PartnersINProgress SMACNA & SMART—Building a Future Together
December 2023
SMACNA and SMART partner to ensure members find the right childcare fit
PartnersINProgress SMACNA & SMART—Building a Future Together
MICHAEL COLEMAN CAROL DUNCAN Co-Publishers KAARIN ENGELMANN editor@pinpmagazine.org Editor-in-Chief
8 CONTENTS
December 2023 – Volume 17, Number 5
3 LEADING BY EXAMPLE New leadership for SMACNA and SMART represent a reunion of labor-
management cooperation.
4 FINDING THE RIGHT CHILDCARE FIT SMACNA and SMART have joined forces with Tootris to ensure members have help finding the right childcare fit for their families.
6 CHARLES CORBETT EXCELLENCE IN LABOR RELATIONS AWARD Inagural award unveiled at the 2023 SMACNA Convention celebrates labor-
management cooperation.
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SUPERCHARGE WORKPLACE WELLBEING IN 2024
Move beyond “awareness” and change your mental health culture for good in 2024.
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 ©2023 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. Issues may be downloaded and printed for no fee. For comments or questions, email editor@pinpmagazine.org.
10 ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
How to engage women, ethnic minorities, and introverts to maximize your leadership team.
12 RISK FORWARD Victoria Labalme, keynote at the 2024 Partners in Progress Conference, shares
tips for embracing risk.
14 MY JOURNEY: JIM LARSEN 2023 TABB Hall of Fame inductee Jim Larsen has built more than a career—he has built an industry.
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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
Leading By Example The Best Practices Market Expansion Task Force (BPMETF) promotes labor-management cooperation at the international level. Its team ensures that every issue of Partners in Progress magazine and each Partners in Progress Conference showcase how SMACNA contractors and SMART members can elevate their industry by working together. The 2023 SMACNA Convention in Phoenix, Arizona, provided another example of how a commitment to labor-management partnership can help industry partners rise to the pinnacle of their service. As a joint task force, the BPMETF is led by co-chairs appointed by SMACNA and SMART. SMACNA’s Carol Duncan and SMART’s Mike Coleman worked together from spring 2020 through to spring 2023 as BPMETF co-chairs to educate industry members about the benefits of a collaborative relationships. The final day of the 2023 SMACNA Convention brought Carol and Mike back working together again in different roles—this time at the top of each organization as SMACNA President and SMART General President. One of the most popular sessions at the SMACNA Convention is the Labor Forum, during which the SMART General President shares the international union’s vision for the industry and has a conversation about it with a room full of SMACNA contractors. At his first Labor Forum since becoming SMART General President in June, Michael Coleman told the crowd that he is a huge believer in labor-management partnerships and that he will stand behind his record of labor and management efforts. “Labor and management face 90% of industry issues in lockstep and in agreement,” he said. “If we tackle the remaining 10% with respect and honesty, we will get through those, too.” Coleman shared three things that are important to any relationship: 1. We have to communicate. 2. We have to be able to trust each other. 3. We have to respect each other when we differ. “If we can control those three things, we should have no issues moving forward,” he said. “We will have bumps in the road, but that is all we will have.” Fast forward to the session immediately following the Labor Forum, which was the incoming president’s luncheon where 2022-2023 SMACNA President Tony Kocurek turned over the president’s gavel to Carol Duncan. During her address to the audience, President Duncan shared the important goals and initiatives that she wants to pursue on behalf of SMACNA during her year in office. And no surprise, many of those goals require SMACNA and SMART to work together. The SMACNA Convention had a packed schedule of educational programs and industry updates, but Duncan and Coleman made the time to sit down and discuss how the two organizations can move forward on initiatives that will be far more successful with collaborative effort, including: • Building workplaces where all employees, regardless of their backgrounds, feel like they are welcome and can make
a difference. Employees who feel valued are more likely to stay in the industry to further their careers. • Noting that apprentice surveys still show that most new industry entrants are referred by friends and families, the two organizations need to collectively cast a wider net to ensure a more diverse workforce. • Noting that the average age of new apprentices is 26 or 27 years, promoting initiatives to recruit more effectively at the high school level. • Continued collaboration on the joint Megaprojects Task Force. Coleman and Duncan discussed a recent labormanagement visit to a megaproject in the midwestern United States to learn how labor and management worked together to establish a shop of 30 employees to supply a megaproject. • Strategizing on how to protect core work in area so that work is not lost to the non-union sector given the enhanced attention to the megaproject. • Further strengthening the labor-management relationship between SMACNA and SMART and providing contractors and locals with tools they can use to expand work opportunities. To view the video featuring the discussions of President Duncan and General President Coleman, visit the SMACNA Member Update at smacna.org/stay-informed/news-andpublications/member-update/smacna-convention-interviewcarol-duncan-and-michael-coleman The final bullet point above is a call to action for local labor and management representatives. Please make sure your area is represented at the February 26-28, 2024 Partners in Progress Conference in Orlando, Florida, and collaborate to bring upand-coming young leaders. As always, don’t forget to check out the tools available on the Partners in Progress website pinp.org They are designed to help you establish a labor-management committee and learn more about joint programs like B4ALL, SMART Heroes, Heavy Metal Summer Experience, and many other labor-management programs that have helped move our industry forward. On behalf of SMACNA and SMART leadership, the BPMETF, and the Partners in Progress team, we look forward to working on your behalf and with you on creating a prosperous 2024 for the sheet metal industry. ▪ Partners in Progress » December 2023 » 3
Finding the Right Childcare Fit SMACNA and SMART partner with Tootris to provide childcare options for their members By Sheralyn Belyeu
As a young dad, Dave Gauthier, business manager for Local 206 in San Diego, struggled with childcare. “When my twin boys were young, our childcare facility opened at 6 am, and I had to be in the shop at 6:30,” he says. “We would be there at the doorstep waiting for it to open, and I had to jump in my truck and do everything I could to get to the shop on time.” Linda Jennings, SMACNA Executive Director of Innovation, Integration, and Learning and former SMACNA Executive Director in San Diego, wanted her children to be with family while she worked, but that was not an option. “I was an older mom,” she says, “and my parents were not capable of helping me with my kids because they were in their 80s. A lot of us don’t have family that can help with the kids.” Because of their personal experiences, Jennings and Gauthier are very sensitive to the challenges that young families face. “About 80% of childcare providers never advertise,” Gauthier says. “How are you going to know they’re there and available?” Under Gauthier’s and Jennings’ leadership, Local 206 adopted Tootris, a new service that locates and advertises quality childcare for non-traditional circumstances. “The first thing I noticed was that Tootris helps clients find daycare at times that are not traditional for working families,” Jennings says. “During the summer, if you’re working construction in the desert, the start time might be five o’clock in the morning so you can quit before the sun is in the highest position.” Tootris helps parents with challenging shifts, weekends, and holidays—times when childcare is more difficult to locate. Steven Joyce of Local 206 needed infant care for his family 4 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
around Thanksgiving last year. “I was searching because I had a two-year-old and a newborn,” Joyce says. “It was a lot of calling around to facilities and finding out they were full.” He signed up for Tootris through the Local and quickly located a great fit. “It’s been easy because they provide all the contacts, the searching, and the people who are available at the right time. Tootris does the footwork for you, and they don’t find just anyone. They found people in the top tier of daycares in San Diego.” In their search, Joyce and his wife prioritized cleanliness, high-quality nutrition, and location. They chose a facility that’s only 2.5 miles from their house and fits naturally into his commute home. “It’s on the way to the highway,” Joyce says. No matter how congested San Diego traffic is at the end of his day, Joyce knows that his children are waiting for him in a safe, secure space. Tootris helps parents solve the most complex daycare
problems. “With Tootris, you can put in your zip code and use filters like peanut allergies or a summer program for an active teen,” says Gauthier. “It’ll find all the providers in your area. Tootris has already negotiated the best deal the facility will give.” Parents can use Tootris to book care up to 12 months in advance. This can be a lifesaver when parents are coming back to work after a birth and need a quality facility for a newborn. They can also use Tootris to find care when an unexpected project comes up. “Say my schedule just got changed for the next three weeks,” Gauthier says. “I’m working nights and I need to find childcare that will take my kids at night. You open the app, put in the filters, put in the hours, and it finds you providers in the area.” The Tootris network has over 200,000 providers across the United States. Those providers consist of before and after school care, full-time and part-time childcare, daycares, and in-home licensed providers as well as babysitters, nannies, special education help, and other wraparound services. “We want to make sure the benefit evolves and grows as children are naturally progressing,” says Tootris representative Eric Cutler. “For example, my daughter is 12, so I don’t need fulltime infant care anymore. I need summer camps. That’s what helps me stay employed. Tootris does not promote one type of service or brand but has the entire selection, so parents have the freedom to pick the type of care they need when they need it. “ Families that already have good childcare can also benefit from Tootris. “Maybe Sally down the street is watching your kids,” Jennings says. “You can sign her up, and you’ll get a discount for using Tootris. The provider will get more exposure, and other sheet metal workers in your area will know this woman is providing daycare and is available for them and their families, because they’re working the same times you are.” Members can recommend any providers they already use, from full-time infant care to afterschool programs or the YMCA. In a tight labor market, employers can even compete for employees by offering parents additional money towards daycare expenses through Tootris. “It would be like a health savings account,” Jennings says. “It’s an extra little something to get the employees over to your business.” While individuals can subscribe to Tootris Premium for a monthly fee, Local 206 and SMACNA San Diego teamed up to provide the service to members through their health plan. Besides improving attendance and quality of life, Tootris helps SMACNA contractors in the United States qualify for federal contracts under the CHIPS Act, a $39 billion investment in the semiconductor industry aimed at increasing domestic
production and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers. One of the key requirements for semiconductor manufacturers applying for the larger CHIPS Act funding amounts is the provision to provide affordable childcare for their workforce, suppliers, vendors, and contractors. This provision is part of a federal plan to increase the number of women in construction. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo explained that the country needs “chip manufacturers, construction companies, and unions to work with us toward the national goal of hiring and training another million women in construction over the next decade to meet the demand not just in chips, but also in other industries and infrastructure projects.” “Over my entire career, regardless of which chapter I was working for, there’s always been a push to get more women,” Jennings says. “We’re not going to get more women involved in the industry until we solve the problem of childcare. A lot of dads are out there fighting it, too, but it’s just a plain fact that significant amounts of caregiving still fall on women.” “Under the Chips Act, everyone involved in semiconductor production needs to have childcare benefits,” Cutler says. “That’s suppliers, contractors, and anyone touching new work or helping to expand existing manufacturing lines.” Companies must be able to document their efforts to support working parents. Providing access to Tootris’ tech-enabled childcare services helps to satisfy this requirement to bring in federal dollars, and, just as important, keeps working parents on the job by solving their top challenge. Tootris has so much potential that Local 206 recommended it to SMART International. “We are working on the possibility of using it for our members nationally,” says Louise Medina, director of Special Projects for SMART International.▪ A Colorado native, Sheralyn Belyeu lives and writes deep in the woods of Alabama. When she’s not writing, she grows organic blueberries and collects misspellings of her name.
Partners in Progress » December 2023 » 5
SMACNA Unveils Inaugural Charles Corbett Excellence in Labor Relations Award SMACNA National recognizes the achievements of a Contractor, a Chapter Executive, and Legislative Advocates of the Year during its annual conference each fall. This year, SMACNA President Tony Kocurek had the distinction of unveiling a new award—the Charles Corbett Excellence in Labor Relations Award, which recognizes exceptional achievement in furthering the strong relationship between SMACNA contractors and their SMART labor partners. President Kocurek directed the convention attendees to a video featuring Chuck Corbett’s wife of 40 years, Kay, who described the exceptional career and achievements of the man she referred to as the “Love of Her Life”. View the Charles Corbett Award Announcement at vimeo.com/866149106/ab8f1456fa Kay recounted Chuck’s fascinating career, including his military service prior to joining the sheet metal industry. Chuck served his country, rising to the rank of colonel in the United 6 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
States Army. He was commander of the Disaster Relief Task Force following the devastating Guatemalan earthquake in 1976, receiving a citation from US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger for his efforts. Chuck served as advisor for the Western Hemisphere to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and served on the National Security Council as a chief negotiator on the Panama Canal Treaty. It was this latter service that led him to the sheet metal industry. Following the Panama Canal Treaty negotiations, Chuck was dispatched to travel the United States to garner support for the treaty. A Georgia SMACNA sheet metal contractor attended one of Chuck’s speaking engagements and told Chuck that if he had the courage to travel to the south to promote the highly controversial treaty that he should come to Atlanta following retirement from the military to represent contractors in their contract negotiations with the local sheet metal union. That is exactly what Chuck did, joining Georgia SMACNA as Chapter Executive in 1978.
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Both recipients embody the principles of honor, trustworthiness, and fairness in labor relations that are the legacy of Chuck Corbett.” — SMACNA President Tony Kocurek
Chuck Corbett joined the SMACNA National staff as executive director of labor relations in 1991, chairing SMACNA’s Labor Committee and the National Joint Adjustment Board (NJAB). Chuck assembled a great group of contractors to help with negotiations and arbitration at the national level. He was highly respected by the contractors that he represented and the leadership of the Sheet Metal Workers International Association (now SMART). SMART General President Emeritus Michael Sullivan, who worked with Chuck for many years, described him as “a man of honor, whose word was unfailing and who served SMACNA and the industry with integrity.” At its 2023 convention, SMACNA appointed two deserving individuals to receive the first-ever Charles Corbett Excellence in Labor Relations Award. Steve Doonan from DeKalb Mechanical in Illinois served the Northern Illinois SMACNA Chapter as a board member and president. At the National level, Doonan has served as an Article X Panelist, resolving grievances at the third step of the industry arbitration procedure. His work as a panelist earned him an appointment to the NJAB in 2017. Doonan also served on the SMACNA National board of directors. Deb Sullivan, executive director of SMACNA of Northern Illinois, commended Doonan for all his service at the chapter level. “He has earned the respect of his fellow contractors, union leadership, DeKalb Mechanical employees, and customers,” she said. SMART assistant to the general president, Tom Wiant has arbitrated several grievances at the Article X, Section 3 panel step of the grievance procedure. New to arbitration at this stage of the grievance procedure, Wiant commended Doonan for his ability to approach grievances from a contractual point of view without bias. Accepting the award, Doonan said he finds his work on the National Labor Committee and NJAB rewarding because it allows him to go into areas where labor and management are at odds with each other and hopefully provide a creative solution and resolution of the differences. “I strive to see the issues in these disputes from both labor and management’s perspectives to get to common ground,” he said. “I have received so much from my involvement in SMACNA that it is a real honor and pleasure to give something back.” The other recipient of the Excellence in Labor Relations Award was also a long-time member of SMACNA’s Labor Committee and NJAB where he was respected by his fellow
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contractor and union members. Thomas Gunning Jr. received the award posthumously. Thomas Gunning, Jr. served as chapter executive of the SMACNA Boston chapter and other building trades associations. Thomas Gunning III shared how grateful he and his family were to accept the award on behalf of his father. “For over 30 years, my father dedicated himself to finding the middle ground with both labor and management to build a better Boston and beyond,” he told attendees. “My father’s approach to cultivating harmonious labor relations was built on the same principles he instilled in his family—always be honest, fair, and hard-working.” Upon learning of the award, Bob Butler, president of the SMART New England Regional Council and business manager of Local 17 in Boston who worked with Tom Gunning, Jr., described him as “a man of his word who knew how to work with both labor and management sides of the bargaining table to get a job done.” “Both recipients embody the principles of honor, trustworthiness, and fairness in labor relations that are the legacy of Chuck Corbett,” Kocurek told attendees. ▪
Partners in Progress » December 2023 » 7
Image | AlexeyYaremenko
Unleash Your Company’s Best Year Yet: Top 5 Organizational Goals to Supercharge Workplace Wellbeing in 2024 By / Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas It’s Time We Move Beyond Just “Mental Health Awareness”. As you envision your organization’s mental health culture change goals for 2024, here are some actionable and impactful ideas for implementation. Goal #1: Create or revise policy to be value-congruent with holistic worker health and safety. How do we cultivate culture change? We develop policies that uphold our well-being-related values. For instance, consider implementing “Mental Health Days.” Introduce a policy allowing employees to take designated mental health days without penalty, promoting a culture of self-care.
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Goal #2: Develop an ongoing and stratified mental health and suicide prevention training program. What are your next steps after your basic “Mental Health First Aid” or “QPR” training? (QPR is a suicide prevention training that teaches how to recognize the warning signs of suicide and question, persuade, and refer people at risk for suicide for help.) A one-off training is great to get the conversation going but unlikely to change much long-term. How can you integrate mental health skills into leadership development and psychological safety all year long? Consider the following: • Advanced Skills for Managers constructionworkingminds.org/advancedskillstraining
• Train-the-Trainer Workplace Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Certification Courses like VitalCog coloradodepressioncenter.org/vitalcog Training courses like these help ensure all managers recognize and respond to workers experiencing mental health challenges with compassion and empowerment rather than react out of fear. Goal #3: Implement gap-filling peer support efforts and center your strategy on lived expertise. Acknowledge the wisdom of workers with lived experience of mental health challenges, addiction, and suicide and empower those who are willing to take leadership roles in advocacy and program design. • Peer Allies at Work can be links in the chain of surviving and thriving bit.ly/4803Znc • Cultivating safe and effective storytellers reduces stigma unitesurvivors.org/online-education Goal #4: Audit available mental health resources—internal benefits as well as external opportunities. Kick the tires of your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) by doing a deeper dive into the utilization, cultural accessibility, and impact of the services. Develop a partnership with your EAP and promote the benefits in a way that boosts trustworthiness. • Consider tele-mental health options and community resources to round out your mental health supports. • Promote the 988 Crisis and Suicide Lifeline 988lifeline.org
Image | iStock
Goal #5: Evaluate your well-being approaches and psychosocial hazards and adjust.
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Conduct a needs and strengths assessment to better understand what psychosocial hazards might be driving distress and despair at work.
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Conduct a needs and strengths assessment to better understand what psychosocial hazards might be driving distress and despair at work. Evaluate the long-term outcomes of training and awareness-raising to make sure your efforts are having the intended impact. blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-scienceblog/2023/03/15/preventing-workplace-suicide
Additional Opportunities for 2024 Avoid the 10 common mistakes workplaces make: 1. Believing that simply having an EAP means they have a “mental health program.” 2. Having a “Check the Box” mentality. 3. Relying on raising awareness only. 4. Developing stigma reduction campaigns. 5. Not “baked into” health and safety priorities. 6. Not seeking first to understand. 7. Relying only on outside experts rather than building internal capacity. 8. Underestimating the power of peer support. 9. Leadership not leading. 10. Ignoring the psychosocial hazards. Scan the QR code to read about each of these, what they mean, and how to avoid them in Dr. Sally Spencer’s Resource, “10 Mistakes to Avoid When Developing a Mental Health Program”. ▪
Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas is a clinical psychologist, mental health advocate, faculty member, researcher, and suicide loss survivor. She has earned an international reputation as an entrepreneur and innovator in social change and has helped establish many large-scale, gap-filling mental health efforts, including Man Therapy (ManTherapy.org) and National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. Learn more at sallyspencerthomas.com Partners in Progress » December 2023 » 9
© iStockphoto / Shutter2U
Advancement Opportunities
for Minorities & Introverts By Joel Garfinkle If deserving people aren’t advancing, what is going wrong? Why is one person climbing the ranks while another gets overlooked for a promotion or new opportunity again and again? Our organizational leaders work hard and are likely very good at what they do. Why isn’t that enough? The answer is that discovering ways to identify and elevate underutilized leaders is a specific skillset. Not everyone has it—but anyone can learn it. Women, ethnic minorities, and introverts may be among the most frequently unnoticed, for a variety of complex reasons. Using a few techniques and a switch in mindset, it is possible to leverage existing talent while also saving time, money, and energy on excessive recruitment. The PVI-Model for Generating Career Advancement Opportunities “Reality is irrelevant; Perception is everything.” – Terry Goodkind 10 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
P – Perception: Chances are, you already have leaders in mind who are strong, competent, and have a lot to bring to the table but who are largely unknown in your organization. Perhaps they’re unlikely or unwilling to put themselves in the spotlight. Their culture or upbringing may have encouraged deference or agreement with senior leaders. Maybe they’re just low-key individuals who are uncomfortable with praise or accolades. Whatever the reason, “strong but silent” employees often have issues with top-down perception. Nudge them gently into a higher profile. Make sure others know of their accomplishments, and make sure they take credit (individually or as part of a group) for successes. “You’ve got to find a way to make people know you’re there.” – Nikki Giovanni V – Visibility: Make sure your hidden talent is given the critical opportunities they need to raise their visibility. As many decision-makers as possible should see your potential leaders
“One of the key reasons women, minorities, and introverts are overlooked is that they are less frequently given the chance to shine.” in action—handling big initiatives, participating in problemsolving, and tactically leading others. One of the key reasons women, minorities, and introverts are overlooked is that they are less frequently given the chance to shine—often because someone (probably) well meaning assumes they would not want or are too busy for the challenge. Women with families, people not known for taking control, or those who tend to be quiet are wrongly assumed to be uninterested. Make sure your untapped talent receives the same consideration as everyone else when opportunities arise. “Influence is our inner ability to lift people up to our perspective.” – Joseph Wong I – Influence: If you want to help your underutilized leaders get ahead, help to highlight the good work they do in bringing positive change to your organization. Are they encouraging better work? Driving efficiency? Supporting their teammates? Your best and most collaborative leaders are constantly working to improve situations for the company and for other employees, regardless of their level of authority. Find ways for them make connections to the people who can help them achieve success. Not all of us are naturally inclined to self-endorse or develop the relationships necessary to succeed without support. Leverage the PVI model to set your valuable hidden talent on the path to career advancement. Don’t miss out on valuable members of your organization just because they don’t fit the traditional vision of a leader who is willing to be loud, out front, and self-promoting. Everybody wins when you foster perception, visibility, and influence in all your leaders. ▪ Copyright ©2005-2023 Joel Garfinkle, All Rights Reserved. Joel Garfinkle is recognized as one of the top 50 coaches in the United States, and the author of 11 books, including Executive Presence: Step Into Your Power, Convey Confidence & Lead With Conviction. He has worked with many of the world’s leading companies, including Google, Deloitte, Amazon, Ritz-Carlton, Starucks, Oracle, Eli Lilly, and many more. Visit Joel online at Garfinkle Executive Coaching. Subscribe to his Fulfillment@Work newsletter or view his video library of over 200+ easily actionable two-minute video clips by subscribing to his YouTube Channel.
How to Motivate Your Leaders Okay, you’ve identified your leaders (traditional and otherwise) but now what? Some may be eager to get started but others might need a bit of inspiration, motivation, and empowerment. Here’s how to help them take the first steps: 1. Think outside the job. Motivated people want a challenge. They are anxious to contribute to projects outside of their specific job descriptions. Look around you. How many people do you see who are underutilized? Who could contribute something more than they currently do? Take steps to evaluate your peoples’ skills, talent, and experience. Ask them what they want and tap into this valuable talent bank. 2. Practice total transparency. When you wonder why people are leaving your organization, look up. People leave their supervisors far more often than they leave the organization. It’s critically important that managers give their team members clear expectations and consistently open communications. When the manager fails to show employees a clear pathway to growth and success, it makes employees feel uncertain and undervalued. 3. Hand out the Oscars.Your people want to feel rewarded, recognized, and appreciated. Frequent “thank yous” go a long way. Even better—acknowledge people publicly for specific accomplishments. Brag about them to your boss, or even to your boss’ boss. Of course, people appreciate monetary rewards; however, these have more impact when they are tied to specific milestones and accomplishments. In a tough economy with high unemployment in many sectors, it’s easy to get complacent. Don’t do it! Partners in Progress » December 2023 » 11
Risk Forward Victoria Labalme encourages leaders to face risk and discover their hidden genius By Jessica Kirby
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Hall of Fame Speaker Victoria Labalme knows what it means to tackle risk head on. She is the founder of Risk Forward® and Rock the Room® as well as a full suite of products designed to help individuals and organizations uncover their original ideas, express them with the unexpected twist that distinguishes their work, and communicate with impact. She will be presenting a keynote address to attendees at the Partners in Progress Conference February 26-28, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. Labalme is a master at helping people at all levels dramatically elevate their ability to communicate, connect, and come alive . . . and win over the people they serve. Her resultsdriven approach offers a strategic blend of art and business that taps into her decades of performing arts experience: HBO, Caroline’s on Broadway, comedy clubs, television, one-woman shows, and documentary films. She has worked with dozens of C-suite executives and top teams, guiding them in their messaging, communication, and presentation skills strategies to advance their intended goals and outcomes. Her Wall Street Journal bestselling full-color book titled Risk Forward®, written for entrepreneurs and open-minded individuals, shares a series of “reassuring and radically freeing” strategies that teach people to head into the unknown and discover their hidden genius. It is a guide for navigating uncertainty, discovering why taking action can be a mistake, learning how to handle moments of indecision, staying on course, and knowing that what you’re doing makes a difference. “At the edge of not knowing is the beginning of the extraordinary,” Labalme says. When it comes to labor-management cooperation and relationship building, there is an element of risk that one must face and accept before real change can occur. Although necessary, it can be frightening—Labalme speaks to risk and the natural fear that comes with trying something new. “People are wired for survival and thus moving into an unknown––whether that’s a different physical environment, an unfamiliar business scenario, or a new relationship dynamic–– can make many people uncomfortable,” she says. “That said, there are a few key tools that can keep you on track.” She points to the myth that unless you’re crystal clear on your vision or an intended outcome, you can’t succeed. “Having worked with C-suite executives at some of the world’s most recognized brands, top leaders, sales professionals, and elite performers across scores of industries, I’ve learned a secret: some of the most successful companies, individuals and creative endeavors didn’t start with complete clarity,” she says. “Instead, the person figured it out as they went.” Whether risk-related fear is warranted comes down to the type of risk. To provide an extreme example, jumping off a building is extraordinarily risky and should be avoided and feared. By contrast, speaking up in a meeting is less so. And when it comes to the latter–– to speaking up, sharing an idea, or communicating in a challenging environment––there are a few
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If your Throughline is pointed outward in service of others––meaning, if it’s focused on how you can help the other person or people––the experience of that communication dynamic and the results will be transformational.”
simple techniques Labalme will touch on during her keynote that can make a huge difference. “It’s also important to note that successful people have learned that Risking Forward often involves some discomfort,” Labalme says. “The fact that a situation could become momentarily awkward or uncomfortable doesn’t stop them. They recognize it’s part of the process. It’s akin to the discipline of putting on your exercise clothes when it’s grim and rainy outside. You do it because you know the long-term benefits will far outweigh the short-term discomfort.” So, it’s essential to Risk Forward® and “it’s also critical for individuals and organizations to foster a culture where others feel safe to speak up or express an idea…to Risk Forward® themselves,” she adds. One key strategy she shares is to Begin from Within. “There’s a technique from the arts called the Throughline,” Labalme says. “Think of the Throughline like your intention, the driving force in any communication setting––whether that’s in person, on a job site, on video or phone, or in an email. If your Throughline is pointed outward in service of others–– meaning, if it’s focused on how you can help the other person or people––the experience of that communication dynamic and the results will be transformational.” To learn more about Victoria Labalme and how to Risk Forward® be sure to catch her keynote address at the Partners in Progress Conference February 26-28, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. Learn how to manage the risk and rewards of developing labor-management cooperation and learn valuable insight on leadership, communication, courage, and providing a safe workplace culture. For a sneak peak of Victoria Labalme’s presentation style, check out some of her videos at VictoriaLabalme.com and subscribe on the home page to receive an inspiring, insightful message each week. Register for Partners in Progress at pinp.org/ conferences/2024pinp ▪ Jessica Kirby is editor-publisher for Point One Media, a small but sturdy family-owned trade magazine creator representing some of North America’s best construction associations. She can usually be found among piles of paper in her home office or exploring British Columbia’s incredible wilderness. Partners in Progress » December 2023 » 13
My Journey: Jim Larsen
Owner, Mechanical Test & Balance Inc. and TABB Hall of Fame Inductee By Jessica Kirby
Jim Larsen, owner of Mechanical Test & Balance Inc. in Crown Point, Indiana, was recently inducted into the Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau (TABB) Hall of Fame. The TABB Hall of Fame was created by the National Energy Management Institute (NEMI) in 2003 to recognize and honor deserving individuals for their dedicated service to TABB and the sheet metal industry. When Larsen received the call that he had been nominated, he was stunned. “I didn’t know what to say,” he said. “I never saw it coming.”
Unlike many of his predecessors, Larsen didn’t take a multigenerational path into the sheet metal industry. His father and uncle were ironworkers, so he followed in their footsteps for the first 20 years of his career. In 1997, Larsen was recruited by a friend who owned a mechanical contracting company in Northwest Indiana. “I was working for a ironwork contractor doing layout for structural projects, and I was top of my game, doing estimating work for the company and setting up crane permits,” he says. “I had two weeks vacation, and during that time, my friend sent me out on a TAB job just to see what I would think of it. When the pipefitter showed me a mechanical room and air handling unit, I was in awe. It felt like a big puzzle to me, and I always liked puzzles.” Larsen was fascinated by the various components and how they work together to help a building stay cool or heated. It was a whole new world. 14 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
“I had never even heard of testing, adjusting and balancing,” Larsen said with a laugh. “That first time I saw a large airhandling unit, I thought it was a semi-trailer.” Larsen was tasked with creating opportunities and building relationships to increase demand for TAB in Northwest Indiana. He threw himself into the assignment, bouncing between field work and traveling to places like Tennessee and Iowa for training. “When I started, the TAB industry wasn’t all that big in this area,” he says. “I started taking information to engineers in Chicago, Illinois, and other places. I would go in with a brochure, and I had many say they had never had a TAB guy come there before.” By the early 2000s, he had become certified by TABB after passing an exam at the Detroit testing facility. He spoke to community members about TAB and was appointed to the boards of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and Sheet Metal Workers Local 20’s training center in Indiana. After four years of successful growth, Larsen saw the next step was to buy Mechanical Test & Balance Inc. There were ups and downs, but after all the hard work and sacrifice Larsen is an outspoken advocate for the entire TAB industry. “Figuring out a building is like solving the best puzzle,” he said. “It’s a rewarding situation for those of us who never quit. I tell young people, ‘You’re getting into one of the best fields out there. If you can master TAB and service work, you can get a job anywhere.’” Larsen promotes the industry every chance he gets, giving talks and presentations to any group or individual that shows an interest. One trait he shares with the other Hall of Fame honorees is a willingness to help. “I have mentored a number of individuals over the years because I have learned I have nothing to hide,” he says. “I have never been afraid they would steal my sales pitch. In fact, I would tell it to them. “My competitors would say, ‘Why are you sharing your secrets?’ I would tell them, ‘I don’t have any. Maybe I can learn from you.’ If I can make things easier for them, maybe they won’t have to go through all the challenges that I did.” For anyone considering a career in sheet metal, Larsen says, “Go for it and give it 100%, all the time. If you work hard and
learn the trade, you will always have a job.” He has gratitude for all the opportunities the sheet metal industry has offered and for the people who helped him along the way. “I met my good friend Ralph Neff, who owns Mechanical Concepts, when we were five years old, and we have been best friends for 60 years. He helped me get started in this business, and he taught me that when doors open up to you, you go through them. I can’t thank him enough.” ▪ Jessica Kirby is editor-publisher for Point One Media, a small but sturdy family-owned trade magazine creator representing some of North America’s best construction associations. She can usually be found among piles of paper in her home office or exploring British Columbia’s incredible wilderness.
Considering a career in sheet metal? “Go for it and give it 100%, all the time. If you work hard and learn the trade, you will always have a job.” —Jim Larsen, Owner, Mechanical Test & Balance Inc. and TABB Hall of Fame Inductee
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