According to a recent FMI/PlanGrid study, $31.3 billion of rework in the construction industry in 2019 can be attributed to miscommunication and Project Managers spend over 20% of their time communicating each week. So how does your company stack up? Are your project managers proficient in the skill of communicating effectively? At its core Communication […]
read more >As students everywhere head back to school, we thought it would be a good time to revisit our own professional development. Like many of you, we pride ourselves on our continuous learning mentality, while in practice we might not be quite as on top of things as we’d like! Lucky for all of us, we […]
read more >Are you listening? We have all asked or have been asked, this question at some point. I am willing to wager that 9 times out of 10 we answer the question with an affirmative. Often, we are not listening; we may be hearing but that is not the same as listening. There is a difference […]
read more >March is Women’s History Month, an annual declared month that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. March 3rd – 9th is Women in Construction (WIC) Week with the theme, “Be the Power in Your Success”. “#BalanceforBetter” is the campaign for International Women’s Day, which is celebrated on March 8th, […]
read more >Harvard Business Review recently published an article with facts supporting the positive impact women only conferences and events can have on the career progression of women who attend. The key point to the article, is there is power in making connections, by attending and participating fully in the experience women can build powerful professional networks. […]
read more >Have you consider adopting an apprentice model for professional development training for your employees? The earn-while-learning premise of apprenticeship programs can easily be applied to more general training and talent development needs. Employees are often sent to classes to learn interpersonal skills in areas such as communication, critical and strategic thinking, conflict resolution, teamwork and […]
read more >Last week I reached out to a small general contractor in the construction industry who had asked me to follow-up with them. I decided to call rather than use email as I wanted to provide a personal touch. I was surprised when I called the business number (not a cell phone), I was met with […]
read more >As Women in Construction week comes to a close, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the amazing progress of recognition of women in the industry. National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) launched the idea of Women in Construction week a few years ago as a way to bring visibility to women […]
read more >It was the late 1980s and hanging in most jobsite trailer was a tool catalog featuring scantily clad women wearing hard hats and tool belts. I was a young engineer, finishing an intern assignment for the summer on a construction site and my project manager and superintendent invited me to lunch to celebrate. Imagine my […]
read more >Motivation is defined as the reason one has for acting or behaving a particular way, or the desire or willingness to do something. Motivation can be intrinsic, from within ourselves, like curiosity, challenge, learning, and fun, or even fear of failure. It can also come from extrinsic sources such as deadlines, camaraderie, recognition, and money. […]
read more >Recently we had the opportunity to discuss the importance of company culture as part of a valued client’s new employee orientation. Our client has a large contract with a multi-national corporation and wanted to be sure their new employees not only understood the culture of their own company but also the culture of their biggest […]
read more >It seems to be that time of year when all the professional sports seasons collide, the baseball playoffs, football in full swing, basketball and hockey preseason action underway, and all the teams striving to win their sports championship. The only way any of these teams will win their ultimate prize: a world series ring, the […]
read more >In our June and July blogs we focused on what we can do to inspire the next generation of women in construction, this month look at how I’ve have been inspired by the next generation of women. Young women who have already chosen construction as a career inspire me with their enthusiasm for the industry, […]
read more >Last month we discussed the importance of inspiring the next generation of women in construction. There are steps we can all take to ensure we are encouraging girls to pursue a career of their choice, including those in non-traditional industries, starting with awareness of our own implicit biases. We should also recognize that STEM is […]
read more >With all the focus on STEM careers, let’s not forget there are many occupations outside of computer science and coding that require excellent math skills and a fair bit of science. The construction industry is an untapped opportunity for women where they currently make up less than 9% of the workforce. And whether you’re a […]
read more >Coaching is a skill that every leader can benefit from developing. Coaching can be defined as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential” International Coaching Federation, 2017. Don’t we all want to inspire others to be successful and have positive results? Coaching increases […]
read more >“Woman in construction front scheme gets 12 months” this recent headline in the Chicago Tribune caught my eye and upon reading it I discovered I knew the woman being sentenced to a year in jail. She had been caught using her WBE status fraudulently, she went to jail, the General Contractor paid a fine and […]
read more >Since January we have been exploring building your career road map. Last month we discussed the value of forming your own professional board of directors and using your professional network to find mentors and sponsors. Trade association membership can help in achieving your goals in a number of ways. This month we will explore membership […]
read more >Last month we discussed creating your career road map. One action that can be beneficial to achieving your career goals is to create a professional board of directors. Companies utilize a board of directors for oversight, advice and governance and so should you. And like a company, your board should be made up of both […]
read more >Happy New Year! The start of a new year often brings about personal reflection. This is also the time when many proclaim New Year Resolutions, such as lose weight, volunteer more, or get a promotion. Usually we are seeking to change an- undesired trait or behavior. We get caught up in the excitement of making […]
read more >We all know it is important to have a plan to get through the holidays without losing our minds or gaining a few pounds! Have you considered the importance of also having a plan for navigating and networking during your Holiday parties? Networking is the lifeblood of business. Whether we embrace it or cringe at […]
read more >As part of a Master’s Degree research project, I undertook a survey of over 500 construction managers employed in the US and asked them to rank 12 motivation factors, sourced from literature to determine, if gender played a role in motivation. Those factors included: camaraderie or peer motivation, feeling valued, satisfaction with your direct supervisor, […]
read more >Women currently make up almost half of the US workforce, their participation has grown from 43% in 1985 to 47% in 2010. From 1985 to 2010, women’s participation in the construction industry grew from 8% to 9%. Although women are underrepresented in the construction industry as a whole, within the industry there has been a […]
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