESR: End-of-Year Strategic Review.
This helps you:
Set financial targets for 2026
Review what worked (and didn’t) in 2025
Reflect on team, delivery, margin, ops, marketing, systems
It’s not sexy. But clarity lives in the details.
“Where did we waste the most time this year?”
“Which staff made the biggest impact?”
“What are our cashflow projections based the reality of our booked jobs?”
“What projects felt easy and profitable — and why?”
This is where growth begins not with guessing, but with insight.
2. Better: Plan a 2-Day Strategy Offsite
Want to go deeper?
Block two days off-site (or at minimum, off-jobsite) and use that time for focused strategic planning.
You can do it solo or with your leadership team. The point is to create space for real thinking.
Use this simple structure:
Day 1: Reflection + Reality Check
Do a proper SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
Use our “50 Questions Every Construction Owner Should Ask”
Review margins, overhead, delivery speed, team performance, culture
Talk about what held you back in 2025
Day 2: The 2026 Game Plan
Choose your Top 3 Strategic Priorities
Break them down into quarterly targets
Identify what roles, systems, or investments are needed to support them
Map the first 90 days with clear accountability
This turns your abstract goals into a clear, focused roadmap.
3. Best: Bring in a Coach or Facilitator
The most profitable builders we work with?
They don’t just fill out templates. They get outside perspective.
A coach or facilitator brings:
Tough questions (that you wouldn’t ask yourself)
Experience across dozens of construction businesses
A process to surface blind spots
Accountability and clarity when decisions feel cloudy
Meeting management to hold accountabilty and keep things on track without considering intercompany politics.
They guide you through planning and help turn it into action.
It’s not fluff. It’s one of the highest ROI moves an owner can make each year.
Final Thought
You don’t need a 50-slide strategy deck.
But you do need space, structure, and a plan.
Because if you don’t stop to reflect and decide with intention, you’ll repeat the same patterns even if you’re growing.
The best builders don’t guess their way to results. They design the year before it begins.
Want to use the same tools we give $3M - $100M construction companies?
You’ll get:
Our End-of-Year Strategic Review
A full 2-Day Planning Offsite Agenda
“Questions Every Construction Owner Should Ask”
A plug-and-play Q1 Strategy Builder
We’ll walk you through it, or send the templates if you prefer to do it solo.
Forward always,
Paul Atherton
CEO and Co-Founder, Highspire