Everyone Wants to be Seen, Feat. Jennifer Lacy

Hearing the Voices of the People on Our Project Sites

In this blog I want to share an experience that reminded me just how important it is to create space for people to feel heard on our project sites. I recently had the opportunity to visit one of our teams in Roanoke, Virginia, and it struck me how much the culture of connection and listening shapes the way a job unfolds. This project is not structured as an IPD contract, yet it is running with the same collaboration, transparency, and lean principles you would expect from the very best. The difference is not just the tools or processes. The difference is the way people feel valued and respected every single day.

I watched a project director lead with both excellence and humanity. He checked all the boxes with the lean methods, but more importantly, he made people feel recognized, celebrated, and safe. That is not just good leadership. It is the foundation of a culture where voices can be heard. When people feel they matter, they engage differently. They care about outcomes because they know they are seen and respected.

This is something that resonates deeply with me on a personal level. Through my own journey of discovering purpose, I realized I want to ensure that every person not only has a voice but also that their voice is truly heard. It is easy to say we care about people, but the real test is in the everyday interactions. Do we stop and listen? Do we ask questions that invite more than a yes or no? Do we create environments where people feel safe enough to share honestly? These are the questions that guide me, both at work and in my personal life.

I often think about my own family when reflecting on this. As a mother, I know how important it is to stop projecting my own opinions onto my daughters and instead listen to what they are truly saying. The same applies on a construction site. If I am only telling people what to do or assuming I know what they need, I am not really hearing them. By taking the time to ask and then to listen with intention, I give people a chance to feel acknowledged. When they leave an interaction feeling seen, they carry that positivity into everything else they do.

On the project site we visited, I saw this come to life during a craftworker luncheon. It was not a superficial event. It was a gathering where people felt safe to speak openly, where leaders celebrated their teams, and where connection was at the center. You could feel the trust in the room. That kind of culture does not happen overnight. It is built intentionally over time through consistent actions and genuine care.

For me, the lesson is clear. People want to matter. They want their work to be recognized. They want their experiences to be acknowledged. When we provide that, they not only perform better, but they also bring their whole selves to the job. In an industry where safety, quality, and productivity are always top of mind, making sure voices are heard is not optional. It is essential.

Key Takeaway

People show up each day wanting to matter. When we create safe environments that allow their voices to be heard, we build stronger relationships, healthier project teams, and ultimately better outcomes.