“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin

There are many great business owners and leaders who still need a “boost” in insight to support the people who make them successful.

The theme of many commentaries I write for The Dig Daily Dose addresses “the humans” that make our businesses successful at all levels of involvement.  The intent of providing a focus on “humans” as opposed to “employees” is simply to show respect for people on our team at all levels.

This Benjamin Franklin quote resonates with me because it focuses on “how to be certain we are providing our people meaningful education to do their job productively and safely.

Tell me and I forget!  What does your training look like? If it is Tool Box training about safety that is read to groups of people this is “tell me and I forget!”  Yes, you may have got a signature that there was a physical body of a team member at the meeting, but I cannot promise you that you got any more.  Just don’t know.

Teach me and I may remember.  This can be in-person training or maybe in front of a computer going through training.  This kind of training typically requires feedback from trainees with testing to document information transfer.  The value of documentation that a company is “doing the right thing” when something bad goes wrong is high in the regulatory world but proving you “did all you could do” doesn’t reverse whatever when wrong.

Our focus in the Dig Daily Dose is to provide “actionable guidance”. All training on any topic should have a process of verifying that the person who was trained is following the guidance of the training.  Field supervisors should be told when one of their team has received training and what they were trained on so they can verify that the behavior required in the training is being done in the field.  What’s the point of doing training if this verification is not done?

Involve me and I learn.  For safety, the construction industry is embracing the Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) also known as a Job Safety Analysis (JSA).  The approach is brilliant because it is intended to be an involvement tool where every person on the team is asked to identify hazards.

Word of warning: Often field teams develop a “workaround” to keep the JHA from consuming “too much time”.  Often the JHA never changes from day to day with the excuse being “nothing changes”.  The problem, of course, is that there is no team involvement after the first JHA has been completed.

Try this:  Ask your field crews this question: “What could go wrong on this project that has never gone wrong before?”  Maybe 99% of bad things that go wrong on projects are things that never went wrong before.

I once asked every person in the company to evaluate the company safety manual and tell me what I got wrong and what I missed that should be addressed.  I told everyone that a note would be put in the safety manual acknowledging each person who made a suggestion.  Sometimes I was provided written suggestions about how the rule should be worded which I also included in the safety manual—bad grammar and all.  Who am I to change the gift I was given?  The “pride” of a field team member for such contributions was amazing.  I had the best-read safety manual on the planet. Does this trigger any ideas in your mind?

— Wayne Jensen

Presented by: Wannemacher Jensen Architects, Inc.

Currently In The News

Job openings rise even as quits, and layoffs decline

The whole country has seen an increase in job openings, but an economist predicts the pressures in construction will persist into 2024.

The rate of American workers quitting has remained steady, but the number of construction workers voluntarily leaving their jobs has decreased. However, labor shortages continue to be a problem for the industry. Contractors laid off fewer workers in September compared to previous months. According to a survey, labor shortages will continue to be an issue in the coming years. Many contractors struggle with retaining workers, with one in seven planning to leave for better benefits or salary. To improve culture, contractors should focus on promoting career paths and addressing the challenges of the job.

Public projects fuel construction spending growth

The 0.3% jump in September marks the 16th consecutive month of gains, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

Nonresidential segments had mixed results from August to September, according to the AGC construction spending report. Commercial construction increased 0.7% in September, while power, oil and gas projects climbed 0.9% and education projects increased 1.8%. However, manufacturing-related spending dipped 0.4% and highway and street spending inched lower by 0.1%. Despite this, contractors remain confident, especially in the manufacturing sector which has seen a 62% increase in spending over the past year. Overall, spending increased in 7 of the 16 nonresidential subcategories, with private nonresidential spending up 0.1% and public nonresidential spending up 0.5%.

Feds approve $9.8B Virginia offshore wind farm, largest in the US

Amid contract terminations in other states, environmentalist hopes for a model of sustainable offshore wind development.

Dominion Energy's CVOW project is on schedule and on budget, according to spokesman Jeremy Slayton. BOEM's decision clears the way for on-shore construction, while offshore construction awaits final approval expected on Jan. 29. The first eight foundations have arrived at the staging site, and construction is set to begin in early 2024, with completion in 2026. Some turbines may start producing power in late 2025. Dominion Energy has been working on this project for over a decade and sees it as a major milestone. The project's success is important for Dominion Energy, customers, Virginia, and offshore wind. The Virginia State Corporation Commission ensured that any cost overruns or delays would be borne by Dominion Energy shareholders, providing an incentive to stay on track. Dominion Energy also committed to mitigating the project's impact on wildlife. The goal is to set a model for cost-effective and environmentally responsible offshore wind development in the US. While Dominion Energy plans for a second offshore wind farm, CVOW is currently their only active project.

CORPORATE NEWS

Travel rebounds, boosts hotel projects

A recovery in the hospitality industry and an increase in consumer confidence have led hotel companies to prime their construction pipelines.

As the travel industry bounces back from the effects of COVID-19, new hotels are popping up across the country to meet consumer demand.

This recovery in travel for both leisure and business and an increase in consumer confidence and spending have led hotel companies to prime their construction pipeline, even as current economic challenges hold some projects back.

Below, Construction Dive rounds up some of the sector’s largest groundbreakings and openings in recent months.

Direction Of The Business

5 award-winning mass timber designs

The proposals demonstrate innovation in the use of sustainable materials and are shared in a prize pool worth $2.2 million.

Five mass timber projects were praised for their aesthetic appeal and ability to showcase the sustainable benefits of the material. The Softwood Lumber Board and United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service announced the winners of the 2023 Mass Timber Competition, with the projects receiving a total of $2.2 million in awards. The recipients have committed to sharing their knowledge with the design and construction community. The winning proposals include a mixed-use residential project, a vertical addition project, an affordable multifamily housing project, a mixed-use project, and a mid-rise multifamily project. These projects will not only provide housing and gathering spaces but also demonstrate sustainable paths for other teams to follow. Mass timber construction can create a sustainable supply chain for wood products, contributing to the health and resilience of forests.

DIG INTO THIS ONE

“This brilliant book will shatter your assumptions about what it takes to improve and succeed. I wish I could go back in time and gift it to my younger self. It would’ve helped me find a more joyful path to progress.” —Serena Williams, 23-time Grand Slam singles tennis champion

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