Leadership

COVID to Me

Another week on the road auditing projects, checking on our teams, and staying in hotels. Under the current COVID conditions this has become more like “Camping with Air Conditioning” than the normal routine of housekeeping and bringing clients out to dinners that I’ve come to expect over the years. In Normal times, I give a valiant effort to get my wife to feel sorry for me being away from home but she rolls her eyes and informs me that there’s a school project due or the dog crapped out half of my missing sock, ….or remote, ….or newly planted landscaping. (in case you’re not catching on there’s some bad blood between me and the dog) But today, there’s none of that. There is no school, my wife is working from home and training the dog and for me, well, there is no housekeeping or restaurants to wine and dine anyone. And on top of that it’s raining……..again.

So in I go to check into the hotel, this time the city is Lexington. In an effort to make small talk, I mention to the clerk “You guys finally get to open things up and see some normalcy this Friday, I see?” the seemingly shy young lady behind the Plexiglas shield that is supposed to protect one of us from impending disease replies, “yes I guess, but I’m not sure I want to. I wish we’d just stay safe for a couple more weeks.” It’s at that moment that I’m reeled back into the reality that to so many like her, this is scary and maybe even more reality than they can handle. We’re not all in construction, or some “essential” business as we now call is where we are geared to take on the world regardless of hazard. We’re not all in an industry where we calculate risk, recognize hazards and put together a plan to simply move forward or pay a consequence if we don’t. As a matter of fact, statistically, I’d think very little of the country belongs to that group.

I tried to backtrack quickly before making her feel even more insecure about the stance she obviously had struggled to find some footing on. “Yea I get it. That’s what seems so unique about this. Everyone has mixed emotions on what to believe or do.” That seemed to steady the vibe in the room and to some extent I guess I believed what I was saying. Am I even sure of my position on Covid-19? No, not really. I don’t get paid for that and right now I don’t even have time for it honestly. My job is to produce, end of story. Build a plan, build a team, keep wheels in motion and when we produce we better do it safely and effectively no matter what the economy, the political climate, or the pandemic. Sounds tough, but maybe that’s easier because I know what I’m doing tomorrow, even if at times it’s climbing a figurative Everest. The struggle doesn’t allow the luxury of time to debate who’s responsible for this crisis, and your view can’t be very extreme to the left or the right if your nose is to the grindstone. I guess I’ve been a bit consumed with that because there are always people jobs at stake and I take that personally.

The thing I am unsure of at times though, mostly late at night when I stop for a minute, is if it is real. Is this a natural pandemic or a scheme? Is the data reliable? Which causes worry when you’re wired like me to rely on data. Is the reward of saving jobs greater than the risk of sending people to work? Should we wear masks or is that a stripping of our rights? Everyone has opinions, but today I think a stranger in the lobby of a hotel answered that in a way that no politician, or journalists could ever explain. For a brief moment I didn’t care if Covid-19 was real to me, because it was real to a young lady that I had never met before that was fearful of her tomorrow. I’m trying to book meetings for next month and she won’t even go to a burger joint on Friday. So, sitting here tonight writing this, I’m not watching the news or reading Facebook. I am not listening to the self-proclaimed geniuses of either the left or right agenda blaming each other for worldwide pandemonium. I am thinking about how I will look back on this time in history ten years from now. Did I spend my time arguing about who is to blame? Was it a bat sandwich, or Trump, or the Democrats pulling the entire world’s puppet strings? Or did I pour my energy into making the reality of those who are affected by COVID-19 a better place to exist? Did I waste my time rallying with people of my same beliefs or did I open my eyes to see those people who don’t have room for an opinion on the matter because they’re consumed by the pain and stress of it all?

So that’s my challenge to those of you reading this. Those of you that have been fortunate enough to still provide employment or blessed to be in a position to offer support or influence. Keep an eye out for the hurting. Really talk to people (Even if it is through a mask) and listen. Do not let 2020 be the year of isolation, but instead let it be the time that we really got to know our neighbor because there were fewer distractions. We may never know if this COVID-19 pandemic was fake or real. But we can agree, there’s nothing fake about the father who lost his job, or the daughter who didn’t get to say a last goodbye, or the parent who couldn’t attend their own child’s funeral. I hope that at the end of another decade, the wrongdoing of a person or group of persons that started this pandemic will simply be a story and the RIGHT that was done during COVID-19 will be the history made.

“These are the times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. Great necessities call out great virtues. When a mind is raised, and animated by scenes that engage the heart, then those qualities which would otherwise lay dormant, wake into life and form the character of the hero and the statesman.”
― Abigail Adams

The Plans that Didn’t Work Out

It was 3 in the afternoon and I was stopping to catch my breath from pushing that mower as fast as that little motor could keep up. I don’t bother with self-propelled because they can’t move in “Greg Speed’ and I won’t buy a riding mower because I refuse to admit that mowing a little subdivision yard is actually work, regardless of what my tendinitis says. So as I was watching my man card slip away through the stinging sweat in my eyes I noticed an image in the rear-view. It was my family laughing and chasing each other around the living room. By family I mean my cute fun loving wife, my four kids, and two standards. For the less cultured in the audience, I’ll clarify… Standard is short for Big Poodle. I try to act snobby about them because I know deep down, any ounce of tough lumberjack-type man-characteristics I still had were mercilessly put to death when my wife informed me that I own poodles.
As I sat there for a minute, half appreciating and half recuperating, I couldn’t help but think about how great it was that my teenage plans never worked out. You see, the curly headed brunette I’m married to is my childhood crush. We grew up houses from each other but never dated, only to end up married at forty after divorce. Two of the four kids are mine, so I’ll take my credit there, because they are wonderful and nearly raise themselves. The other two are hers, equally as wonderful and by favor or fate, adore my children. They also tolerate me which is quite a bit to ask of anyone. I’ll credit that to their youthful innocence. When they learn to know better I’m out of luck!
It’s mid-June, and aside from the heat and humidity, the common topic of conversation seems to be centered around people’s plans. Plans about family vacations for the summer or everyone’s plans to fit into that new swimsuit. But one common theme this time of year seems to be us discussing with new graduates what their plans for their future are. Because you should have life figured out by 18 or you’re going to be a failure, right? I wonder if we’re not screwing them up more than helping them. We act like they have to a road map to success by the time they can vote. I wonder how many of us are still on the same exact path that we chose in high school? Sure, I ended up in the desired destination by keeping my dream in the windshield, but trust me the GPS led me through the unexpected while taking a couple rest stops in crazyville. I believe we could be of greater help to the next generation if we spent less time giving advice on whether they become a Doctor or Lawyer and more time making them aware of the impact they can make on other people’s lives along the way. What if we put priority on coaching them on where they should end up as a person and not as a professional? The latter will take care of itself if the first is advanced. I’ve yet to find many unsuccessful people that Walked with Integrity and Worked with Discipline.
So let’s make it a mission to quit telling kids that they need their Plan figured out just yet. Let’s help them focus on having “A” Plan, not “The” Plan. A plan to advance as a person. To become disciplined in a lifestyle of education, and generosity. To do right when no one is looking, and defer praise to others when everyone is looking. To have A Plan for each day like Mr. Franklin, “What good shall I do Today?”. If they continue to move forward in that manner their careers will be good ones and their lives will be great ones.
I am most definitely one of the fortunate ones and I don’t take that for granted. I am sitting about where I would be in my career had I sacrificed all and focused only on career. I personally believe the detours in life helped me be prepared when I arrive here more than a straight line ever could have. Had I kept blinders on and stuck t to my 18 year old greg-plan, I would merely hold the title of VP. Looking back, I’m so happy that VP came well after holding the title of Son, Friend, Daddy, Husband, & Step-Dad. Boy would life had been a disappointment if only my plans would’ve worked out!

The Softer Side of Tough

The construction industry has been built with calloused hands and sore backs. Needless to say, the tireless efforts of those that paved the way to industrial fortune didn’t leave much time or tolerance for feelings or small talk. The truth is that for quite some time, it simply wasn’t needed. For years the industry was forging new territory. The teams that put their heads down and pushed forward won the prize. While this was a proven recipe in the early years, it no longer guarantees success as it once did.

Now don’t misunderstand me, I’m not downplaying the value of the calloused hands. I have my own and have great respect for others that do. Unfortunately for the current employer, the labor pool is diluted and experienced craftsmen are harder to find, much less retain. We’re not replacing the experienced men and women of our industry quickly enough, because experience takes time and time costs money. The companies that are truly winning in today’s marketplace are finding that there are additional traits proving to be worthwhile to look for when assessing individuals for leadership roles. These traits are often referred to as “soft skills”, although in today’s world they may be necessary “career skills”.

The top Five that come to mind are Communication, Leadership, Adaptability, Conflict Resolution, & Diligence.

These are the traits that if possessed by a supervisor, in addition to technical skill, will increase their value to an employer, and to their team, exponentially. These Soft Skills play a different role in Construction than their technical counterpart. When a leader possesses a solid technical knowledge, it merely ensures that they know how to carry out their task effectively on their own. Unfortunately, without possessing the necessary soft skills they fall short in ensuring that the team is capable of carrying out the task at hand. In other words these softer skills can carry us down the path from individual success, to team success, to project success!

Communication: To say that Communication is a buzz-word in any industry would be an understatement. It tops the list of any companies list of necessary skills when recruiting new talent and deservedly so. If a Construction Manager cannot properly communicate the scope and expectations of a project to the team, the project will most definitely stumble out of the gate.

Clarity in communication is key. Clear and concise Communication has the following effects:

Nurtures a safe environment – Our projects have many moving parts….heavy, dangerous, moving parts. With so many tasks taking place simultaneously on limited real estate, accurate and consistent communication is the only way to ensure our teams go home every day to their families.
Bridges the Generational Skill Gap – Nearly every industry and marketplace is suffering from the same condition. Whether it was war, or diversification of the marketplace that caused it, we have a significant age gap between the highly experienced and the newer individuals in our industry. Technology and competition have accelerated individuals in their careers without the hours in the field. Our projects have become so competitive that we cannot simply sit around and wait for a generation to gain that experience. It is necessary for craftsmen to gain much of that experience from others. Supervisors that can effectively transfer their knowledge to others through communication will gain an edge and help their employer do so as well.
Retains the best of the talent – this may be the single most overlooked aspect of communication. It is impossible to measure the effect that short conversations have on our teams in the field. So many potential rockstars leave companies because they never felt they were “part of the team”. This feeling of being kept in the dark leads imaginations to run wild. Make it a priority to let your team know what is going on with their project and with the company they are working for. Being included in simple conversation builds the image of the team that they hunger to be part of.
Sets up the Team and Project for Success – Properly communicating the expectations of an individual or team’s role allows them to set their eyes on the prize. The easiest way to move forward is to be focused in that direction. Layout expectations and set goals that can be attained. When these goals are met, acknowledge them. When they are not, coach the team so that they will succeed next time.

Leadership: This trait or skill is naturally the next to discuss. Leadership cannot be attained without communication. Leadership in its essence is the ability to inspire and equip others to follow you to a destination. It is also the ability to govern when necessary. This proves difficult if they are not 100% on board with you as their leader.

Here are four traits of any great leader.

Active Listener – Any great leader listens before they speak. Get to know your teams concerns, personalities, and aspirations. Understanding more about them as people will help you better lead them as team members.
Cool Under Pressure – Don’t overreact. In the face of adversity, it is imperative that your team believes you have it under control. They are after all trusting you to steer the ship they are on.
Reflect the Company’s Character – Successful leaders find ways to transfer the vision and values of the organization to the teams in the field. When an entire organization has a unified set of beliefs they can achieve much more than being divided. This common vision is what fuels momentum.
Teacher – A confident leader is not scared to coach their future replacement. For a team to reach its fullest potential, there cannot be insecurities about individuals under your influence advancing. Give great effort towards educating those around you. Their success is your success.

Adaptability: There are so many different ways to describe this trait. Some call it problem solving and others call it critical thinking. Regardless of the terminology, the fact is that the leaders who continue to succeed learn to be quick on their feet. They are presented with problems on a daily basis and learn how to alter the course of a project to avoid a collision.

When it comes to Adaptability, there are few things to remember:

Don’t Panic – No matter what the scenario is, there is always enough time to take a deep breath and gather your thoughts.
Lessons Learned are the Best Lessons – Taking notes and learning from the mistakes of our past projects teaches us to better recognize the indicators of an approaching problem.
Be Flexible – Even the best plans go awry at times. Don’t be so rigid that you refuse to change in the face of failure. Look for different options and be willing to try them.
Seek Counsel – Probably the most important of all. When faced with difficult situations on a project or life in general, seek the wise counsel of individuals that have a proven track record of success.

Conflict Resolution: Conflict is inevitable. Not everyone sees scenarios the same way. A tropical paradise to one is a mosquito infested hell to another. Learning to manage the situation and capture the potential that lies inside of conflict and bring it to the surface without wrecking the team is a trait that all manager need to grow.

Try to use these tactics when the next conflict arises on one of your projects:

Listen – It may sound simple but it is the most overlooked aspect of settling conflict. Listen to what the parties are saying and try to understand what their interest in the situation is. Why are they passionate about their position in the argument? If you can understand what is the motivation behind the conflict you are more likely to arrive at a positive outcome.
Respect – We always have the right to disagree, but never the right to disrespect. Try to foster a true interest in other people’s opinions. Remember that most of the great advancements of our time were the idea of someone other than you.
Explore Options – Keep in mind that the best idea could be a hybrid of two opposing sides. Before stonewalling an idea, make sure that the differing sides of the argument don’t in fact complement one another.
Follow Through – Once a resolution is reached, support it wholeheartedly and require that those on the team do the same. “I told you so” is not constructive if in fact an idea fails.
Save the Relationship – regardless of the temperature in the room, remember that the relationship is more important than being right. If team members, or worse yet, customers leave every conflict damaged, they will cease to bring ideas to the table.

Diligence: This trait unfortunately is probably the most failed at of all the soft skills. In my own experience, greater than 50% of all terminations are a result of absenteeism. Simply showing up day in and day out separates you from the pack. Although attendance is a big factor to being diligent, it goes much further than that. To truly succeed as a leader you must show up in the same manner each and every day.

Here are four areas in which to practice diligence that will pay large dividends in your career:

Attendance – Don’t miss work. It sounds simple but takes some effort. Plan ahead for kids fields trips, have sitters arranged for sick children or unexpected school closures. Take proper care of yourself so that you’re not sickly. Also, go out of your way to be aware of obstacles along your daily route to work. Road construction and the like is not an acceptable excuse for tardiness.
Demeanor – This one takes a consistent effort. Practice walking into the office or onto the job site with a consistent steady manner. Your team will take comfort in knowing that following their leader will not result in increased anxiety.
Education – Read, read, and read some more. Stay in tune with your industry by reading articles and studying technical reports. Read leadership books to keep these principles in the forefront of your mind. If your desire is to coach those around you, you must put good information in to be able to draw on it.
Handshakes – I know this sounds silly, but make sure that in your advancements through your career that you never quit going to the “field” and shaking the hands of the men and women that get the job done. This ground level face time builds trust, but also keeps leadership in tune with the health of the team. It is amazing how much you can learn with just a few minutes of real human contact.

In our efforts to build the perfect resume, team or company, let’s make sure we are paying attention to the development of these vital skills. I believe the efforts will prove themselves worthwhile.

When they Shut the Doors

I recently had the pleasure of handing in my keys and closing the doors to my office. An office that I had helped start from scratch just some years ago. It’s not an easy thing to do when you’ve vested so much of your blood sweat and tears into a venture. The business world is a shifty opponent. You can hit the mark only to find the mark moved during flight. In the challenging hunt of profit, catching the elusive quarry doesn’t even guarantee you as a feature to the mold they plan to cast in the future.

I can say these things without bitterness because I’ve always had a logical approach to working for a company where someone else is writing the checks. I owned my own company in the past so I get it. Longevity to a location truly is their choice and it doesn’t mean you’ve failed when their vision goes elsewhere. More leaders should spend time making sure they align with their company’s vision rather than their company’s industry. I must also admit that it’s easy to write these things because I was fortunate enough to quickly land a position with a company that has me so excited I stay up at night thinking about how to hit the ground at full speed.

This late night reflection is what has me inspired and rejuvenated. I’ve always tried to carry myself with integrity and a true respect for others. I know that I have failed miserably at times, but overall I feel like I’ve put the good of others above myself and it has paid off in my young career. (I’m 41 and am convincing myself daily that I’m young regardless of what the mirror shows!) When people ask how old I am I always respond “in normal years or contractor years?”

How often in our careers do we get these re-starts or new-starts? And when they do come around, do we make the most of them? That question has followed me most of my career. “Am I making the most of this opportunity for my family, my team, and me?”

I’ve come up with these few challenges to myself to ensure that I’m staying true to the journey of growth and improvement and I thought I’d share them with you.

What is my purpose statement and am I still in alignment?

If you don’t have a purpose statement, get one. What is it that inspires you? What was it that you admired about a childhood hero before someone told you it wasn’t realistic? I have a couple that I live by but in general it’s about mentoring leaders so that I make an impact in the future lives of people I don’t even know. Take a moment for self-reflection and make sure that you haven’t abandoned your principles at the bottom of that ladder you are so rushed to climb.

Be honest about my failures in my past experiences.

My mistakes have been the greatest teachers of all time. In the construction world, our safety rules are written in the blood of our brothers. It helps to make a honest and brutal list of where you have failed and what your plan is to avoid these pitfalls this go round.

Spend quality time getting to know your team.

Put into action the easy items first. Start weekly conference calls. Go on monthly ride-a-longs with your managers. Then step it up a notch and get out of your comfort zone. Call first thing in the morning with no agenda other than to find out how their weekend was. Learn the names of their children and pets. Some of the greatest relationships you may form are when you find out a 300 lb iron worker has a 5 lb lap dog named precious. Invest your time in caring about their well-being. The return on investment is exceptional.

Analyze your Mentors and adjust if necessary.

Any great leader has a few partners or advisers that are sought out when tough decisions are to be made. If your recent transition has led you into greater responsibility or a different area of expertise, make sure that you have the trusted advisers in place to make you successful in your new journey.

The vehicle that carried you to the mountain may not be the best choice to make the climb

Why We Do…What We Do

3:00 AM came early this morning. I needed to catch an early flight and even though viewed through my current mental fog, I am fully aware of how long this day will be.
I tried sneaking out of the house, but stealth may not be my strong suit. Just ask the amazing woman that’s been experiencing what it’s like to be married to me the past month. Sorry sweetheart! (I said you’re amazing right?)

I tell myself that her sigh I heard, as I started my day, was temporary and quickly overwhelmed by her appreciation for a man that provides for our family. Then again I tell myself every day that I’m dynamic, good looking and going to regrow my hair at 40 yrs old. I may be overly optimistic, so I guess I’ll buy her more flowers this week!

One thing for sure though is, no matter how tired I am, I don’t dread work. I don’t drag myself out of the house and walk through the office with slumped shoulders. Work is a blessing and one that I hope I can teach my children to appreciate. A man should treat his task as an honor bestowed upon him by God. A God that perfectly designed us to be able to make a living with our mind, our hands and sometimes our strong will.
As fathers, we need to pass this on to our children. Let them grow up seeing us with sweat on our brow and a grin on our face at the same time.

I might not regrow my hair anytime soon but my daily declaration of how blessed I am to get to work for my wife, and now 4 little ones, sure seems to do wonders for my smile!

“A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭13:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Habit #4 – Reflection

Take Time to Reflect

We have all made mistakes in our pasts, and if you’re like me, it was recent enough to remember the taste. We can make mistakes out of pure ignorance or by attempting to conquer new challenges. There are time when screwing up is just a risk we have to accept if we want to succeed. But, if you’ve tried enough times, you’ve likely enjoyed a few successes along the way as well. Each one of these moments, the ones of regret and the ones of rejoicing, are necessary in our quest of continual growth. They each can offer us nuggets of wisdom. But, what they have to offer can only be of benefit if we take the time to reflect upon the experience, soak it in and learn from it.

Below are 5 benefits of taking the time to reflect on your experiences.

It allows us a chance to evaluate where we are against where we want to be: Giving ourselves an honest evaluation of our own progress is one of the most efficient ways to make the changes necessary to continue growing as leaders.
It provides a moment to hit “pause” and make sure that where we think we want to go is where we need to go: Sometimes during the rush of everyday life and chasing success we don’t stop to make sure that the prize we’re chasing is truly one that we should win.
It allows us to make sure we have our priorities in order: By reflecting on what has happened in our past and how it has affected those around us we can evaluate if we are holding true to our priorities, and if not, it gives us a chance to reorganize. This holds true for our daily tasks at work as well as our personal lives
Replaying our yesterdays better equips us for our tomorrows: As we successfully navigate different scenarios in life we should mentally and manually record those choices that proved successful and have them at our disposal to better take advantage of the opportunities of tomorrow.
It gives us the courage to be better: By not sticking our heads in the sand and pretending that nothing happened, we become stronger people. We learn to face our fears and become proactive in planning our own future.

If we all start the habit of reflecting on our daily decisions it can prove to make us more effective leaders and simply more effective people. As you review your daily decisions you will surely find certain mistakes rearing their ugly head on a regular basis. All of us need help with certain things in our careers. Reach out to someone you trust and respect to ask for help.

“What was good enough to get you here, may not be good enough to get you where you’re going!”

Let’s learn something new each and every day.