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The Skilled Workforce Illusion, What Good Leaders Look Like & How To Find Them

Posted on by Mark Breslin

Skilled Workforce Illusion

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The Construction Leading Edge podcast from www.constructionleadingedge.com is an interview with Mark Breslin of Breslin Strategies, and in this construction podcast, we cover topics including the following:

Topics covered in this construction podcast:

  • Why we need a well-led workforce, not just a skilled workforce.
  • Common mistakes contractors make when it comes to their field level leaders.
  • What is the ROI for investing in field leaders?
  • Characteristics to look for when you’re hiring or promoting leaders.
  • How to move up in the ranks of your company if you’re an up-and-coming leader.
  • Key areas to train your leaders on.
  • What progressive project owners understand about field leadership, and what they’re doing to make sure they get it on their projects.

Hey Employers: Shut the Heck Up: 90% vs 10%

Posted on by Mark Breslin

Most of the union employers I know have at one time or another complained about the quality of their apprentices. For sure the reviews over the last few years is that the training is getting better, the instructors are more professional and that they see progress. But the reality of the situation is this: the union and apprentice program only have their hands on an apprentice for around 10% of their hours during apprenticeship. The employer has him or her for the other 90%.

In my view then, the quality of the apprentices reflects the employer community’s ability and commitment to developing the apprentices. Their complaints might be best directed at the mirror.

This is a big shift in mindset. Most employers want to simply call the union hall and get a qualified individual sent out ASAP. But in the case of apprentices, this is simply unrealistic. That 90% of on-the-job training is going to make all the difference in their performance, attitude, and behavior. The link here is for the foremen and lead men on the jobs. Employers need to communicate to them the critical importance of coaching and development.

Apprentices cannot be the necessary evil or the pain in the ass new guy or girl.  Apprentices are the foundation for the future. And employers, whether they like it or not, have the majority of the responsibility to develop apprentices into top craft workers. This is a conversation that has to occur time and again until they get it. Most will reject it, thinking that is what the union is for. But this discounts the partnership that labor and management must engage in. Whoever wins the War of Talent, wins the War for Market share.

Remember, the partnership of talent development is an absolute necessity – so reach out to at least one employer a month to ask for the necessary help and support to build our next generation.

The Three Most Important Words a Leader Can Live By

Posted on by Mark Breslin

Three words sum up one of the greatest challenges and opportunities for most leaders. And those three words are as simple as this:

ASK, DON’T TELL.

These words are critically important for leaders at every level of an organization. No matter if you are a CEO or an aspiring rookie leader.

Here are five reasons why everyone needs to Ask, Don’t Tell:

1. Leaders are usually great at giving directions. Telling people what to do is fine, but does not engage them.
2. Asking people their viewpoint prior to taking action creates higher levels of buy-in.
3. Input leads to innovation and improvement. Can’t do it without the “ask”.
4. Asking people before telling them trains them to think for themselves and allows you to test and evaluate their judgment.
5. Asking shows respect, appreciation, accessibility, and humility. All these lead to higher levels of loyalty.

Now if you are like me, a hard charger Alpha type, this is not easy. Especially if you are under a deadline or under pressure of any sort. But by using these three words religiously, I have turned my job from Director to Teacher. From Dictator to Team Leader. From Quarterback to Coach. I can tell you for certain, those three words will do more than you can imagine. And the cool part is, you can’t really forget the concept.

Hey, it’s only three words.

ASK, DON’T TELL.

And remember its people before projects. That’s what makes the difference.

 

Seven Tips for Effective Delegation

Posted on by Mark Breslin

Delegation is the key to advancement. If you can’t find effective ways to move things off your plate and onto others’, you cannot advance.  If you can’t delegate in a manner that leverages the talent of those around you, then you can’t advance.  If you hoard tasks and responsibilities because you like them, have always done them, or are afraid to let go, then you cannot advance either.  So here are seven strategies to delegate well:

  1. Be clear in identifying the desired outcome, including the deadline.
  2. Be clear with your original directions. Do not assume they can or will fill in the blanks.
  3. If necessary, make them write down key details. Sometimes people are too embarrassed to take the notes they will need an hour, day, or a week later.
  4. Ask them if they have any questions before they engage in the task. This saves both you and them time.
  5. Tell them they can come for help if necessary. But if they encounter a problem in execution, tell them not to bring you a problem only but at least one alternative to solve it. Otherwise, you create a dependent workplace culture where thinking for one’s self is not encouraged or required.
  6. Delegation frequently leads to mistakes. Analyze the mistake. Avoid blaming. Determine whether a mistake is someone else’s fault or your own. That’s right. Yours. If you did not help someone understand a task, timeline, technical aspects, or other vital information, how can you expect that person to succeed? If it is the employee’s mistake find out how it was made. Does he or she have a skill deficiency? Poor analytical or judgment skills? A lack of confidence? An inability to obtain the buy-in of others? Spend the time this time so that the problem is unlikely to occur next time.
  7. Praise accomplishment. Delegation has a payoff for you and them. You don’t have to do the tasks, and employees get ownership of a positive outcome. Let them know if they did well. For many people that is the best motivation for taking on more responsibilities next time.

For more resources on training leaders to delegate and prioritize click here.

Remember, delegation is the ladder of advancement for almost all of us.  If we don’t let go of things we like to do, we won’t move on to things we need to do.

Transformed: Create a Professional Foreman for $22.50

Posted on by Mark Breslin

Transformed: Create a Professional Foreman

Most field supervisors engaged in the construction, energy, utility, or other traditional blue collar role do not self-identify as professionals.  That is inaccurate.  That is lame.  That is a failure on the part of the employer or union to which they are part of.  Most of all, it’s just sad.

Here is an individual usually working his or her ass off, with some of the highest degree of commitment and risk associated with his or her job performance.  But his self-perception is that he is “just” a blue collar guy. Not a professional, but the lead on the job.  Well I have a solution for you and it is going to cost you the same as a lunch for two at Denny’s.

It is time for every employer to provide a personalized business card to every field supervisor that says, along with their name, Professional Construction Foreman.  100 business cards are around 20 bucks.  With this simple gesture, you will transform this individual’s self-perception; perhaps forever.

It is hard to be a professional unless you call yourself one.  It is hard to be a professional if your employer doesn’t call you one, but with a business card, that says it in black and white.  A professional business card that you show to your spouse and maybe even the kids.  Representing something to be proud of:  your company.

This individual is your representative with owners, subs, OSHA, vendors, inspectors and a lot more.  Get with the program!  Spend the $22.50.   Transform identities to transform performance.  Change someone’s self-vision, and you can change their life.  Or you can spend it at Denny’s.  I hear the Grand Slam is great.

To get more information on how to communicate the need for professionalism to your field supervisors click here or email Jackie at:  jdixon@breslin.biz.

For Labor Professionals: Don’t Be the Problem… Be a Problem Solver!!

Posted on by Mark Breslin
Problem Solving
Be a Problem Solver

When training labor professionals in communication or business development I begin with trying to change their orientation to problem-solving.  See without even knowing it, most of them have created a handicap with their relationships with their signatory employers, who really need to be there for them when a favor is required or a testimonial provided.

The question I ask labor professionals is this.  When one of your employers hears that you are on the phone calling for them what do they immediately think?

They think, here comes a problem.  Why, because that is the only time you communicate with them.

Contractors and employers value problem solvers.  They are surrounded by trusted people who work with them every day to solve problems and create opportunity. You, on the other hand, are a “problem-bringer”.  Fair or not, there is rarely a perception of you bringing any value at all.  You are just another problem to be solved that does not add anything to the success or value of the business.  That is not the place any labor professional wants to be.

In the training program, I teach how to transform that relationship from “problem bringer” to trusted ally.  Why is this important?  Because in business the quality of the relationship most often determines the value of the relationship.  If you want to be able to utilize powerful relationships to advance your goals you have to have something to offer in return.

There are a lot more than these three, but in service of changing labor relationships (especially for new agents or organizers) I suggest these ideas:

  1. Call two employers a week.  Five-minute call or less.  Check in with them. Ask what they need.  Tell them about upcoming training.  Be brief, polite and don’t bring them a problem.  If you talk to 100 employers a year – or some of them numerous times, they will no longer think problem when you call.  They will think opportunity and partner.  Ten minutes a week?  Yes, everyone has that time, but most don’t have the discipline.
  1. Set up a communications schedule with all your employers.  Newsletter? E-mail?  Annual training report?  Letter from the Business Manager?  Why?  Because if you want your employers to remember what you did for them every three years when you are negotiating a new agreement, you better be telling them about it in between.  If you don’t communicate your value and achievements to those who are working with you why would you expect them to enthusiastically reward you.  Most unions communicate well to everyone except their employers.
  1. Don’t be a compliance-minded representative.  This is especially important for new agents.  Don’t go out with your contract and your save the world attitude, or worse your half-informed view of the employer.  Diplomacy and relationship building go a long, long way in their business.  I know dozens of really great agents and Business Managers who laugh and shake their heads remembering how lame they were their first few years trying to be important instead of being useful, professional and outcome driven.

 

If you are looking to provide this kind of training to your labor professionals, email Jackie Dixon at jdixon@breslin.biz or call (925) 705-7662.

Don’t be the problem.  Be the solution.  Don’t be the problem.  Be a trusted ally. Don’t be the problem.  Be the person that has so much good will and favors owed to you that when you need what you need, you don’t even have to ask.

 

Managing Problems: Time is Not Your Friend

Posted on by Mark Breslin

There is something unpleasant that you are putting off.  In reality, you need to do something right now. You are thinking that time might take care of the problem.  You are thinking that he, she, or it (as the case may be) will magically be transformed.  You are procrastinating. You hope that ignoring the situation will simply make it go away.

Stop bullshitting yourself.  

Time is not your friend, and a good leader knows it.  Sure, there are times when you need to let something settle down, let tempers cool, let more information come in, or allow for a strategic opportunity to offer itself.  I am not talking about any of these situations.  I am talking about that thing you know you need to do now and yet keep putting off until later.  Most of the time these situations have to do with people issues.

Leadership demands honest assessment of a situation and prompt action.  Lots of people will tell you that is how they lead, but they will be lying through their teeth.  The truth is that most people do not want to take actions resulting in personal discomfort or conflict.  Most managers hold the completely illogical position with respect to people issues that “they will get better.”  Whatever the problem is, it will not get better on its own.  Either you are actively engaged in fixing the problem or it is getting worse.  No matter how much you want to ignore it, the consequences will get worse by the day.  Classic examples of waiting for change that will never come include:

  •      The employee you know you need to discipline or fire but never do
  •      The leader or supervisor under you who is really not ready, capable, or competent (besides, with whom would you replace this person, anyway?)
  •      The family member, friend, cousin, or long-term employee about whom you think you “can’t” do anything
  •      The terminally late employee (but, hey, it’s just a few minutes)
  •      The great producer who is a cancer in the team
  •      The employee you would not trust to walk your dog but whom you trust with your clients

Leadership demands brutally honest assessment and immediate action. Don’t allow things to accumulate.  You cannot lead and manage by looking over your shoulder.  If you let things stack up, you can find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of actions that need to be taken—not to mention the stress and mental anguish that goes along with the territory.

For more leadership and development resources for you and your team, click here.

They say that time heals all, but it sure does not solve all.  Remember, the more often problems get delayed the more backlog of bullshit, politics, discomfort and stress emerge in the workplace. Encourage all your leadership team to deal with it now.  Pull off the Band-Aid and move on.

What’s the Price Tag of a Top Foreman or Supervisor?

Posted on by Mark Breslin

How much does it cost to develop a top foreman or supervisor?  I am not asking what you spend, I am asking you what it costs.

First, let’s look at a time for development.  Three years?  Five years?  Ten years?  Right there, how much do you have invested in them just on wages and fringe benefits?
What else goes into the price tag?

Consider:

· Direct training costs
· Cost of OTJ Training impact on quality, client satisfaction, schedule, worker performance
· Cost of attrition = those you spent money on that did not stay with you now aggregated into those that are left
· Loss in profit based on the duration of their learning curve

These are very real costs. Just like their pick-up and gas card.  This is a very strong argument for providing an ongoing training effort and budget for their development.  A faster learning curve saves money.  A faster learning curve retains talent.  Skill upgrades for your senior leaders addresses status quo thinking or resistance to change.

Imagine if you spent 25% of what you spend on safety training and compliance on foreman or supervisory training.  What kind of bottom line impact might that have on your organization and your crews?

Remember, it’s people before projects.  That’s what makes the difference.

Best Practices: Five Steps for Getting Lead Men Ready to Lead

Posted on by Mark Breslin

A big challenge for many organizations is getting the up and coming talent ready to lead.  Unfortunately, most managers and leaders do not spend enough lead-time getting people ready to be promoted or advanced.  As a result, they are generally thrust into positions hastily and told, “We believe in you now, go get it done”.  The employees do the best they can, but they don’t do their best.  Why?  Because they can’t!  Employees were not properly prepared to do it.

One of my clients is a contractor with around 700 employees in the field and they have many Baby Boomers about to retire. They took a step that I believe is a Best Practice and made a significant investment in their lead men, those that serve as the right hands to foremen across the organization.

They made the time and effort to do the following:

  1. They selected 60 of their lead men and women to attend two programs after work for three hours.
  2. At session one, they went into great detail about the opportunities coming up in the company and the criteria they were looking for in foremen and superintendents. They presented a Career Path Plan for them. It was the first time anyone had talked to them that way.
  3. They then spent several months working with foremen on evaluating that talent and matching against the criteria.
  4. They then hosted a second program provided by myself that was a foreman primer based on content from the Five Minute Foreman book and training program. It reinforced the idea that the job is no longer a blue-collar position. It focused on production, profit and most of all, professionalism.
  5. They then selected a sub-group of those 80 to be the next generation of foremen – and pre-identified them.

They believe that through this Best Practice, they receive the following benefits:

  • Two years to refine top candidates
  • The ability to retain talent as they feel more valued
  • The ability to attract a higher caliber of leader due to the shared Career Path Plan
  • Create meaningful and powerful mentoring relationships between the Foremen Evaluators and the Lead Men candidates for advancement.

The real benefit, in my opinion, isn’t even listed. It looks to me like a well-prepared foreman taking on the job ready to lead and manage in a way that maximizes performance in profit, productivity, and safety. And that is not just a Best Practice – it’s a good and smart way forward.

And remember, it’s people before projects. That’s what makes the difference!

Disciplined Leadership: Painful Delegation

Posted on by Mark Breslin

For many leaders, the one thing in shortest supply is time. As a result, they are faced with an ever-challenging set of choices on prioritization. Who or what gets attention first? Sometimes the choices are planned and strategic, but most often they end up practicing a form of reactive firefighting, dealing with whatever is placed in front of them. The situation is the same from the CEO level right down to the foreman in the field.

Most leaders want more time, more freedom, and greater focus to deal with tasks in a less reactive and more thoughtful, consistent way. So to help out, I would like to propose a simple but disciplined change in your leadership style that should give you at least an hour a week back for you to use as necessary. But this process begins with two questions and your very honest responses. Continue Reading