Garth Lidbetter

UX & Systems Designer

Location

Sawtell
NSW, Australia

© 2002-2025 Garth Lidbetter

Garth Lidbetter

UX & Systems Designer

Location

Sawtell
NSW, Australia

© 2002-2025 Garth Lidbetter

Forest Built is an award-winning boutique builder in Coffs Harbour. With over fifteen years of commercial and residential experience. Known for craftsmanship and reliability, their success created new challenges: inconsistent workflows, uneven practices, and varied client expectations. Reliance on the owners’ knowledge limited scalability.

I worked with the co-owners to streamline operations, clarify processes, and embed their expertise across the business—helping them manage demand while maintaining quality.

Forest Built is an award-winning boutique builder in Coffs Harbour. With over fifteen years of commercial and residential experience. Known for craftsmanship and reliability, their success created new challenges: inconsistent workflows, uneven practices, and varied client expectations. Reliance on the owners’ knowledge limited scalability.

I worked with the co-owners to streamline operations, clarify processes, and embed their expertise across the business—helping them manage demand while maintaining quality.

Forest Built is an award-winning boutique builder in Coffs Harbour. With over fifteen years of commercial and residential experience. Known for craftsmanship and reliability, their success created new challenges: inconsistent workflows, uneven practices, and varied client expectations. Reliance on the owners’ knowledge limited scalability.

I worked with the co-owners to streamline operations, clarify processes, and embed their expertise across the business—helping them manage demand while maintaining quality.

Role & team

Role: Systems designer and coach

Team: Flying solo on this one

Client: 2 Co-Owners, plus 4 others in the leadership team

Role: Systems designer and coach

Team: Flying solo on this one

Client: 2 Co-Owners, plus 4 others in the leadership team

Role: Systems designer and coach

Team: Flying solo on this one

Client: 2 Co-Owners, plus 4 others in the leadership team

Tasks

Stakeholder interviews

Business analysis

User journey mapping

Success metric setting & tracking

Process documentation

Coaching sessions

Stakeholder interviews

Business analysis

User journey mapping

Success metric setting & tracking

Process documentation

Coaching sessions

Stakeholder interviews

Business analysis

User journey mapping

Success metric setting & tracking

Process documentation

Coaching sessions

Deliverables

System map

Change management plans

Prioritisation matrix

Sales scripts

Client onboarding packages

System map

Change management plans

Prioritisation matrix

Sales scripts

Client onboarding packages

System map

Change management plans

Prioritisation matrix

Sales scripts

Client onboarding packages

5

in-depth user interviews

137

blockages identified

3

new supervisors empowered to lead with SOPs

10

hours per week freed up for directors

Background & Brief

Forest Built has experienced rapid growth, driven by a commitment to quality craftsmanship and a personable, honest approach. As the business expanded, the challenges of scaling became more apparent. Following a series of discussions to identify key pain points, a plan was developed for me to support the team by reviewing and refining their operational systems.

The plan included monthly consulting sessions with the two directors over an 18 month period.

Focusing on:

  1. Identifying primary blockages

  2. Developing solutions

  3. Prioritising the order of actioning these solutions

  4. Setting metrics and expectations on the team to make change

Forest Built has experienced rapid growth, driven by a commitment to quality craftsmanship and a personable, honest approach. As the business expanded, the challenges of scaling became more apparent. Following a series of discussions to identify key pain points, a plan was developed for me to support the team by reviewing and refining their operational systems.

The plan included monthly consulting sessions with the two directors over an 18 month period.

Focusing on:

  1. Identifying primary blockages

  2. Developing solutions

  3. Prioritising the order of actioning these solutions

  4. Setting metrics and expectations on the team to make change

Forest Built has experienced rapid growth, driven by a commitment to quality craftsmanship and a personable, honest approach. As the business expanded, the challenges of scaling became more apparent. Following a series of discussions to identify key pain points, a plan was developed for me to support the team by reviewing and refining their operational systems.

The plan included monthly consulting sessions with the two directors over an 18 month period.

Focusing on:

  1. Identifying primary blockages

  2. Developing solutions

  3. Prioritising the order of actioning these solutions

  4. Setting metrics and expectations on the team to make change

Challenges

  1. Managing a high-energy, reactive team proved difficult; keeping them focused on priorities without getting sidetracked by urgent but non-strategic tasks was a constant challenge.

  2. Leadership was open to change, but identifying which initiatives would actually deliver meaningful impact was unclear and required careful navigation.

  3. Ensuring that new processes and behaviours became habitual rather than temporary fixes was a persistent struggle.

  4. Co-owners were repeatedly pulled back into day-to-day site work, making it difficult to focus on strategic business growth and long-term priorities.

  1. Managing a high-energy, reactive team proved difficult; keeping them focused on priorities without getting sidetracked by urgent but non-strategic tasks was a constant challenge.

  2. Leadership was open to change, but identifying which initiatives would actually deliver meaningful impact was unclear and required careful navigation.

  3. Ensuring that new processes and behaviours became habitual rather than temporary fixes was a persistent struggle.

  4. Co-owners were repeatedly pulled back into day-to-day site work, making it difficult to focus on strategic business growth and long-term priorities.

  1. Managing a high-energy, reactive team proved difficult; keeping them focused on priorities without getting sidetracked by urgent but non-strategic tasks was a constant challenge.

  2. Leadership was open to change, but identifying which initiatives would actually deliver meaningful impact was unclear and required careful navigation.

  3. Ensuring that new processes and behaviours became habitual rather than temporary fixes was a persistent struggle.

  4. Co-owners were repeatedly pulled back into day-to-day site work, making it difficult to focus on strategic business growth and long-term priorities.

Solution

I introduced a change management framework for leadership to follow on new initiatives. It intentionally, initially slowed progress to ensure improvements were deliberate, measurable, and reviewed.

New initiatives initiated with Forest built:

  • End-to-end customer journey – with highlighted areas of improvement

  • Prioritisation matrix

  • Structured internal rhythms

  • Project/task management system

  • Sales scripts and processes

  • Translation filter for clients assisting with project scoping

  • Client onboarding packs

  • Variation change process guide


I introduced a change management framework for leadership to follow on new initiatives. It intentionally, initially slowed progress to ensure improvements were deliberate, measurable, and reviewed.

New initiatives initiated with Forest built:

  • End-to-end customer journey – with highlighted areas of improvement

  • Prioritisation matrix

  • Structured internal rhythms

  • Project/task management system

  • Sales scripts and processes

  • Translation filter for clients assisting with project scoping

  • Client onboarding packs

  • Variation change process guide


I introduced a change management framework for leadership to follow on new initiatives. It intentionally, initially slowed progress to ensure improvements were deliberate, measurable, and reviewed.

New initiatives initiated with Forest built:

  • End-to-end customer journey – with highlighted areas of improvement

  • Prioritisation matrix

  • Structured internal rhythms

  • Project/task management system

  • Sales scripts and processes

  • Translation filter for clients assisting with project scoping

  • Client onboarding packs

  • Variation change process guide


5

in-depth user interviews

137

blockages identified

3

new supervisors empowered to lead with SOPs

10

hours per week freed up for directors

Conclusions

By implementing structured frameworks and systems, Forest Built gained clarity, focus, and measurable progress.

Leadership can now prioritise strategically. Reducing reactive distractions, while new processes embed lasting behavioural change. The team operates with clearer expectations, smoother project flows, and improved client engagement through enhanced onboarding, sales processes, and communication tools.

Overall, these initiatives strengthened operational efficiency, empowered leadership to concentrate on growth, and ensured that quality craftsmanship is consistently delivered—positioning Forest Built for sustainable expansion without compromising its values.

By implementing structured frameworks and systems, Forest Built gained clarity, focus, and measurable progress.

Leadership can now prioritise strategically. Reducing reactive distractions, while new processes embed lasting behavioural change. The team operates with clearer expectations, smoother project flows, and improved client engagement through enhanced onboarding, sales processes, and communication tools.

Overall, these initiatives strengthened operational efficiency, empowered leadership to concentrate on growth, and ensured that quality craftsmanship is consistently delivered—positioning Forest Built for sustainable expansion without compromising its values.

By implementing structured frameworks and systems, Forest Built gained clarity, focus, and measurable progress.

Leadership can now prioritise strategically. Reducing reactive distractions, while new processes embed lasting behavioural change. The team operates with clearer expectations, smoother project flows, and improved client engagement through enhanced onboarding, sales processes, and communication tools.

Overall, these initiatives strengthened operational efficiency, empowered leadership to concentrate on growth, and ensured that quality craftsmanship is consistently delivered—positioning Forest Built for sustainable expansion without compromising its values.

Feedback

Caleb Johnston

Founder & Co-Owner

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Christian Parkes

Co-Owner

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