Care and challenge are not opposites. They belong together. If you want a team that learns fast, show you care enough to say the hard thing and stay for the conversation. I want you to succeed here. In yesterday’s client meeting, you interrupted twice. Here is one way to prepare and listen.

Avoid three traps. Ruinous empathy hides the truth to spare feelings. Obnoxious aggression shares truth without care. Manipulative insincerity preserves status, while honesty fades away. Radical candor blends care and challenge. Ask for criticism first. What am I doing that makes your job harder? Reward the person who tells you. Then give specific, behavior-focused guidance.

Make it routine. Hold short one-on-one. Use the situation, behavior, impact, and next step. Praise specifically and often. Offer kind, immediate criticism practice in team meetings. When candor becomes the norm, trust grows, execution improves, and people develop more quickly. Caring and challenging is not soft talk. It is truly the most practical path to performance.

Ask for criticism first, provide specific guidance, schedule one-on-ones kindly, and practice candor on a daily basis.

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Across job sites this week, superintendents are swapping clipboards for a tap as the Safety Meeting App gains traction under tighter audits and shorter schedules. Built for field crews, it enables safety leads to run toolbox talks and capture OSHA-compliant documentation in under 90 seconds from a phone or tablet.

It bundles a library of more than 1,500 meeting topics, simple attendance logging with digital signatures, incident and near-miss reporting with photo evidence, and trade-specific checklists. Records are stored in secure cloud storage and can be exported to PDF reports, so proof for a contractor or inspector is just a tap away.

Teams across construction, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, transportation, and public works benefit from bilingual English and Spanish content, as well as branded screens featuring the company logo. By replacing binders and spreadsheets, managers spend less time hunting for paperwork and more time preventing hazards. With a free trial and quick setup, firms can pilot one crew today and scale company-wide by the weekend.

Shovels flashed in Kansas City, Kansas, as the Unified Government and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority broke ground on upgrades along Seventh Street. The $1.64 million program kicked off Monday and brings real-time technology, safer sidewalks, and refreshed stops to a corridor linking neighborhoods with jobs and services.

Work spans three segments, from Minnesota to the Pacific, from Kansas to Cheyenne, and along Rainbow from Southwest Boulevard to West Forty-Third Street. Crews will install five real-time arrival signs at Seventh and Minnesota, one security camera, approximately 1,300 feet of ADA-compliant sidewalk upgrades, and twenty-five stop improvement projects, including ten new shelters.

Officials said the improvements will shorten waits, reduce missed connections, and deliver a cleaner, more comfortable rider experience. Friday’s ceremony featured remarks from the mayor, commissioners, and agency leaders, while a community mural titled Connecting the Dottes framed the stage. Construction began this week, with updates promised as work progresses block by block.

Albany County approved a property tax exemption to jump-start the development of accessory dwelling units, granting a complete break on the added assessed value for five years, followed by a decreasing exemption for another five years at rates of 75%, 50%, 25%, and 5%. The benefit applies to improvements between $3,000 and $200,000 and bars short-term rentals beginning next year.

Contractors read this as a go-time for garage conversions and backyard cottages, as early-year permits could secure a ten-year exemption from the county portion of bills. Albany officials noted that the county’s share is roughly ten percent. Yet, supporters expect cities and school districts to follow the incentive once homeowners start factoring their monthly savings into their decisions.

Builders should prepare fixed-price menus, offer quick feasibility checks, and coordinate appraisers for both before and after valuation. Emphasize owner occupancy rules and maintenance clauses to keep projects eligible. Expect a flurry of fall inquiries as families plan multigenerational suites before winter arrives.

Introduction
Good morning, Team! Today’s toolbox talk covers table saw safety. Portable saws speed up framing and finish work, but a single kickback can cause severe injury in milliseconds.

Why It Matters
Common injuries include deep lacerations, amputations, and impact trauma from kickback. Most are preventable with guards, setup, and discipline.

Strategies for Safe Use

Discussion Questions

Conclusion
Proper setup, guards, and technique prevent kickback and keep fingers safe.

Guard up line out cut safe!

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