The role of a Construction CFO has changed a lot in recent years and now includes much more than just handling financial tasks. In the past, CFOs mainly focused on tracking expenses, managing budgets, and preparing reports for taxes or monthly financial reviews.
Today’s high-performing CFOs are deeply involved in making smart business decisions, guiding projects, and helping their companies grow strong and stay successful. Being successful as a CFO doesn’t only come from knowing the numbers—it also depends on strong habits, smart tools, and a focused mindset.
Great CFOs talk with different teams, look ahead at possible risks, and stay organized to keep construction projects running smoothly and on time.
Automated tools help them track costs, catch problems early, and prevent mistakes that could lead to future budget issues. With less time spent on manual reporting, CFOs can focus more on strategy, leadership, and improving the company’s overall performance.
In this article, we’ll explore the simple daily habits that make construction CFOs great leaders and trusted decision-makers in their companies.
Why Habits Matter in the CFO Role
High-performing CFOs shine through because of their strong, consistent habits. These daily routines help keep construction projects on track, even when things change fast. Good habits support team focus, boost profits, and provide the structure needed to handle surprises like delays, rising costs, and shifting project goals.
By reviewing reports, tracking costs, and staying in sync with key teams, CFOs can spot problems early and make smart decisions. Their habits also help them stay ahead of changing rules and labor shortages, creating safer, more stable, and fully staffed job sites that deliver better results.
Daily Habits of Elite Construction CFOs
The best construction CFOs don’t leave success up to chance—they build it through small daily actions that make a big difference. These habits help them lead with clarity, protect profits, and guide their teams with confidence.
1. Start the Day With a Financial Pulse Check
Every high-performing CFO starts the day by checking key numbers like cash flow, job costs, and WIP in real time. These dashboards show how money is moving, which jobs are on track, and where red flags might be starting to show.
With tools like automated WIP reports, and sage 300 CRE, this habit takes just a few minutes and gives a full picture of the company’s financial health before the day begins. It helps CFOs stay sharp and ready to make fast, smart decisions.
2. Prioritize by Project Margin
Elite CFOs don’t just look at all jobs equally, they focus their time on projects where profit margins are at risk. Instead of putting energy everywhere, they use margin data to guide where they should spend their attention.
By checking which projects have tight margins or recent budget changes, they can make better decisions, ask the right questions in meetings, and help teams fix problems early. This habit protects company profits in a big way.
3. Check In With Key Stakeholders
The most successful CFOs build strong relationships by having short, regular check-ins with Project Managers, Controllers, and the CEO. These don’t have to be long—just quick updates to share insights and ask key questions.
These brief conversations build trust, teamwork, and visibility, making sure everyone stays aligned and problems are solved faster. It’s a habit that turns financial leadership into a full team effort.
4. Scan for Risk Signals
Every day, CFOs take a few minutes to look for signs of risk using dashboards that show things like billing delays, safety issues, or compliance problems. These early signals can point to bigger problems if left unchecked.
By making this a daily habit, CFOs can catch issues before they grow and take fast action to reduce risk. It’s a simple way to protect both the company’s money and reputation.
5. Reflect and Adjust Communication Style
Strong CFOs know that how they communicate matters as much as what they say. That’s why they take time each day to reflect on their tone, message, and delivery, especially when talking to different teams.
Whether they’re meeting with site leaders, executives, or finance staff, they adjust their style to connect better. This shows emotional intelligence and helps build stronger, more motivated teams.
Weekly Habits That Set Top CFOs Apart
High-performing CFOs don’t just focus on daily tasks, they also have weekly habits that keep the big picture in focus. These habits help improve planning, teamwork, and long-term growth across the company.
1. Review and Adjust Forecasts
Each week, top CFOs take time to look closely at their financial forecasts. They review the health of the backlog, check burn rates (how fast money is being spent), and look at over- or under-billing trends. These numbers help them see where the company is heading and what changes need to be made.
Using automation tools makes this habit much easier. Instead of wasting time on manual spreadsheets, CFOs can pull reports quickly and spot trends faster. This keeps decisions smart and based on the most current data.
2. Lead or Attend Project Review Meetings
Great CFOs never lead from behind a desk. They make it a habit to attend or lead project review meetings each week. These meetings are structured around key metrics like schedule progress, budget performance, and safety reports.
More importantly, they ask smart questions—not just about money, but also about how teams are working. They focus on things like communication, workload, and progress so they can support better results across the board.
3. Encourage Collaboration Between Finance & Operations
Finance and operations often work in separate silos, but great CFOs help bring them together. Each week, they create regular touchpoints where both sides can share updates, solve problems, and plan ahead.
This habit builds trust and teamwork, helping the company move faster and make better decisions. It also ensures the financial side of the business supports what’s really happening on the job site.
4. Celebrate Wins and Spot Talent
Once a week, top CFOs look beyond the numbers and take time to recognize wins. They praise Project Managers who deliver work under budget or finish ahead of schedule. This boosts morale and encourages others to aim higher.
They also keep an eye out for future leaders within the finance team. By noticing who solves problems well, communicates clearly, or shows leadership potential, they help build a strong pipeline for growth.
Monthly Habits for Strategic Impact
Top CFOs know that their role goes beyond just daily or weekly tasks—they also focus on monthly habits that help guide the company’s long-term strategy. These habits keep the company on track to achieve its goals and stay ahead of any potential risks.
1. Conduct a Deep-Dive WIP Analysis
Once a month, successful CFOs take a deep dive into their WIP analysis. This means looking closely at how the company’s financial performance matches what’s actually happening in the field. Are projects staying on budget? Are costs rising unexpectedly?
To make this process easier and more accurate, CFOs use automated WIP tools. These tools give them up-to-date reports quickly, so they can spot any problems or trends without wasting time on manual work. This habit helps CFOs make sure that field operations and finances stay closely aligned.
2. Align Finance With Company Strategy
Elite CFOs don’t just look at numbers in isolation, they align finance with the company’s strategy. Each month, they review the company’s backlog (future projects) and revenue targets to adjust spending plans accordingly.
By collaborating with the CEO on growth planning, CFOs make sure that the company’s finances are ready to support long-term goals. This habit keeps the business flexible, helping it adapt to market changes and ensure enough capital is available for growth.
3. Reassess Insurance, Risk, and Compliance
As a monthly routine, CFOs take time to reassess their insurance, risk, and compliance strategies. They proactively address potential issues before the renewal period or audits. This includes checking if insurance coverage is enough for new projects or whether there are any changing compliance requirements to consider.
Personal Habits for Mental Clarity and Leadership Strength
High-performing construction CFOs know that great leadership starts with taking care of their own mind and body. Monthly reports and project numbers are important, but personal habits help them stay sharp, calm, and focused every day. These habits give them the mental strength to lead their teams well—even during the toughest times.
1. Time Blocking for Strategic Thinking
Top CFOs don’t let their calendars get taken over by endless meetings and emails. They use time blocking to set aside quiet time each week just for strategic thinking. This time is used to reflect, plan, or look ahead at upcoming financial trends and risks.
By protecting this time on their calendar, they make sure they are not always reacting—but thinking forward. This habit keeps their decision-making strong and allows them to bring fresh ideas into boardrooms and project meetings.
2. Physical Well-Being & Movement
Even the busiest CFOs make physical health a priority because they know it supports strong thinking and energy. Some go for a walk during lunch, others stretch between meetings, or fit in quick workouts in the morning.
Movement boosts blood flow to the brain, reduces stress, and improves focus. It’s not about running marathons, it’s about staying active enough to think clearly, lead calmly, and make better financial decisions.
3. Slowing Down to Avoid Decision Fatigue
Construction CFOs often face pressure from every side, tight deadlines, budget changes, and project risks. During heavy bid seasons or project delays, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by nonstop decisions.
That’s why the best CFOs make it a habit to slow down, pause, and reset when needed. Whether it’s a short walk, a quiet moment without a screen, or a few deep breaths, they give themselves space to avoid mental burnout. Slowing down helps them make smarter choices instead of fast, rushed ones.
Tools and Systems That Power High-Performance Habits
To build and maintain high-performance habits, construction CFOs rely on powerful tools and systems that streamline operations. These tools help them stay organized, track progress, and make data-driven decisions that keep projects on track and profitable.
Must-Have CFO Tools
To stay on top of things, high-performing construction CFOs use smart tools that save time, give clear insights, and help avoid mistakes. One of the most powerful tools today is automated tracking, which shows exactly how each job is doing. It gives real-time updates so CFOs can spot risks early, control costs, and keep projects on schedule without digging through long reports.
Another must-have tool is job costing software like Procore or Viewpoint. These systems track labor, materials, and equipment costs for every job. Instead of waiting until the end of the month to see how a project is doing, CFOs can see numbers change daily. This helps them act fast and protect profits before small problems grow bigger.
BI (Business Intelligence) dashboards are also key. They turn complex financial data into easy-to-read charts and graphs. A CFO can log in, see everything at a glance, and understand what’s going well—and what’s not—without needing to read pages of spreadsheets.
Last but not least, forecasting and scenario planning tools help CFOs prepare for the future. These tools let them test different “what-if” situations, like cost increases or delays, so they can build better plans and avoid surprise setbacks.
Integrating Tech Into Daily Workflows
Using the best tools is only helpful if they become part of your daily work—not just something you check once a month. Great CFOs build systems that feed them the right information at the right time, so they can make quick and smart decisions every day.
For example, one successful construction CFO uses an auto-generated WIP summary report every morning. This report shows updates from all active job sites and is automatically delivered to their inbox.
With this summary, they can hold a 15-minute meeting with the executive team to spot red flags, review job progress, and plan what needs attention, all before the day really begins. This routine keeps everyone aligned, saves hours of back-and-forth emails, and helps the company move faster with fewer surprises.
Mistakes to Avoid as a Construction CFO
Even smart and experienced construction CFOs can make mistakes that hurt the company’s growth. Knowing what to avoid is just as important as knowing what to do. Here are four big mistakes that top CFOs make sure to stay away from.
1. Acting as a “Super Controller” Instead of a Strategic Partner
Some CFOs try to control every detail, focusing only on the books and numbers. But today’s successful CFOs work as partners with the CEO and project teams, helping guide the company’s big plans. When a he only acts like a “super controller,” they miss the chance to help the business grow and stay strong for the future.
Being a strategic partner means sharing ideas, looking at risks early, and making sure the company is heading in the right direction. It’s not just about controlling money—it’s about leading with it.
2. Ignoring Operational Insights
Construction is about more than numbers, it’s about how things run on-site. A mistake many CFOs make is ignoring what’s happening in the field. If you don’t pay attention to daily site issues, crew challenges, or delays, your financial reports might miss key risks.
Top CFOs talk to project managers and visit sites when possible. They use dashboards that show what’s really happening day-to-day. When you combine finance and field knowledge, you make better and faster decisions.
3. Relying on Outdated Reporting
Some CFOs still use old spreadsheets and slow systems that take too long to update. This kind of reporting makes it hard to see problems early or plan ahead. In today’s fast-moving industry, real-time data is a must.
Modern CFOs use tools like forecasting software, real-time job costing platforms, and business intelligence dashboards to keep their info fresh. These tools help them react quickly and avoid surprises, especially on big, complex projects.
4. Not Investing in Your Team
No CFO can do it all alone. One of the biggest mistakes is not building up a strong finance team. If you don’t train and support your team, you’ll burn out and so will they.
Great CFOs take time to coach their teams, give regular feedback, and spot future leaders. They know a strong team keeps the company steady, even when things get tough. Investing in people is investing in success.
FAQs
1. What habits make a high-performing construction CFO?
High-performing construction CFOs maintain strong, consistent daily habits like reviewing real-time reports, prioritizing key metrics, and staying ahead of potential risks to ensure smooth project execution.
2. How do CFOs manage unexpected project delays?
CFOs stay on top of delays by tracking project progress daily and holding brief check-ins, allowing them to make early adjustments and avoid costly disruptions.
3. How can CFOs control rising project costs?
By regularly reviewing cost trends, monitoring spending, and using automated tools, CFOs can react quickly to fluctuations and keep projects within budget.
4. Why is it important for CFOs to manage compliance and safety?
CFOs ensure that all projects comply with safety and regulatory requirements by regularly reviewing checklists and working with legal teams, avoiding fines or project shutdowns.
5. How do CFOs handle skilled labor shortages?
CFOs address labor shortages by staying in touch with HR, tracking labor trends, and planning for better hiring, training, and retention strategies to ensure projects stay staffed and on schedule.
