Eric Waller is the owner of Total Roofing Systems, LLC.
Change is the only constant, particularly in today’s business world. Traditional annual planning has lost its relevance in the face of technology-driven disruption and the demand for speed.
I’ve seen it firsthand: ideas pour in faster than ever, and managing that influx is just as critical as the innovation they foster. If you’re a leader grappling with this reality, here’s what I’ve learned—and what I’ve had to unlearn.
Continuous Operation Beats Seasonal Thinking
For years, the roofing business and broader construction industry has operated on cycles, either seasonal or annual. I’ve decided we no longer end our season. I told my team back in early November that while everybody in our area is ending their season, assessing how they performed against the quarter and setting their goals for next year, we’re not doing that. We’re looking for the partners who don’t end their season, those who keep working.
This isn’t about pushing people past a healthy work-life balance. That’s a scary road I never want to go down. But I’ve learned that when you work in fits and starts—planning one season, resting another—you’re always playing catch-up. The opportunities are constant, so your operation needs to be too.
My mantra is simple: stabilize before you optimize. It’s tempting to chase what’s better without first making sure you’ve successfully executed what you’re already doing. I see it all the time. Someone will run a test twice and then want to tweak the new product, service or offering. But when I ask, “Did you really run the test 10 times as it was designed?” the answer is often no.
The Problem With Annual Plans
I’ll be honest—I’ve never successfully built or executed a five-year plan. I’ve never even built a successful annual plan. And it’s not because we failed to try. It’s because the pace of change is so rapid now that by the time you’re two months into the year, everything’s different.
Most leaders know their plans are outdated by March or April. For private companies like mine, that’s manageable because we can adapt on the fly. But for publicly traded companies or traditional leaders who pride themselves on detailed plans, this creates an integrity problem. You can’t tell your team or shareholders, “Well, the plan failed three months in.” So instead, you keep steering a ship you know is headed in the wrong direction.
The frequency of change today is like moving from AM radio to FM. We’ve gone from long, broad waves to faster, higher-quality signals. It requires a completely different leadership approach.
Capturing And Ranking Ideas
One of the biggest challenges leaders face today is managing the influx of ideas. For years, I worked hard to foster innovation, asking my team to bring me ideas and share their thoughts on how to improve the business. But I quickly learned that if you don’t organize those ideas, they create chaos.
Here’s what I do: I use an XY matrix, which some people call a quad matrix or a 2×2. On one axis, I measure the difficulty of implementation—effort, money, time, things like that. On the other axis, I measure the impact on the business. If something is high impact and low difficulty, we act on it immediately.
But more than simply ranking ideas, it’s critical that employees see their ideas captured and processed. Even if their suggestion doesn’t get implemented, the dignity of being heard is what matters. We take all ideas through the same process because I want to reinforce the act of thinking and sharing—not just the outcome.
For example, if someone suggests moving a task from one person to another, I’ll capture it on a sticky note and walk them through the impact. Often, they realize the idea isn’t feasible, but they see that we gave it attention and learned valuable information. This builds trust and keeps the culture of innovation moving forward.
The Role Of Technology In Empowering Teams
Technology, particularly generative AI, has completely changed how we operate. I’ve got people using ChatGPT to create products for my business. GenAI has given employees tools they never had before, what I call “digital prosthetics.” It removes barriers like regional dialects, writing ability and access to information. In a way, it’s like putting on glasses for the first time. Suddenly, you see things clearly, and it changes how you operate.
But as a leader, I need to guide that process. If you don’t organize the innovation your team is generating, it won’t have a material business impact. Worse, your best employees could take their new tools and their talent somewhere else.
Balancing Speed And Safety
Not all changes can be managed at the same speed. I’ve spent years working in high-risk industries, so I know the difference between innovating products and changing processes that affect safety. You can’t cut corners on things that could harm people. But for most of us—those running roofing companies, retail businesses or even tech startups—the speed of decision-making is what sets us apart.
One of the best ways to stabilize in a high-speed environment is to build a sort of informational sieve. Capture every idea, rank them visibly and move them through a process that your whole team understands. Without this, you’re either stagnating or descending into chaos.
As I see it, the pace of change will only continue to accelerate. Leaders who thrive will be those who can manage the influx of innovation, adapt to rapid shifts and maintain clarity in their organizations. Success comes from staying steady and turning innovation into progress, no matter how fast the world moves.
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