AI vs Cognition: Knowledge vs Initiative
AI use is exponentially up. Cognition measurement in schools is already down. Knowledge is now via subscription. What is the strategic impact on learning and development in the workplace and our industry? Let’s go beyond the overreported doom and gloom of a gutted job market. Let’s focus on people, leverage, and opportunity shift. AI use […]
No More “If You Can Fog a Mirror, You Get the Job”
Advice for Owners and Contractors on the Skilled Worker Shortage Data Centers, Oil and Gas, Nuclear, Solar, Grid, Communications, Infrastructure, Ports, Airports, Power Generation – everywhere around us, the construction skilled trade shortage is challenging and getting worse. With projected retirements of the last Baby Boomers and Gen X pending we are soon over 1 […]
Construction Talent Today: You Can’t Get What You Pay For
According to Gallup national polling, employee engagement is at a 30-year low. They report that only 31% of people consider themselves highly engaged. 17% report being unengaged. And 52% are in the middle – not all in or out. At the same time, the construction industry has a profound need for talent that is increasing […]
Ten Things Your Field Leaders Won’t Tell You
I bet you think you know most of your field leaders pretty well. What they think and what is important to them. They’ve been working for you quite a while. They like and respect you. But maybe you haven’t really been paying enough attention. And I am quite sure that they are holding back from […]
Ruthless Pragmatism, Default Decisions & the Rat Tail
It’s 10:47 PM, a month ago. On the road, few good options exist to eat. Waffle House, Denny’s, and more than a few gas stations have served me well in the past. But 11 pm is usually the desperation deadline, and Panera is the only option within miles. Leaders often make default decisions on the […]
Leadership, Cowardice and How I Gave Away Half Of My Sh*t Twice
There is a streak of cowardice across the construction industry. And it runs from top management to the field. For an industry that prides itself on performance, grit, and accountability, it casts a surprisingly obvious shadow. Like Oz in the movie, you barely have to look behind the curtain to see the truth. “Are you […]
AI, The Broken Promise & the End of the Construction Workforce Shortage
For ten plus years, the conversation has been around the shortage of workers for the construction industry and the aging out of many more, with a weak talent pipeline ahead. That problem has been solved; we just can’t quite see it yet. The situation analysis breaks down like this: Mommy, daddy, teachers, school counselors, and […]
Your Org Values: Operational & Economic Asset or Marketing Bullshit?
Almost every contractor has a values statement. And in most cases, it ranges somewhere from aspirational feel-good to client-centric bullshit marketing. Sounds good. Looks good on the website. Serves as a differentiator in the marketplace. And makes very little operational or economic impact overall. Values are the building blocks for organizations. They are the hidden influencers of behavior, from ownership […]
The Invisible Job Hazard
NO MORE SUCK IT UP! A little more by all of us. A little more for all of us. I have one. And I bet you do, too. Someone in our family or friend circle who is struggling. Someone who is up against it. Someone who is dealing with some form of mental illness and is either working […]
Silence and Suicide on the Jobsite
The construction industry is a vital sector that requires hard work and dedication. However, behind the hustle and bustle of construction lies a hidden struggle that often goes unnoticed – the mental health of workers. Unfortunately, the construction industry has the second highest suicide rate next to Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction. The reasons […]