Are You Treating Craft as Necessary Evil or as Heroes?

You ask yourself how you make money for company. Is it when we send email? Is it when we type letter? Is it when we drive around? Is it during meetings? Answer is simple. We make money when worker is working. Transportation, fabrication, coordination, design, management are all non-value add actions necessary to prepare for moment when worker works. Money is earned when work is being put into place. And who puts that work in place? The craft. Craft workers are heroes. They are star players. They are champions. And our industry treats them like necessary evil and at times, less than human. If you have found yourself operating with that mindset, I urge you to repent and rethink your life. Craft are critical to what we do. They deserve our respect and reverence. Knowing how important craft workers are to our work, our lives, our livelihood, our success, we need to optimize their work and provide them with clear instructions and training, reliable materials and information, and safe places to work. This is one of main duties of field engineer and superintendent: to create stability and flow in life of our skilled craft. Many superintendents in industry treat craft like slaves who need to get job done without any support. We can change that by sharing with them what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, asking their advice along way. We can take interest in their training and development. We can abandon patterns of wrong behavior by providing opportunities and helping craft meet their career goals and reach their potential. We can begin to focus on their work and give all we can to make it more effective, productive, and enjoyable. Because we are not in manufacturing business. We are in construction to build people first who then in turn build great buildings and great things. We are customer service business. We take care of needs of our customer and all customers around us.

Here’s what most superintendents miss. They think construction is about producing product at lowest possible total cost in shortest amount of time with greatest amount of value. So they treat craft as necessary evil. Resources to be deployed. Problems to be managed. People who need to get job done without support. But that’s backwards. We are in construction to build people first who then in turn build great buildings. We are customer service business. Until we recognize that everything we do moves through and is about people, we will not be as successful as we can be. Different from superintendent who leads with care and concern. Who runs safety because wants to keep people safe. Who installs quality work because cares about end users. Who optimizes craft work by providing clear instructions, reliable materials, safe places to work. Who asks: can all skilled craft on site come to work, go where they need to go, huddle with entire project team, then go to work with right materials, instructions, tools, clean work area? Is their work fulfilling yet uneventful? That’s creating stability and flow. That’s treating craft as heroes. That’s building people who build great buildings.

The challenge is most superintendents never learned that craft workers are heroes deserving respect and reverence. Never learned that we make money when worker is working, so everything else is preparing for that moment. Never learned that we are in construction to build people first. Never learned that definition of leadership is influence, and best influence comes from leading with care and concern for people. So they treat craft like necessary evil. Like slaves needing to get job done without support. Never ask their advice. Never take interest in their training. Never help them meet career goals. Wonder why morale is low and production suffers when answer is they’re not building people, they’re just trying to produce product. But givers gain and takers lose. Givers make difference for thousands of people. Takers suck energy out of teams, give industry bad name, make working on projects miserable for everybody.

We Build People Who Build Great Buildings

We are not in manufacturing business. Most people think construction is about producing product at lowest possible total cost in shortest amount of time with greatest amount of value. I would argue that we are in construction to build people first who then in turn build great buildings and great things.

We are customer service business. We take care of needs of our customer and all customers around us. If we do not foresee people who will eventually use our buildings, people who will maintain our buildings, and people currently working on our buildings, then we have gap that we need to close in our own personal leadership.

We need to act, control, and lead out of respect for those people and make them our priority.

Best superintendents in our industry are ones who are approachable, lead with vision of taking care of people, run safety because they want to keep people safe, and install quality work because they care about end users. These superintendents are not only approachable, but also authoritative and respected. They are leaders who can get people to rise up and follow them because of their influence.

At end of day, definition of leadership is influence. Leaders in our industry who make that vital connection will always be more influential.

Support the Craft: They Are the Heroes

Excellent superintendents make supporting craft one of their top priorities. Ask yourself how you make money for company. We make money when worker is working. Money is earned when work is being put into place. And who puts that work in place? The craft.

Craft workers are heroes. They are star players. They are champions. And our industry treats them like necessary evil and at times, less than human. If you have found yourself operating with that mindset, I urge you to repent and rethink your life.

Craft are critical to what we do. They deserve our respect and reverence. Knowing how important craft workers are to our work, our lives, our livelihood, and our success, we need to optimize their work and provide them with clear instructions and training, reliable materials and information, and safe places to work.

This is one of main duties of field engineer and superintendent: to create stability and flow in life of our skilled craft.

Ask yourself if all skilled craft on site can come to work, go to where they need to go, huddle with entire project team, and then go to work with right materials, instructions, tools, and clean work area. Is that situation they have? Is their work fulfilling yet uneventful? If not, we have work to do.

It sounds harsh and dramatic, but many superintendents in industry treat craft like slaves who need to get job done without any support. We can change that by sharing with them what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and asking their advice along way. We can take interest in their training and development.

We can abandon patterns of wrong behavior by providing opportunities and helping craft meet their career goals and reach their potential. We can begin to focus on their work and give all we can to make it more effective, productive, and enjoyable.

Be Good Neighbor: Treat Them Like Your Grandmother Lives There

Being good neighbor is one of main responsibilities of project superintendent. We must protect our neighbors, people around us, our customers, pedestrians, motorists, and anyone within close proximity of project like we would protect our own family. It is appropriate to advise that we should treat neighbor on corner as if our own grandmother lived there.

One of our main goals is to elevate awareness of team to really care about needs of others. Project team only wins when we can stay on budget within schedule with quality project with team balance in meeting everyone’s individual career goals and when we have delivered remarkable experience for everyone that comes into contact with our project.

Who is your customer on project? Owner of building? End users? Designers? Any of these answers would be correct, but there are additions. Your neighbors are your customers. Your trade partners are your customers. People in adjacent buildings are your customers. Vendors are your customers. Trade partners that go after another sequence of work are customers.

Everybody on your project should be treated in like manner. This is way project can elevate performance and really take it to next level to create flow and good quality work product.

Exhaust Bad Behavior: Worst Behavior You’re Willing to Tolerate

There is nothing that will tear down motivation and morale of good people on your project site more than watching you tolerate bad behavior. As lead superintendent or as assistant superintendent on any part of project, you cannot tolerate bad behavior.

Remember this quote: success of any organization is determined by worst behavior leader is willing to tolerate.

As superintendent, you must have standards. People on project site must know what you expect, and you have to exhaust bad behavior.

Givers Gain and Takers Lose

You can always tell difference between superintendent who is just trying to do his or her job and superintendent who leads with care and concern. Latter will always be one who will have most influence on project.

Now, we are not at work to make friends and close relationships that outweigh need to do business and have respect and appropriate relationships on site. But everything we do within those respectful and professional relationships should be guided by care and concern for people on project.

Find role models who exemplify this behavior, then make resolutions for your own style of leadership. Focus on giving first, and then intentionally practice being leader that you want to be.

Givers gain and takers lose. Givers in this industry will make difference for thousands of people. Takers not only suck energy out of their own teams, but they give industry bad name, and they make working on their projects miserable for everybody.

The System Failed You

Let’s be clear. When superintendents treat craft as necessary evil, it’s not entirely their fault. The system failed by teaching that construction is about producing product at lowest cost in shortest time. Nobody showed that we are in construction to build people first who then in turn build great buildings. Nobody explained that we make money when worker is working, so everything else is preparing for that moment. The system taught produce product when actually build people who build great buildings.

The system also failed by not teaching that craft workers are heroes deserving respect and reverence. If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow. Many superintendents treat craft like slaves who need to get job done without support. But craft are critical to what we do. Need to optimize their work by providing clear instructions, reliable materials, safe places to work. Create stability and flow in life of skilled craft. The system taught treat them as necessary evil when actually they are star players, champions, heroes.

The system fails by not teaching that definition of leadership is influence coming from care and concern for people. Best superintendents are approachable, lead with vision of taking care of people, run safety because want to keep people safe, install quality work because care about end users. Leaders who make that vital connection will always be more influential. Givers gain and takers lose. Givers make difference for thousands. Takers suck energy, give industry bad name, make projects miserable. The system taught focus on product when actually focus on people.

The Challenge

Here’s your assignment. Stop treating craft as necessary evil. Start treating them as heroes.

Recognize we make money when worker is working. Transportation, fabrication, coordination, design, management are all non-value add actions preparing for moment when worker works. Money earned when work being put into place. Who puts that work in place? The craft. They are heroes. Star players. Champions. They deserve our respect and reverence.

Optimize their work. Provide clear instructions and training. Reliable materials and information. Safe places to work. Create stability and flow in life of skilled craft. Ask: can all skilled craft come to work, go where they need to go, huddle with team, then go to work with right materials, instructions, tools, clean work area? Is their work fulfilling yet uneventful? If not, we have work to do.

Stop treating craft like slaves who need to get job done without support. Share with them what we’re doing, why we’re doing it. Ask their advice along way. Take interest in their training and development. Provide opportunities helping them meet career goals and reach potential. Focus on their work. Give all you can to make it more effective, productive, and enjoyable.

Remember we build people who build great buildings. We are not in manufacturing business. We are in construction to build people first who then in turn build great things. We are customer service business. Take care of needs of our customer and all customers around us. Until we recognize that everything we do moves through and is about people, we will not be as successful as we can be.

Lead with care and concern. Be approachable. Lead with vision of taking care of people. Run safety because you want to keep people safe. Install quality work because you care about end users. Definition of leadership is influence. Leaders who make that vital connection will always be more influential.

Be good neighbor. Treat neighbor on corner as if your own grandmother lived there. Elevate awareness of team to really care about needs of others. Deliver remarkable experience for everyone that comes into contact with project.

Exhaust bad behavior. Success of any organization is determined by worst behavior leader is willing to tolerate. Have standards. People must know what you expect.

Focus on giving first. Givers gain and takers lose. Givers make difference for thousands. Takers suck energy, give industry bad name, make projects miserable for everybody.

On we go.

FAQ

Why are craft workers the heroes?

We make money when worker is working. Transportation, fabrication, coordination, design, management are all non-value add actions preparing for moment when worker works. Money earned when work being put into place. Who puts that work in place? The craft. They are heroes, star players, champions. They deserve our respect and reverence.

How do you support the craft?

Optimize their work. Provide clear instructions and training, reliable materials and information, safe places to work. Create stability and flow in life of skilled craft. Share with them what we’re doing, why we’re doing it. Ask their advice. Take interest in their training and development. Help them meet career goals and reach potential.

What does it mean to build people who build great buildings?

We are not in manufacturing business. We are in construction to build people first who then in turn build great buildings and great things. We are customer service business. Until we recognize that everything we do moves through and is about people, we will not be as successful as we can be.

What is being a good neighbor?

Treat neighbor on corner as if your own grandmother lived there. Elevate awareness of team to really care about needs of others. Your neighbors are your customers. Trade partners are your customers. People in adjacent buildings are your customers. Everybody should be treated in like manner. Deliver remarkable experience for everyone that comes into contact with project.

Why do givers gain and takers lose?

Givers in this industry will make difference for thousands of people. Takers not only suck energy out of their own teams, but they give industry bad name, and they make working on their projects miserable for everybody. Definition of leadership is influence. Leaders who lead with care and concern for people will always be more influential.