LEAD BY EXAMPLE

LEAD By Example The foreperson holds the key to developing tomorrow’s workforce

By / Natalie Bruckner  Photos courtesy of Nic Bittle

There is no role in construction that can garner quite as much criticism and stress as that of foreperson, yet none requires such a wide range of skills including diplomacy, leadership, and occasionally, babysitting.

“The foreperson also plays such a large role in profitability for our contractors,” says Kyle Tibbs, executive vice-president at SMACNA St. Louis. “When a foreperson has been given the tools to succeed, both labor and management benefit. We [SMACNA St. Louis and Local 36] feel equipping our forepersons with the right tools can only help our industry, improve market share, and sustain our contractors and workforce into the future.”

That’s why SMACNA St. Louis and Local 36 work closely together to ensure forepersons have the necessary support and training needed to succeed—because if they succeed, everyone succeeds. “Being a foreperson ultimately means responsibility,” says Ray Reasons, a member of Local 36. “We have a lot of people who won’t even entertain the idea anymore because of this, so we are exploring ways to tap into

that culture to demonstrate how they can advance themselves financially and personally. We want to show them that they have our support and won’t be thrown in at the deep end.”

While SMACNA St. Louis and Local 36 have done a great job in developing apprentices and making them journeypersons, they are ramping up their efforts and have taken the next step in employee development to fill the management level gap. “As representatives of our contractors, we must be ready to fill their needs, and as Baby Boomers retire, we will need skilled and trained journeypersons and managers,” Tibbs says.

Part of that training includes teaching its members about generational divides, cost-awareness, and management techniques. SMACNA St. Louis and Local 36 also invite experts into their JATC to speak to members and offer a different perspective. One of the most recent seminars held at the JATC Training Center was A Foreman’s Guide To Developing Your Workforce , presented by Nic Bittle. “We have brought in speakers like Nic Bittle to help bridge that generational gap between Baby Boomers and our incoming workforce,” Tibbs

explains. “Additionally, we are working with other industries to find best practices and bring in new ideas we have yet to incorporate into our industry.”

Bittle—a former welder, founder of Work Force Pro, and author of Good Foreman; Bad Foreman—works with contractors who want to prepare and develop their workforce. “When I first started these workshops eight years ago, I drew from my own experience; however, now it’s a combination of the wealth and knowledge of the tens of thousands of foremen I get to work with. I’m really just the messenger,” Bittle says.

His approach considers the changing role of the foreperson, how to fill the void as the Baby Boomers begin to retire, and how to tackle today’s unique challenges. “In the past we didn’t necessarily teach our forepersons how to be good leaders,” he says. “If someone kept showing up long enough, they would eventually be the boss. However, just because someone is a good sheet metal worker doesn’t necessarily mean they know how to lead or develop people.”

The problem is that most people lead as they were led. By default, they turn out exactly like their old bosses or the exact opposite without the opportunity to develop their own unique skillset or to discover their own strengths in building relationships with the workforce.

“But mentorship is more about relationships than it is tools, tactics, and techniques,” Bittle says. “I think mentorship happens more over a cup of coffee than it does a set of plans.”

Tibbs says that the contractors at their JATC have really embraced this idea of mentorship. “Ray Reasons and our longtime JATC contractor member Dan Durphy ask each apprentice every month at our JATC meetings, ‘Can we do anything? Can your contractor do anything? Are you receiving what you need to be successful?’ We are working collectively to ensure both labor and management are holding each other accountable. We have developed our workforce to hold that mentorship above all else, because it is the basis of our success. Without mentoring, we would not have such a dedicated and talented workforce.”

The mentoring foreperson indeed faces numerous challenges today, one of which is the rapid increase in technology, which Tibbs says has caught many of their forepersons and management-level employees by surprise. “Companies around the globe are adjusting to accommodate our new generation that wishes to stay connected,” he says. “As an industry, we must find ways to keep a happy workforce and keep established safety standards.”

Bittle agrees and says that adjusting to the needs of Millennials is essential. “This generation is known for job hopping, which is costing the industry billions,” he says. “I tell contractors they are losing good people for one of three reasons: They got into a trade they didn’t really understand; they are fleeing a relationship; or they are chasing an opportunity for progression or advancement when they’ve outgrown their position. Some forepersons don’t think their job is to inform, and so

“We are working collectively to ensure both labor and management are holding each other accountable. We have developed our workforce to hold that mentorship above all else, because it is the basis of our success.” — Kyle Tibbs, executive vice-president, SMACNA St. Louis

communication stops there. They believe their role is about getting the job done on time and on budget, and they worry that if they teach someone too much that person will either take their job or leave. That results in a spiral of mistrust.”

In Bittle’s workshop, he demonstrates how to become a good mentor and that the root of success is in communication. “One of the tools I give these guys is to replace the term ‘What the hell’ with ‘Help me understand.’ In the construction world, we use rough language, but by changing the phrasing, you see a breakthrough. A question should inspire conversation not conflict.”

Stephen Marchetto, foreperson at Welsch Heating & Cooling in St. Louis, was one of the members who attended a recent workshop. He says he came away with some very useful tools he plans to put into use immediately.

“Often, you attend workshops and there is nothing really new that transpires out of them,” he says. “Nic Bittle’s was extremely informative and helped me better understand those who want to join the workforce and how to keep them interested. The main points people came away with were how to deal with a generation that is always on cellphones, and how to communicate the impact of that. For me, the main point was the importance of listening and how to develop listening skills through communication.”

This idea is at the heart of the partnership between SMACNA St. Louis and Local 36, organizations that pride themselves on their communication and respect.

“Local 36 is proud that we have a good relationship with our contractors,” Reasons says. “There is give and take on both sides.”

“By developing our own partnership, we are displaying to our contractors and our workforce that working together is the best approach,” Tibbs adds. “This translates into productive work on every project.” ▪

Natalie is an award-winning writer who has worked in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, the United States, and Canada. She has more than 23 years experience as a journalist, editor, and brand builder, specializing in construction and transportation. When she’s not writing, you will likely find her snowboarding, mountain biking, or climbing mountains with her rescue dog.