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 telling you what you need to know.
Your superintendents and foremen are the backbone of your company. But you may be missing a lot by making assumptions about who they are and how they see themselves. And those assumptions are costing you hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of dollars in lost projects and profits over the course of their careers.
I’ve spent a couple of decades talking with and training more than 25,000 foremen and superintendents all over the U.S. and Canada. So, what is going on under the surface is not my opinion; it is directly from and about them. And though there are many compelling messages and common themes, here are just 10 that I believe have significant economic and operational impacts.
Top Ten Things Your Field Leaders Won’t Tell You
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Your field leaders don’t see themselves as professionals. They don’t describe themselves that way. They don’t see it as a professional position – in fact, they barely see it as a management position. Most have an identity closer to “craft person in charge.” Most foremen and Superintendents will generally manage a total volume of $100,000,000 to $1 billion in projects over the course of a 30-year career. Why can’t they see that the position is one of professional leader, manager, and coach? If they aren’t professionals, then what are they? Maybe we should help them see that they have graduated from being a blue-collar worker into something much more important: a manager, mentor, and coach.
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On average, your field leaders report having received zero formal professional leadership and management training to prepare them for this high-level responsibility, role, and identity. They are not happy to have had to “sink or swim,” but they are not going to complain. They just figure it out. This impacts net profit, client relations, quality, safety, and productivity. “Here are your truck keys and the plans. Good luck.”
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Your field leaders are super awkward about owning their role. When I ask them what they do for a living, a full 90% respond, “I’m a [Carpenter, Electrician, Pipefitter, Ironworker, …fill in the craft].” This is the wrong answer. It reflects a craft-worker mindset, not a supervisory one. The correct answer is, “I am a professional construction foreman/superintendent.” It’s very difficult for them to make that jump and not feel embarrassed, but how they see themselves determines how they act and lead on the job. They are no longer just “one of the guys”. They don’t give themselves permission to change that identity. How about providing them with business cards with the title?
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Your field leaders rarely solicit input from their crews. They a) think they will look weak, b) worry that someone else will get credit for a good idea and take their job, c) would never think to ask, or d) don’t even know that it’s part of their job. It is not their fault, but it was what was modeled for them.
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Your field leaders run their crews most of the time using authority, not influence. Which approach do you think is more effective, productive, and profitable?
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Your field leaders are often stuck between the roles of “boss” and friend. This kills their ability to discipline and hold others accountable for their actions. Fully 50% of the foremen and superintendents in my courses admit they are letting people slide or avoiding difficult conversations because of the friend vs co-worker conflict. They can fix it if we teach them how.
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Your field leaders do not always effectively delegate. They hate asking for help. They are used to doing it themselves. They are get-it-done people and therefore over-participate in the action at the jobsite. They are excellent at directing tasks. They generally do not empower people and, again, have not been taught by good examples.
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Field leaders are the front lines of the culture of your company. How people are treated. How safety is reinforced. Why talent will migrate to you and not the competition. But they don’t see that. They think: “build the work” before “build the people and culture”. It’s not their fault, but no one has told them anything different. The company effort and messaging that will change this has to be at the level of safety culture.
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Your field leaders do not often admit mistakes or failures. Failure is not a learning experience in their eyes; failure is simply failure.
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Your field leaders do not know how to effectively motivate their crews. The most effective and well-documented tools of praise and positive reinforcement are generally entirely absent in our industry. What was not given to them will not be given to others.
I’m willing to guess a few of the items on this list didn’t come as a surprise to you. But what about those that impact you operationally and financially? So, the obvious question is, what are you doing to fix these attitudes among your field leaders? By ignoring or delaying action on these problems, we own them. With the rise of the Millennial-aged field leaders, there is now a hunger for self-development and change. It is time to leverage it effectively.
Several hundred thousand foremen and supes across North America are waiting for help. They’re doing the best they can with what they’ve got, but they need their contractors to help them understand how vital they are to their company and the industry. They need serious professional training, coaching, and support to become high-quality leaders, managers, and coaches. They are the key to the growth and profitability of every contractor reading this. But most of all, I think they’re waiting for you to acknowledge the challenges and give them a hand up in their journey.
Ask them and find out.