Design/Build Leadership - End of the Winner takes all?

BY Mike Foti

Winner takes all! If its not nailed down it's ours. We need to cover our back-end. We'll just back-charge them. You can't trust anyone. If they would only follow the plan.

Ever heard these comments? Construction has traditionally been a full-contact industry. A winner-take-all world - negotiation, back charges, lawsuits - a contentious environment to be sure. Are we beginning to move toward the end of this world? Maybe more importantly - can we afford not to?

The growth of design/ build projects is not accidental. Customers have increasingly complex requirements and expectations, tighter budgets requiring more cost control, and facilities must come on-line quicker to get the revenue flowing. What do these trends mean to successful construction leaders? The need for more teamwork, more speed, and more collaboration. What will leaders need to do? Use fewer expletives and more "ations" - as in inspiration and innovation, collaboration and cooperation, preparation and perspiration. As a leader in your organization how can you grow your "ations?"

Inspiration & Innovation

Nothing happens today without inspiration. Lets face it - employees have many more options than ever before. The best talent is not going to cower to "bully-style" management telling them what to do - management who will shoot first and ask questions later. To tap into their minds and get results you must first tap into their hearts (don't worry I'm not going to get too touchy-feely here). How?

• Exciting work - Determine what your team members love to do. What are they good at? Then work to match your team members with your project needs, business challenges, and growth opportunities. Remember a good player in the wrong position is often a bad player!

• A vision of the future - Why should someone be excited working in your organization? Have you communicated a simple vision where your business is headed? Have you solicited input from your team about this direction?

• Experimentation happens! - Innovation occurs in the midst of risk-taking, which will involve winning and losing projects, ideas, and approaches. Ask yourself how your organization handles people when programs fail and money is lost? How can you create more of a "risk-free" environment to increase innovation? Some ideas to consider:

o Spark innovation paying bonuses based on all ideas initiated - not just successful ideas.

o Tell stories of your failures! - Yes, you heard that correctly. When a leader is confident enough to share mistakes others are more likely to begin sticking their necks out.

Collaboration & Cooperation

Design/build leadership will require teams of people working together sharing the risk, the return, and hammering out decisions to create mutually beneficial results. Much easier said than done! How to begin:

• Remember you are 100% correct…..from your perspective. The ultimate challenge in teamwork is gaining understanding. It is to "seek first to understand, then to be understood." When someone has a divergent viewpoint challenge yourself first to stop and ask why. Understand their reasoning before expressing your opinion. Be open to influence.
• Give out challenging assignments. Regardless of pay, top people in today's world want to learn, grow, and develop skills. Are you keeping the challenging work for yourself? How could you break up the project to provide full responsibility, accountability, and interesting work to others. Younger construction leaders are looking for challenge - is your organization whetting their appetites?
• Roar of the Crowd. Who doesn't love to hear the roar of the crowd cheering their success? Do you know anyone who feels "over-appreciated"? How would your team's energy and results increase if you made it a point to applaud their efforts? Appreciate one person per day. Write a thank you note explaining how they have positively impacted the team, give verbal recognition, or consider sending home a gift certificate for a favorite restaurant. Not mind boggling stuff - but do you do it?

Preparation & Perspiration

I like to say, "Great things happen where effort meets luck." The problem is, you don't know when you are going to get lucky! Consequently you need to be focused on the right things and getting results in a time-effective manner. Some points to consider:

• "No Candy" Communications - Effective design/build leadership requires clear expectations, accountabilities, and time frames. How well have you outlined your expectations? Are the starting points, milestones, and completions dates well understood? When things go awry do you know how to respectfully and honestly communicate through adversity?
• Perspire in the right places - start, stop, and continue. - Are you and your teammates working on the right things? Consider this exercise: Review where you currently spend time, then ask what you need to start, stop, and continue doing. The stop doing list may be the most important element. Consider if the activity can be eliminated (a gain to efficiency), or if it can be delegated (thereby growing another person's skills).
• Forget the saying, "It's not what you know, it's who you know." In an increasingly complex world you can no longer pretend to be an expert in everything. Therefore competency in your niche will be a key in positioning yourself and your business. Ask where and how you are focusing your learning to become the "go-to" person in your field. Do the "who's who" in your targeted markets call you for insights? How powerful could it be for your business if they did?

Future of Design/Build Leadership

The reality is the winner take all model is going the way of the dinosaur. In our faster, more complex, more innovative world the power of people skills has never been more important! Are you energizing and inspiring your team by delivering on your "ations?"

If you would like to have Mike speak to your group consider the following programs:
"Increasing Flow and Igniting Fire" - Winning Advice for a Tough Economy
"Leading for Entrepreneurial Success"
"Design/ Build Leadership - End of the Winner Takes All"
"Seeing the Forest from the Trees"

If you want to get Mike's insights on this topic in one on one sessions click here.

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Mike Foti is Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland Glass Block (a Northcoast 99 recipient for best employers in Northeast Ohio and a Community Pillar Award winner for community service) and President of Leadership Builders. Mike is a national speaker, writer, and consultant who helps individuals and companies get results through people. To ask Mike how he might help you, or to receive his free tips and leadership articles, call 216-531-6085 or visit his web site at www.leadershipbuilders.com.