Hey – Walker and Davis here.
Happy Saturday morning to the Laying Foundations community!
Preparing the next generation of builders is at an all-time high, instead of pulling the recent data from the latest blog post, we are going to give you 3 ways you can help the younger generation right now.
Today’s issue takes about 5 minutes to read and was written for you by Davis Hambrick.
Enjoy!
Quote Of The Week
When Walker Lott and I first started Laying Foundations we wanted to be able to address the misconceptions in the construction industry.
As we have grown, it has developed into how can we address the misconceptions, develop the younger generation, and provide feedback to the older generation on how to best train people under them. It has become a multi-faceted approach, but these layers can’t be segmented and forgot about.
If you address a misconception and never develop the younger generation or give the veteran feedback about how to serve that individual, nothing will change. The same goes for the other steps.
1. Address Misconceptions About Our Industry
How do you feel when you are out in public and someone comments about a construction worker? Has someone ever challenged you and made you feel less than because you work in the construction industry?
I worked on a job site where the tenants were working in the building while we were renovating different levels. The tenants were obviously not fond that their workplace was turning into a construction site, and the team understood the unique predicament they were in.
There was always one tenant that looked down on every worker, at that time in my career I was beginning to learn about conflict. Up to this point, I would never challenge someone because I thought all conflict is bad.
I now know that it is my job to stand up and protect the tradesmen and women daily. I remember how I felt every time this particular person wanted to have a construction update meeting about our progress. They talked down to the very people that were providing clean water, running AC throughout the building, and allowing power to their computers.
Why is this story important?
Sure I could brush it off, and I have – but there is a deeper underlying problem with this particular tenant. Why does this person feel this way about the construction industry? Did they have something bad happen to them before? Or is it because the world looks down on the construction industry?
I don’t have the answer.
If we don’t advocate for the current tradesmen and women now, we will never get the new generation into construction.
We have to be willing to challenge people respectfully and show the value of what we do every day. You don’t have to spend an hour in a debate but the next time you hear someone say something negatively about our industry be the person who challenges them and share why you work in this amazing industry.
2. Develop The Younger Generation
We have all had a “boss” that never helped us grow.
The important part is to not fixate on what we didn’t get from our boss. The brain does this crazy thing. What we focus on is what we become. If we tell ourselves not to be that person, we end up being the person that we swore not to be.
If we say, I want to develop people through continuous learning and skill development, that is who you will become.
Continuous learning and skill development are new challenges in the construction industry for the younger workforce.
Young builders should be proactive in seeking opportunities for training, attending workshops, and earning certifications to keep up with the new best practices. By being lifelong learners, they can stay relevant and adaptable in an ever-evolving industry.
While the young builders should be proactive, it is our job to create a place where they can flourish and grow unimpeded. If the culture on the job site is to ridicule someone every time they mess up, we have work to do.
If the job site is a place where you are encouraged to fail and learn from your mistakes then you have created a team that can tackle anything.
3. Provide Feedback
As we coach the younger builders, we can’t forget about the older generation. This will take some strategy as we all know these are the last true master builders of our time.
We have to begin by expressing our respect for their experience and expertise. Acknowledge their contributions and the knowledge they bring to the table.
It is imperative that we engage in active listening. We are locked in and paying attention. Not trying to respond before they finish speaking.
Understand that feedback is a two-way street. Be open to their perspective and listen actively to their response. They may offer insights that you hadn’t considered.
Don’t view that as an end-all-be-all list, but as a framework that guides you.
Quality of the Week: Listen to understand not respond (Laying Foundations values)
20-Year-Old Self Advice: Always be willing to take feedback. Proverbs 12:1 – Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.
Check out episodes 128 & 129 on The Laying Foundations Podcast!
Join us for a conversation with Mike Ofili, project manager for The Rinaldi Group in Miami, FL. Mike is a forward thinker who chooses to put the people in the field doing the work first. He is extremely knowledgeable and always has a smile on his face. In this episode, we talk about how to navigate relationships early on in your career specifically when you don’t have a lot of prior construction knowledge to lean on.
