Goodbye Old Friends
Everest Base Camp. The Inca Trail. Patagonia. Zion. Iceland. Half Dome. The Milford Trek. The Dolomites. The Sahara. We’ve had good times, my friends. But, you’re tired and worn. And despite my care and love, you are all in. It’s time to call it a day. I’ll never forget the trails we forged. My Lowa […]
National Apprenticeship Talent Survey Results Are In
COMPELLING. INSIGHTFUL. RELEVANT NOW. 2000 Construction Industry leaders received the National Apprenticeship Survey. The results are in. It includes your views and best practices along with the reported challenges in recruitment, retention, selection, screening, and diversity. It is a vital check in for the current state of our industry.
Mentoring: Our Industry Succession Strategy
Mentoring: Our Industry Succession Strategy (Gen X and Millennials, You’re Up!) If I objectively analyze the foundation of my construction career, I find that my leadership success can probably be credited to several guys in jeans and dirty boots. It was not a professor, but a contractor-entrepreneur who most encouraged and inspired me by serving […]
The Deadly Secrets
The Deadly Secrets Mental Health & Well-being in Construction For an industry so concerned with safety, it seems either ironic or pathetic that we tell people to wear their safety goggles while they might be thinking of killing themselves – and still, no one is talking about mental and emotional health on the job site. […]
COVID BACKWARDS 2021 FORWARD
COVID BACKWARDS, 2021 FORWARD COVID spelled backward is DIVOC. So, how DIVOC is 2021 going to be different? Well, the answer, among many, is leadership. If there is ever a test of our country, our industry, our companies, our families, and ourselves – it is our test of leadership. The question is, what […]
All The Drama Movies Aren’t On Netflix
All The Drama Movies Aren’t On Netflix How many of you when you are flipping through the channels will re-watch a movie you have seen 5 or 10 times? All of us. The Godfather. Shawshank Redemption. Rocky. The Departed. Jurassic Park. Titanic. My weakness is Gladiator. I’ve watched that probably 10 times. You know what […]
Adversity Sharpens The Edge
At the time of this writing our country and industry are confronting major adversity. The words “uncharted territory” have been overused but convey the uncertainty of profound change and challenge. But adversity always has a purpose – and I am sure you can even see that in your personal lives as well. On the back […]
Give Your Foremen Tools To Succeed
Have You Set Your Foremen Up To Succeed … or Fail? On average, foremen receive zero formal professional leadership and management training to prepare them. And the role of a Foreman is a big job, with high-level responsibility, big risks and big dollars at stake. So ask yourself this of your foremen and field leaders… […]
The Shawshank Leadership Moment
The Shawshank Leadership Moment I am honored today to complete the training and coaching for 2,000 of APi Group’s field leaders across North America. We trained today’s group at the historic Ohio State Reformatory event center, site of the epic film “The Shawshank Redemption”. In 2019 I have spoken to construction industry leaders at West […]
Defining The Lead Edge of Leadership
If you’ve been following the BSI Newsletters over the course of 2019, you have heard my soapbox on: The skilled labor shortage Why it’s important to mentor and train up-and-coming leaders Your foremen want and need professional training The major benefits of taking time to teach in the high pressure environment of the construction industry […]