John Claborn

5X COO | Former College Hooper | Helping home service founders operate the business better | Jesus + Family + Avs

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

Operations partnerships are not common, especially in the trades.

Had a few people DM me asking how I actually help.

So here you go:

-Build operating plans with clear targets to achieve.

-Define the owner's role and create a plan to get them out of day-to-day operations.

-Build organizational structures with outcome-based roles and accountability.

-Establish who owns decisions, results, and responsibilities.

I-mplement KPIs, scorecards, and performance tracking.

-Build and implement SOPs that employees will use

-Establish weekly meeting rhythms and accountability systems.

-Create financial visibility into profitability, cash flow, and job performance. (fCFO partnerships in some cases)

-Fix broken processes between the office and field.

-Develop GM's and Dir of Ops who can make decisions without the owner.

-Lead operational projects from start to finish.

-Step into the operations seat when the business needs someone to run execution.

-Train internal leaders to take over the systems we've built.

-Transfer operational ownership to the team so the business can run without me.

Coaches teach.
Consultant advise.
Ops partners do.

All 3 are needed at various stages. I just fill the gap at the end.

And for the record, I don't use Fractional COO because everyone over on LI seems to be a fractional COO these days. 😎

All about the free value, so start here. 👇

https://t.co/iWDWbkrIai

Want to chat? DM's are open.

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

@thescarabosio Thnx!

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

For service businesses under $1M that don't need a sophisticated system, fractional COO or complex processes right now, check out the link below.

If this is you:

1. You run everything.
2. Quality team, but no one to lead the business with you.
3. You know your high level numbers, but not at a job costing level.
4. Few people (if any) have clarity on what they own.
5. Expectations aren't clear.

This is normal.

Run the system yourself until you're ready for help.

https://t.co/VxKLm7P3NX

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

@CoachTimHawkins It’s not an opinion. Straight facts homeslice

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

I was at Barnes and Noble yesterday browsing with my daughter trying to find a book about risk, adventure, business from a biblical perspective.

Should have just asked X.

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

@MatthewChang

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

@realCoreyEngel

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

@RoryTyer Dude, I read all of that. So good. All of this is so true.

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

Navigating tough conversations between employees and ownership shouldn't have to happen.

Yet here we are.

In my perfect world, everyone understands the idea of radical candor: caring personally and challenging directly.

Few know how to do that. Somehow tends to become "challenge personally" and that's it.

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

Earlier this year, I had an engagement where the single most important exercise we went through was Decision Rights.

It seems so simple and almost irrelevant because of its simplicity.

It was THE thing that shifted to org.

They ran this format below and 3 things happened…

1. Trust with the manager was built
2. Owner had more time to be the owner
3. Team trusted their manager more

If you’re a GM or similar position, this is a great exercise to perform with your owner, CEO, whomever.

Trust should build between them and you and your team and you.

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

@Brittonnorth That doesn’t mean he can’t teach others how to live a better life 🤣

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

@Lndscpguymatt Free right here. 👇

https://t.co/sPnyXUUrgf

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

This week is what I call Review Week for a couple of clients.

Last week in October is when we uncover every blocker preventing EOY Outcomes from happening.

-One on one reviews
-Scorecard updates
-Blocker tracking
-Ownership transfers
-Tons of questions

Normally an exhausting week, but the visibility and clarity created allows for the final 60 day push to happen.

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

@TheSystemsDad Free right here...👇

https://t.co/sPnyXUUrgf

No catch.

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

@TheSystemsDad I have no idea honestly. If a client has a need, I fill it.

I usually take a new build and templatize it though for the next client who needs it.

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

@MikeSimmons Perfect context.

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

Taking an initial thought deeper to provide context and application 101. 👇

[Mike Simmons #leadership @MikeSimmons]

Couple of things to consider here.

- a lot of people who have read radical candor like the idea of it, but don't care for it when it involves them on the receiving end.
- more people have read the cover and the back page, than have cracked the book.

On the tough conversations side of things - this is what works for me.

Reminding myself, that there are things that are said, things that are heard, things that are remembered - and rarely are all three the same.

Reminding myself to ask questions, and clarify what I heard/confirm what they heard.

Reminding myself that there is a lot of noise out there, and that noise gets in the way of the handoffs between said & heard, and heard & remembered.

Good stuff @FrontierBDesign

[Clint Fiore 🦬 DM for Biz Deals @ClintFiore]

Seriously though, the perfect Buyer for those little $100K-500K size deals earning $50-200K SDE isn't someone with a W-2, it's someone with a small biz in the same industry that can absorb them as add-ons.

Basically the PE playbook but scaled down to Main Street.

Buy a "platform" ($500K-2M SDE) first that lets you quit your W-2 and still make great money, then bolt on the little ones (<$500K SDE) over time once you know what you're doing in the industry.

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

@plasticboss Pretty cool night.

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

And son #1’s first fish 19 minutes later 🤣

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

First fish.

Not a bad one to start with.

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

@huntercdurham It’s the same work it’s always been, just much easier and better!

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

@MikeSimmons Experience almost always wins!

[John Claborn @FrontierBDesign]

@NicKent789 It’s a learned skill that if not taught can destroy a company’s culture.