THE LAST PLACEMENT
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BY BRAD HUMPHREY
How to Get Your Workers Excited for Work
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Be sincere. Cast a vision of your hope for the new year or the rest of the season. Remind your workers that you believe in them.
etting our employees excited for work continues to be a never-ending process for many contractors. Getting our workers “amped” is more than yelling or conducting some motivational pep rally, but does include some energy exertion by owners and leaders. If your workers don’t feel electricity from their leaders there is little incentive for the employees to extend themselves, much less get psyched up for another work year. ➊ GET YOURSELF AMPED. If you don’t feel it, how do you—realistically— believe that your employees will? We’re in the greatest industry in the world. Think about this: Construction provides us the perfect opportunity that allows us to work with our hands; see some level of work accomplished each day; make the day for others; and make a good living. Love what you do and your business. Love those who are helping you fulfill some of your dreams. Love the fact that you are assisting others to make a great living. If this doesn’t get you amped, I don’t know what it will take. ➋ CONDUCT SPRING TRAINING. Bring your workers in a few days or a week before the new season starts. Conduct “basic” training on skill development, technical handling of equipment, how to complete your documentation, etc. Call a 1-3 day “time out” and revisit the skills and techniques important to your company’s success. This gives workers the chance to begin to anticipate the new season and helps them to focus on their own participation and contribution, raising their personal level of accountability and motivation. ➌ KICK-OFF THE NEW SEASON. Organize and hold a barbecue or fish fry to signal the beginning of a new season. It signals a new year, a fresh start, new employees, new opportunities. Such
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“new” beginnings often excite new workers and reassures the veterans that all old mistakes are behind us. This can also be effective mid-season to revitalize and reenergize for the second half of the year. ➍ SET SOME ‘BHAGS.’ In addition to yearly goals, try setting one or two “Big Hairy Audacious Goals.” Years ago, the term defined something so far out there that just striving to achieve it sent excitement, or outright fear, in the hearts and minds of workers. A BHAG might be reaching some sales goal, no safety incidents, “zero defects” in performance, or some incredibly high bonus for record sales or profitability. ➎ ENGAGING WORKERS. One seminar I attended pointed out that employers who really engaged their employees in their business, productivity improved 18-25%. This happened when leaders asked workers to contribute to new improvement ideas, provide greater clarity or insights on current problems, and take more ownership for problemsolving with the senior leader’s support. For most of the companies I’ve personally consulted, those that had the healthiest work culture more often engaged their workers on setting goals, milestones, leading more meetings, solving more problems, etc., independent of micromanaging tactics of senior leaders. This doesn’t mean that a contractor just gives employees carte blanche but allows workers a chance to really positively impact their own work and the performance of the company at large. ➏ NEW HATS & SHIRTS. There is still some great energy created when the contractor comes into a meeting with new logo’d hats, shirts, jackets, gloves, etc. Most construction workers love getting company shirts and hats. Even your office workers enjoy getting a new golf shirt each year.
➐ SIGN UP FOR A COMMUNITY EVENT. Remodeling a home, giving a yard a much-needed new flower garden, or passing out stuffed backpacks for underprivileged children are all the sort of events that can be done by your entire company. Efforts like this can bring your workers together, have them focusing on something other than themselves and seeing the value of giving back to those who can’t repay them or you. Take a picture. Let the press in. Don’t milk it but use such a time as a team-building event. ➑ SHARE YOUR DREAMS & EXPECTATIONS. While most contractors are not charismatic public speakers, their workers need to hear from them about their dreams and expectations for the company. All workers are interested in what their owners think and expect. As the owner, share the following: • Your vision for the company • The reputation you want your company to reflect • Your goals for the new season (or the remainder of the season): sales, productivity rates, gross margin, etc. • Your love for the company, your love for the industry, and your desire to keep an “open door” to all workers When workers hear and sense that their most senior leader is sincere, focused, and excited that gives them greater freedom to feel the same way. Have some fun with new beginnings. To think that you are beginning yet another new year in business is quite a feat anyway so celebrate living another year. Do something that is memorable and representative of the sort of leader and company that you wish to be known for. For more from Brad Humphrey, visit ForConstructionPros.com/ contractors-best-friend.
www.ForConstructionPros.com/Concrete
11/30/21 1:06 PM
