PartnersINProgress SMACNA & SMART—Building a Future Together
December 2020
SMACNA and SMART score “touch down” on safety
PartnersINProgress SMACNA & SMART—Building a Future Together
JOSEPH SELLERS, JR. ANGELA SIMON Co-Publishers KAARIN ENGELMANN editor@pinpmagazine.org Editor-in-Chief
10 CONTENTS
December 2020 - Volume 14, Number 12
3 GOODBYE 2020 SMACNA and SMART partners proved innovative and flexible in a difficult
year and look forward to a prosperous 2021.
4 FROM COMPLIANCE TO CARE ACCO Engineered Systems and Local 105 don’t just share a vision of safety. They are creating it together.
6
TACKLING INFECTION ONE UV RAY AT A TIME
JMI and Local 66 craft UVC units that help battle infection on any surface.
8
GOT CERTIFICATION? Careers in TAB abound and opportunities to enhance skills are everywhere,
but rest assured, not all certifications are created equally.
JESSICA KIRBY jkirby@pointonemedia.com Editor POINT ONE MEDIA INC. artdept@pointonemedia.com Creative Services
Partners in Progress is a publication of the Sheet Metal Industry LaborManagement Cooperation Fund. All contents ©2020 by the Sheet Metal Industry Labor-Management Cooperation Fund, P.O. Box 221211, Chantilly, VA 20153-1211. Find Partners in Progress online at pinp.org or at issuu.com/ partnersinprogress. An archive of all issues is available and printed copies may be ordered for a minimal fee. For comments or questions, email editor@pinpmagazine.org.
10 PARTNERS IN ACTION
SMACNA of San Diego and Local 103 are creating Christmas cheer for
those who need it most.
12 EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Knowing the job is one thing, but being able to communicate, solve
problems, and move the industry forward comes down to emotional intelligence.
14 SAMUEL HAMMOND: MY JOURNEY
SMART Heroes graduate Specialist Samuel Hammond with the 2nd Ranger
Battalion stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, credits SMART Heroes for a stronger way forward.
2 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
S HE E T M E TA L | A I R | R A I L | T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
Goodbye, 2020
Looking forward to 2021 and Beyond
Sign onto any social media platform and you will be barraged with memes and posts about the endless havoc occurring in 2020. My personal favorite is, “So far, 2020 has been like looking both ways before you cross the street and then getting hit by an airplane.” Most of us are eagerly waiting for the conclusion of 2020 and hoping for the demise of social distancing, mask-wearing, toilet paper shortages, and murder hornets—but not so fast. It would be amazing if the challenges of 2020 could be wiped away at midnight on December 31, but that is not realistic. Wide-spread production and distribution of vaccines will not happen immediately, and sadly, COVID-19 cases and deaths will continue. In the meantime, people will be asked to do their part by masking up and social distancing for quite some time. Virus mitigation efforts will continue to challenge businesses and employment levels across many industries. It is easy to get mired down in the challenges and obstacles that COVID has heaved upon our industry and each of us personally. Fortunately, SMACNA and SMART have forwardthinking members who work together to resolve problems and identify opportunities amidst the many challenges. Partners in Progress magazine exists to feature these success stories so that others may be inspired to take similar actions to adapt and excel under any circumstances. Innovative partnerships are featured in our year-end edition. Our lead article (page 4) demonstrates how the largest employer of sheet metal workers on the west coast worked with their Local partner to revolutionize their safety culture from one that focused on compliance to a culture of care. That employer had always dedicated significant resources to safety, but adding the union philosophy of looking out for member brothers and sisters complemented the building of an environment where each employee is a safety champion. SMART and SMACNA had the foresight decades ago to promote the value of hiring testing, adjusting, and balancing companies that employ highly skilled and certified technicians and supervisors. On page 8, industry leaders explain why hiring contractors who employ TABB (Testing, Adjusting & Balancing Bureau) certified employees assures customers that their HVAC systems will operate at the highest standards for energy efficiency, ventilation, indoor air quality, and comfort. When COVID came onto the scene, TABB-certified contractors seized the opportunity to educate customers and the public on why HVAC systems are not simply about comfort, but also life safety. Looking for creative ways to build your local labormanagement partnership? SMACNA of San Diego and Local 206 rose to the Partners in Progress Strive to Succeed Challenge and earned $2,000 to add to union and chapter
funds to purchase gifts and much needed supplies for a charity dedicated to the safety and well-being of children in foster care (page 10). Good leadership is key to identifying opportunities and problem-solving during difficult times. A growing number of companies have recognized that people skills or emotional intelligence (EI) may be the most important skill someone can bring to your organization. Learn how to measure EI and how to use the results to foster better team collaboration on (page 12.) “My Journey” (page 14) highlights what aspects of a sheet metal career enticed a former Army Ranger to complete the SMART Heroes Accelerated Training Program. During 2020, SMACNA and SMART’s solid partnership foundation and resilience positioned labor and management to quickly adapt to changes, innovate, and pursue new market opportunities. A partnership of this magnitude will grow and serve us long into the future. If your New Year’s plans include watching Times Square festivities, watch with pride knowing that the people behind the design, fabrication, installation, and operation of the Times Square Ball are none other than your brothers and sisters from Local 137. SMACNA and SMART and Partners in Progress wish all our members a happy holiday and a healthy and prosperous 2021. ▪ « Calling all INDUSTRIAL ATHLETES »
Check out the brand ambassador recruitment and referral campaign from Partners in Progress to find out why sheet metal workers say, “My Job is My Gym!” Visit facebook.com/IndustrialAthleteOfficial and instagram.com/industrialathleteofficial/ to learn more, and tag your photos with #mjmg for the chance to win $100 from Amazon each month. Partners in Progress » December 2020 » 3
From Compliance to Care
Signatory contractor ACCO Engineering Systems and Local 105 commit to an ongoing safety revolution By / Robin Brunet
Even for a company of ACCO Engineered Systems’ capabilities, the new Inglewood Stadium (aka the SoFi Stadium), three miles from Los Angles International Airport, was a construction project with huge logistics that required an unwavering commitment to onsite safety. Clearly, it needed more than the usual checklists and procedures.It was not a problem because the company’s safety culture has evolved from compliance to care thanks to its ongoing partnership with Local 105. Altogether, the $5-billion facility for 70,240 spectators required 2.1 million pounds of ductwork, and at peak, 120 signatory sheet metal workers were on site. Because SoFi is under LAX’s flight path, two-thirds of the facility was constructed below grade, requiring crews to install 46 different air handlers and numerous split systems in a moat-like perimeter. Donovan Seeber, ACCO’s vice president of corporate safety, recalls, “SoFi, which commenced construction in 2016, was huge and challenging, and we were still actively working on site when COVID hit. This obliged us to quickly add another layer of safety to protect our crews and allow work to continue with minimal disruption.” Ultimately, two full-time onsite safety experts and 22 full-time safety professionals available by phone helped ensure that virus protocols were strictly followed, and that the 250,000 personhours spent on the project overall were without incident. 4 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
With over 4,300 employees in 30 offices and four fabrication plants, Pasadena-based ACCO is the largest mechanical contractor in the western United States and the biggest employer of sheet metal workers on the United States west coast. It could be argued that everything ACCO does is big, including its approach to safety. But it hardly operates in a vacuum: Seeber credits Local 105 for an on-going collaboration that has helped evolve ACCO’s safety culture in a fundamental way. “We’ve gone from being a company with a solid culture of compliance to a culture of care, which makes us far more capable of sending our work crews safely home to their families at the end of every day,” he says. “That’s because instead of just following regulations, every one of our staff is a self-motivated safety champion.” As for ACCO’s relationship with Local 105, Seeber says, “We regularly discuss training issues, how to better prep people, consult with them before making corporate changes, and work together on projects like SoFi Stadium. It’s a great partnership.” It’s also one with a long history. “ACCO, our Local, and Local 104 go back 80-plus years, and today it represents a large portion of our 6,800-strong membership, so we share their concerns and goals,” says Local 105 President Luther Medina. “Considering ACCO has such a large workforce, it has always been ahead of the curve in safety, and the SoFi project is a good example.
When COVID hit, ACCO was one of the very first companies in California to distribute face coverings to its crews—so fast, in fact, that it became a union issue, with us telling each other, ‘We’ve got to match that speed.’” Medina laughs at the memory of scrambling to source masks. “You could say we inspire each other,” he says. “ACCO’s safety programs dovetail and complement ours, and it’s not uncommon for one party to incorporate measures that the other has developed.” Seeber loves discussing the particulars of safety, and his passion is understandable. He began his career as a medic in the oil and gas sector and dealt first-hand with more than his fair share of onsite accidents. “During that time, I was introduced to occupational health and safety, which I never knew existed and was fascinated by,” he recalls. “I quickly devoted myself to ‘the cause,’ so to speak.” Seeber was recruited by ACCO to develop a separate safety program for its oil and gas division, and this led to him kicking the company’s overall program into high gear in 2010 with a robust investment into safety teams and resources. Today, ACCO’s safety provisions are delivered by directors for the company’s north and south regions, 20 safety professionals in management, and 10 site-specific professionals. But the intent wasn’t restricted to beefing up infrastructure. “When I joined the company, there was definitely an impressive safety culture, but like so many other companies it was focused on teaching compliance,” Seeber says. “Given that we had all the components in place, I felt there was an opportunity to develop further into a culture of care. In other words, instead of work crews simply following orders, they would be motivated to be safety champions. And this would very much tie into the Locals’ philosophy of brothers and sisters looking out for one another.” The shared goal was to ensure each member of either organization would come to work viewing everything through the lens of safety. “It’s a great approach that, in addition to its obvious benefits, boosts productivity and keeps workers’ comp rates down,” Medina says. Seeber concedes there was no magic recipe for developing the culture of care—just lots of work over a long time-period. “It takes years and starts with management adopting a leadership attitude rather than a punitive attitude,” he says. “For example, instead of managers quoting clauses and subsections to work crews, they engage everyone in a discussion about specific site conditions and how the crew can get through the day safely. “With this approach, checklists are also simplified, and instead of berating someone for violating a regulation, managers explain why the regulation is important and the hazards that can result from not following it.” The shift from compliance to care has been painstaking and must be constantly reinforced. Safety inspectors typically visit a site, not with a clipboard in hand, but to roam around and engage in friendly conversation. “Our crews know all the rules, and our inspectors are there to learn the specifics of what’s going on and
determine if anything further can be done to make the job go even more smoothly and safely,” Seeber explains. This culture of care has yielded impressive results. For the past five years, ACCO’s Experience Modification Rate (EMR, the rate used by insurance companies to gauge the cost of past injuries and future chance of risk in order to calculate worker compensation rates) has been below .5—anything below the average rate of 1 is an impressive achievement by industry standards. The question is, can safety in the future go beyond a culture of care? “In a way, yes,” Seeber says. “We recently embarked on making our shared culture of care an integral part of our leadership program, of building it into every component of this company and our workforce rather than restricting it to a standalone department. While this is a multi-year task, we really think it’s a model of what safety in the workplace could be.” For his part, Medina is excited about ACCO’s ongoing evolution. “It’s gratifying to see Seeber and his colleagues create healthy environments,” he says. “They’re very much part of the industry shift of safety practices being perceived as a strength instead of a burden.” One thing is assured: Local 105 will continue to help ACCO achieve its goals. “Local 105’s doors are always open to us, as ours are to them, and we’re always crossing through them whether it’s with an idea to share or a situation to resolve,” Seeber says. “We really are partners in the most productive sense of the word.” ▪ Robin Brunet’s journalism has been published in over 150 magazines, newspapers, websites, and other media across Canada and the United States since 1982. He is also the best-selling author of two books: Red Robinson: The Last Deejay and Let’s Get Frank.
Partners in Progress » December 2020 » 5
Tackling Infection One UV Ray at a Time By / Jessica Kirby Photos courtesy of JMI.
In April, a shortage of PPE for health care professionals inspired the owners and workforce at Johansen Mechanical, Inc. (JMI) in Monroe, Washington, to take action. JMI owners Keith Johansen and Derek Holm, along with project manager Daniel Moore, put their heads together to develop the HandsFree UVC disinfecting chamber, a machine designed to use UV light to kill any virus on any surface. Minimizing infection is of paramount importance to limit spread, as viruses can be transmitted via aerosol and survive for days on surfaces outside the human body. Disinfection technology using UVC light is one of the most reliable and widely accepted methods. “Hundreds of hours have been dedicated to this project to make sure the units are safe for users,” said Moore, who is a project manager in JMI’s architectural metals department, and designer of the Hands Free UVC units*. “The foot controls keep our users from passing germs from 6 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
one user to the next. Multiple safety interlocks prevent exposure to the 254nm UVC light, and the electronics, mechanical, and photo-biological testing have all been inspected by the international testing service ETL (report #104408312LAX001). “We’ve encountered many challenges in the condensed development period of our machines, but we’ve also kept the goal of serving our communities in mind and pushed through to get us here today.” Germicidal lamps use the optimal UVC wavelength to destroy illness-causing germs, including viruses and bacteria. UVC is used to effectively disinfect and purify air, water, and surfaces. UVC is ultraviolet light in the wavelengths of 100-280 nanometers, which is known to have a germicidal effect. Surface exposure to UVC is capable of inactivating microorganisms such as germs, bacterial, and viruses. With UVC technology being a naturally occurring process, it
“JMI’s ability to craft the units, which require exact dimensions and tolerances, comes down to the company’s innovative leadership and its skilled and experienced union workforce,” says Bill Allen, shop superintendent and Local 66 member
becomes an effective environmentally friendly and chemical free process to inactivate these pathogens and reduce their transmission. Applications for the units include offices, manufacturing, medical, dental, assisted care facilities, schools, casinos, and many more. “Our focus is to help and serve our communities by providing high quality, safe, and reliable disinfecting units to support the public and private sectors’ need for long term disinfecting,” says Holm. “Our customers have ordered these units to disinfect items and help in the protection against present and future pathogen outbreaks while keeping the environment safe from harsh cleaners and chemicals. “You would be amazed as to how versatile the units are with so many different uses,” Holm adds. “Every time we speak with someone about this project, they’ll provide more uses we haven’t even thought of yet.” Bill Allen, shop superintendent with JMI and Local 66 member says the company’s ability to craft the units, which require exact dimensions and tolerances, comes down to the company’s innovative leadership and its skilled and experienced union workforce. “A lot of the time, our custom metals department has to take the architect’s vision and convert it to a masterpiece,” he says. “This process requires extensive communication between the architects, project management, and our fabricators.” In the early stages of any project, the fabricators are involved with the project management team to plan ahead to avoid potential fabrication and installation challenges. This planning streamlines the entire process and helps JMI ensure it beats the targeted schedule, margins, and customer satisfaction. “The Local 66 fabricators in our custom metals division are a select group of the best fabricators in the industry with attention to detail that sets them apart from the rest,” Allen
says. “It is a mindset that is required to know that what you are working on can’t just be close enough, it has to be right. We are fortunate to have a team that operates under this mentality and is able to exceed these high expectations efficiently.” Prototyping is one of the shop’s specialties, he says, which requires good communication and planning with the customer, project management, and the fabricators. “Documentation of the process to incorporate any changes throughout prototyping is also very important in order to make the production units turn out perfect,” Allen says. “JMI has all the aspects of equipment, labor, and expertise required to form, machine, and weld a product that we are proud to make here in Washington. Ours is an excellent company for an apprentice, who is learning the ins and outs of the trade, to learn the practices of our custom metals division fabricators.” Building locally is important to Johansen and the rest of the team.“This project ties into our corporate goal of supporting and making a difference in our local community,” he says. “We are able to make a positive difference during this pandemic in the United States, Canada, and hopefully, globally. We are proud of Daniel’s innovation and all his extra efforts to make this project successful.” *Hands Free UVC Units have been certified to the following ETL standards: UL 61010-1*DEI. Issued 2004/07/12 Ed:2 Rev: 2005/07/22 UL Standard for Safety Electrical Equipment For Measurement, Control, and Laboratory Use. UL 61010 – 2-081: 2015 Ed.2 Safety Requirements For Electrical Equipment For Measurement, Control And Laboratory Use - Part 2-081: Particular Requirements For Automatic and Semi-Automatic Laboratory Equipment For Analysis And Other Purposes IEC 62471*AEI Issue 2006/07/01 Ed:1 Photobiological safety of lamps and lamp systems. Partners in Progress » December 2020 » 7
Got Certification? With increasing awareness about the
benefits of TABB certification, SMART
and SMACNA are ramping up efforts to © Can Stock Photo / Arcady
further educate the masses.
By / Natalie Bruckner If your car had a problem, would you rather take it to a highly trained and certified mechanic or a non-licensed mechanic? The answer may seem logical, yet when it comes to trying to get the message out to the general public about why a TABBcertified technician is the best choice for maintaining HVAC systems, it’s not been that easy. “Some people are still stuck on the idea that this is a union/ nonunion issue, when it really isn’t,” says Vince Alvarado, financial secretary treasurer and business manager for Local 49. “TABB is the first and only HVAC testing, adjusting and balancing certification program accredited by the American National Standards Institute [ANSI], but anyone can apply for accreditation, union or nonunion. The reason we have it is that we invested the time, money, and resources on getting TABB ANSI certified.” Alvarado explains that becoming ANSI accredited was the logical choice, as the union has always been at the forefront of safety and training. “Also, for us it’s about end-users feeling safe in the knowledge that their systems are being maintained by someone who is trained to a standard that has been subject to a neutral, third-party oversight via the ANSI audit program.” Alvarado has been trying to get the message out there about the benefits of TABB certification for many years now, and while it has been an uphill struggle, he is beginning to seeing progress. A lot of that progress has to do with his commitment to educating fire marshals, schools, hospitals, owners/developers, 8 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
and mothers who have children in schools (he says mothers have some of the strongest voices out there). COVID-19 has also shone a light on the importance of HVAC maintenance and led to the release of numerous independent studies and reports on this very issue. One of those reports is a technical paper by The University of California – Davis Western Cooling Efficiency Center (WCEC) that examines the benefits of using certified contractors for testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB). The paper Testing, Adjusting and Balancing HVAC Systems: An Overview of Certification Agencies looks at the different certification agencies—TABB; National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB); and Associated Air Balance Council (AABC)—and considers the benefits of certification, why there is a need for standard training across the industry, and why certification will become more important as we move forward. The report brings to light the benefits of TABB certification being the only agency accredited with the internationally recognized ANSI 17024 standard. It focuses on the training required for a technician, a supervisor, and a firm to become TABB certified. Anthony Kocurek, SMACNA secretary-treasurer and owner of Energy Balance & Integration (EB&I) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, understands that now is the time to hammer the message home about the benefits of TABB certification.
Kocurek has been actively promoting the benefits of TABB certification for many years and believes that understanding the difference between the testing agencies is a good place to start. “TABB walks the talk and is continually updating and staying current in the industry,” he says. “EB&I is both NEBB and TABB certified because in our area many of the engineers spec both. Although the knowledge base for NEBB and TABB is very similar, the big difference is the type of individual that becomes a TABB technician.” TABB certified technicians are always sheet metal workers who understand how to fabricate and install HVAC systems and who have the knowledge base that comes with that training. NEBB technicians, who may or may not be sheet metal workers, may not have the same in-depth understanding about the systems they are testing. “I cannot stress enough how knowing how a duct fitting is made and installed can affect the performance of how it is installed in the system being tested and balanced,” Kocurek says. “Having an ANSI accredited TABB certification and employing technicians trained and certified by an ANSI accredited program is a positive sales benefit when talking to clients. I have invaluable peace of mind knowing the guys working for me have a good solid base of knowledge to build on that may not be available from the other certifications.” Soph Davenberry, chief technology officer at the National Energy Management Institute Committee (NEMI) is also excited by this latest WCEC report and says now is the time for SMART and SMACNA to work together and use these independent studies to promote the expertise of the industry. “SMACNA standards are the best-known mechanical standards in the industry,” Davenberry says. “While AABC and NEBB follow their own standards, TABB follows the SMACNA standards. It’s a great time to use the familiarity of SMACNA to bring up awareness of TABB and highlight the meaningful differences TABB certifications bring.” If there is one positive to come from the pandemic, it is that the eyes of the public have now been opened when it comes to HVAC system maintenance. “Every quality pair of safety glasses bears the mark of having met ANSI requirements. Especially now during a pandemic, building owners, managers, and occupants look for the same assurance in the reports of how well their HVAC systems are operating.” TABB Chief Operating Officer John Hamilton says the latest WCEC report shows the organization is the industry leader and adds that with HVAC system maintenance now making headlines in mainstream media, people are starting to understand that the test and balance person is one of the most important people in a building. Hamilton continues to see pushback from some more seasoned members who don’t see the value in becoming TABB certified since they are already running successful businesses without the training. He advises those contractors
to reconsider. “With legislation coming down the pipeline, you will need the certification for job security,” Hamilton says. “With the materials available to SMACNA and SMART at no cost through the local JATC and the iTi, the support mechanism is already in place.” With increasing awareness about the importance of HVAC systems being installed and maintained by certified personnel, SMACNA and SMART are using this as a springboard to educate the general public. “Many people don’t realize how sophisticated HVAC systems are, and that it’s not just about comfort, but also life safety,” Alvarado says. “It’s our job to educate them. If we had 50% of our members actively doing that, we could make a big difference. “We need our members’ help. I’ve been in the trade 41 years and have been fighting for this for 20 years. I have seen baby steps. Baby steps will eventually get us to the top of the mountain.” ▪ 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. Partners in Progress » December 2020 » 9
Partners in Action SMACNA San Diego and Local 206 build their partnership through charity work By Deb Draper The sheet metal industry carries a proud legacy of commitment to building strong communities that goes beyond physical structures and systems. This responsibility was demonstrated again this year when Local 206 and SMACNA of San Diego teamed up to support Angel’s Foster Family Network–a non-profit organization dedicated to creating safe, stable, loving homes for infants and toddlers in foster care throughout the county of San Diego in California. Local 206 Business Manager Dave Gauthier says, “We’ve been doing this as a Local for six years now, raising money to purchase toys, clothes, diapers, and gift cards to add a little holiday cheer to those kiddos and the families who have stepped up to save those young lives. This year, SMACNA stepped in and matched what we raised, and through the Strive to Succeed Challenge we also received $2,000 from Partners in Progress.” Executive Vice President of SMACNA of San Diego, Linda to achieve a better relationship between our contractors and Baxter-Jennings, explains how this partnership with Local Local 206.” 206 came into being. “At the end of last year, my Board sat Meanwhile, Partners in Progress had made available the down and created some goals for 2020, and the biggest was Strive to Succeed Challenge, a program designed to build 10 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
“It’s a lot easier to sit across the negotiation table when you know you’ve walked through a store together buying toys for kids,” says Local 206 Business Manager Dave Gauthier. On Giving Tuesday, December 1, SMART and SMACNA members went out shopping together, filling baskets with hundreds of dollars worth of gifts and delivering them in person to the Angels office. “It’s such a wonderful feeling,” Baxter-Jennings says. “Everyone goes—contractors and union members. When you join together to give to such a deserving charity, you can’t help but feel good about the people you’re working with.” Gauthier agrees. “It’s a lot easier to sit across the negotiation table when you know you’ve walked through a store together buying toys for kids,” he says. “We are then coming from a base of knowing things about each other, about our families, about our goals. It makes it a lot easier to deal with one another rather than just being a cold business relationship.” ▪ From her desk in Calgary, Alberta, Deb Smith writes for trade and business publications across North America, specializing in profiles and stories within the hospitality, food service, mining, recreation, and construction industries. When not writing, she’s likely traveling, gardening, or taking long walks with her big white dog.
© Can Stock Photo / d3images
collaborative labor-management relationships with financial incentives towards strengthening mutually beneficial partnerships. (See the September 2020 issue of Partners in Progress at issuu.com/partnersinprogress/docs/pinp_sep2020_ final for more on Strive to Succeed.) “I got in touch with Dave at Local 206 and asked if we could formally support their charities and also apply to complete the Strive to Succeed Challenge,” Baxter-Jennings says. “I suggested we would do the paperwork, and if we finished and got the money, we would put that money towards their charity at the end of the year—not to take the place of the contractors who were participating as well, but to have Partners in Progress write the cheque directly to the Angels Foster Family Network.” “I’m new as a manager, having been in this seat only since July 1, so Linda handled the application to the Challenge,” Gauthier says. “She’s been a good ‘Partner in Progress’ the whole way. As a result, this was our biggest year yet. We contributed over $7,000 as a team!”
Partners in Progress » December 2020 » 11
Emotional Intelligence
© Can Stock Photo / edharcanstock
By / Jordan Whitehouse
What makes great employees? Chances are the first things that come to mind aren’t someone’s vast technical skills or advanced degree from a prestigious college. It’s likely people skills, capacity to communicate properly and listen, ability to empathize and be optimistic, and knack for building good relationships with others. Underpinning these soft skills is something called emotional intelligence (EI), or a person’s capacity to know, control, and express emotion, and to handle interpersonal relationships thoughtfully and empathetically. In recent years, a growing body of research has shown that people with high EI have greater mental health, job performance, and leadership skills. This is why an increasing number of unions and companies across the construction industry—including those in sheet metal—are focusing on identifying and improving their people’s EI. Understanding and cultivating EI may be just one more tool that labor and management can use to foster stronger working relationships. Brent Darnell is a leading authority on EI, particularly on its 12 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
use in the construction industry. He spoke at the 2020 Partners in Progress Conference where he challenged his audience to actively develop the EI to look beyond conflict and embrace the courage to change. He says that there are several advantages to focusing on EI as a way to develop people and solve industry problems, including how labor and management might work better together. “For one, since collaborative project delivery is now the norm, companies invest a lot of money in training soft skills, but rarely do they know if the training has been effective,” Darnell says. “Because EI can be reliably measured using several different instruments, the effectiveness of that training can also be measured.” Another reason it’s advantageous to focus on EI is that it may answer previously unanswered questions for individuals, he adds. “Whenever you see any behavioral issues in yourself or others, especially those related to relationships, communication, and how you present yourself to others, it will always show up in your EI profile,” Darnell says.
“Because EI can be reliably measured, people in the industry are much more likely to embrace the work of EI because it produces tangible results that
—Brent Darnell, author and leading authority on emotional intelligence in the construction industry
Profiles can show, for example, if someone is a micromanager or has trouble with relationships. “Once they understand what emotional competencies are causing the behavior, and they want to change that behavior, they can work on the emotional competencies and create that behavioral change.” A third reason the construction industry might find EI useful relates to the fact that its people typically like numbers and improving those numbers, whether they are related to schedules, productivity, or a vast array of other metrics, Darnell says. Because EI can be reliably measured, people in the industry are much more likely to embrace the work of EI because it produces tangible results that can be tracked and improved. One of the most widely used instruments for gauging EI is the Emotional Quotient Inventory, or EQi. It is a validated self-assessment tool that measures five composite scales (selfperception, self-expression, interpersonal, decision-making, and stress management) and sixteen individual emotional competencies, including self-regard, emotional expression, empathy, problem-solving, and stress tolerance. Similar to an IQ test, which measures intellectual capacity, an EQI score of 100 is the average of all people who have taken the evaluation. In his book The People-Profit Connection, Darnell shares the scores of a number of different groups within the construction industry, as well as an aggregation of the scores from over 200 people across the industry. These include a wide cross-section of positions, including superintendents, foremen, project managers, engineers, laborers, and even CEOs. The results may not be that surprising. On average, there were higher scores in self-actualization, assertiveness, independence, social responsibility, problem-solving, impulse control, stress tolerance, and optimism. There were relatively lower scores in emotional self-awareness, emotional expression, interpersonal relationships, empathy, flexibility, and happiness. “While these scores may be predictable, they do highlight potential roadblocks for those who have to work together, such as labor and management,” Darnell says, pointing to a
© Can Stock Photo / Isk
can be tracked and improved.”
six-point differential between assertiveness and empathy for the average person from the construction industry. “If that empathy is not improved, this can mean that these individuals may have trouble listening and asking for input and opinions from others,” he says. One of the more interesting findings from the aggregation of construction industry scores came when Darnell and his team divided the results based on gender. Where men were high in self-regard, self-actualization, assertiveness, independence, problem-solving, and stress tolerance, women were high in emotional self-awareness, emotional expression, interpersonal relationships, empathy, social responsibility, and optimism. “With the industry gravitating toward more collaborative project delivery methods, companies who recruit and advance more women will be much more successful,” Darnell writes in his book. “As a group, they simply have better emotional competencies for collaboration.” No matter one’s gender, however, Darnell points out that EI is not static and can be improved. Construction workers, in particular, are quite susceptible to change because, in general, they are results-driven. “Once they see the value of this work, they attack it like they attack a tough project,” he says. Plus, he adds, these changes show up as statistically significant increases in their EQI scores. For instance, after a group of construction managers went through Darnell’s EI program, on average their total EI, reality testing, and flexibility scores increased by five points each, and their emotional selfawareness score increased by six points. “We say it often: awareness alone will not change behavior,” Darnell says. “This work with EI addresses the foundation of the cause of those behaviors, and you won’t shift behavior until you change the underlying emotional competency causing that behavior.” ▪ Jordan Whitehouse is a freelance business journalist from Vancouver, British Columbia, who writes for magazines, newspapers and online publications throughout Canada and the United States. Partners in Progress » December 2020 » 13
SAMUEL HAMMOND: MY JOURNEY Specialist with the 2nd Ranger Battalion stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington & SMART Heroes Graduate What made the SMART Heros program initially catch my eye was how generous it was compared with other programs. I didn’t know much about what sheet metal workers really did. I assumed they did things like metal house roofs and metal warehouses or barns. But what made such an attractive prospect was that the program was 100% union funded. I didn’t have to go through the hassle of using my G.I. Bill or out of pocket funds to attend the SMART Heroes program. That meant a lot to me.
In my opinion, the sheet metal trade is really the jack of all trades. I love a good challenge, real world math, and metal, as well as the logistics and challenges of this job on a physical level. I also didn’t realize the multitude of benefits this program offers, particularly for transitioning soldiers. I feel indebted to the union, owners, and the US Army for making it all possible. Mainly, I enjoyed the challenges of drafting and then making paper drawings come to life in the shop, all the while trying to do it faster and better than my coworkers. The program was much more complex than I expected. I intend to explore all the skills that will make me more of an asset to the companies I will work for, namely trucking and welding certificates. I want to be the guy they can call on to get the job done professionally. I think there’s a huge misunderstanding among many of my peers that manual labor and the trades are one and the same, when they are definitely not. Anyone can do landscaping, but few have the skills to craft, weld, and manipulate metal or control, monitor, and balance air flow. There’s a reason it takes five years to earn the title “journeyman.” You become
14 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
a valuable asset. I tell my peers that, like the Army, the sheet metal industry is highly organized and has a rank structure. There is opportunity to be promoted and take on challenges. I think most importantly to me is I’m not bored. I worried that any job outside of being a Ranger would be boring. To me it’s the people that I work side by side with that make all the difference. The COVID-19 and winter combination still have me warming the bench right now. It was something our instructor, Tom Eastman, warned us about, so I had some time to prepare. I saved up as much terminal leave as possible to try and fill the time gap until I get the call. I also picked up some temporary employment repairing houses. I’m sitting well right now, but I am excited to get to work and start my apprenticeship! ▪
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