Sat, 24 October 2015
This episode of The Construction Leading Edge podcast (press and hold on this link) is an interview with Jim Johnson, President and CEO of GE Johnson Construction Company in Colorado Springs, CO.
The company was founded in 1967 and made the 2015 ENR Top 100 Green Building Contractors list.
Here are a few of the topics we cover in the interview:
How important is the culture of an organization and how does it impact the bottom line?
[Jim] Our culture is more important than the bottom line, and our culture is not for sale. We believe if we manage our culture, the bottom line will take care of itself.
Our company has decided that we don't want to be a compliance department. We believe if we reinforce and keep promoting our culture, the policy manual will take care of itself.
What is your philosophy and approach when it comes to leading people?
[Jim] I am a believer that you really have to develop your own style of leadership. It's really hard to be someone who you aren't wired like. I set out on a quest to inventory my own skill sets and develop my own leadership style. During the course of that, I realized that there are people are better at the finances and better at preconstruction than me.
My collaborative style was by me admitting, "I don't have all the answers." Most of the time, my employees have the answers.
I'm smarter when other people are helping me think.
What is your advice for people who want to develop their leadership skills?
[Jim] I would listen. When I was growing up there were different people who I identified with leadership, and I would listen to those people.
I would also be honest and genuine with yourself. There are different places to try your leadership skills. They don't have to be in the workplace.
Take some risks, try some different things and be willing to get feedback.
What are some of the mistakes you see construction business owners making?
[Jim] People often forget this is a business. Sometimes the best person to deal with the complexities is not your sister-in-law. You need to decide whether you want to surround yourself with talent or family members. The most talented project engineers and superintendents may not be the right people to run the business.
Be willing to take advice from attorneys, accountants and bonding companies. It is an evolving business and one person can't do it all in more...it's just to complex and too fast.
Listen to the entire interview to learn about the importance of transparency in leadership and what Jim calls, "the speed of trust."
Resources mentioned in this episode
Bid Ocean - You can get bid opportunities for the type of work you do in the markets you serve, delivered to your email inbox.
Archisnapper - Avoid contract disputes and justify your requests for schedule extension by creating regular reports for your projects. This app would have saved a project I took over $67,000 in liquidated damages. I use this app every week.
Join the Construction Leading Edge Nation to get insider access to the stuff I am working on.
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Sun, 18 October 2015
In this episode of The Construction Leading Edge Podcast (www.constructionleadingedge.com) we will be covering... Construction Technology You Probably Didn't Know ExistedPress and hold on this link to go to the full show notes
James Benham is CEO of JBKnowledge (www.jbknowledge.com), who advises and consults 700 construction companies on technology. He also speaks all over the country on trends that his firm identifies as coming up. Some of the most exciting technologies being developed today according to James are: Computer Vision - Interior 3D Scanning Drones 3D Printing Augmented and Virtual Reality Real time applications that allow for synchronicity between jobsite and office We also talk about a few other topics, including: - Common mistakes contractors make when it comes to technology, and some recommendations to avoid them. - The importance of mobile devices. - The basics of where to start if you don't know what to do first. - The importance of data security, and how most contractors are at risk.
How you can connect with James JamesBenham.com - James' personal site @jamesmbenham - Twitter JBKnowledge.com - Corporate website
This episode is sponsored by... Archisnapper - A slick app for creating jobsite inspection reports, preconstruction photo reports, etc. If you are uploading pictures from your phone and sticking them in a Word document...you need to sign up for a free trial of Archisnapper. Tsheets - The best mobile time tracking and reporting app on the planet. Check them out...sign up for a free trial.
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Sun, 11 October 2015
In this episode of The Construction Leading Edge Podcast (www.constructionleadingedge.com) we will be covering... The Top 10 Mistakes To Avoid When Dealing With Conflict At WorkPress and hold on this link to go to the full show notes Out of the total list of 41 Mistakes that I put together, here are the Top 10 I covered in the podcast Click here to download the complete list of 41 Mistakes to Avoid.. #2 Not recognizing the cost of unresolved conflict – According to Daniel Dana, author of a book on conflict resolution, “Unresolved interpersonal conflict in the workplace is one of the largest reducible productivity costs, yet it is the least identified.” #3 Avoiding conflict – A recent survey found that 35% of managers would rather jump out of a plane than deal with conflict. 27% would rather shave their head for charity, and 8% would rather eat bugs. #10 Using anger – Don’t respond to issues when you are angry or upset. Many people use anger to fuel them to overcome their fear of confrontation. #13 - The Avalanche – Don’t let issues pile up over time until you unload like an avalanche, wiping out everything in your path. #14 - Speculating about motives – You can judge facts, but you can only speculate/guess why someone did something. You know what happens when you ASSUME. #23 - The "Go-Between".... Listen to the podcast to hear about the rest or just click here to download the complete list of 41 Mistakes to Avoid When Dealing With Conflict At Work. Other resources mentioned in this podcast Archisnapper - Slick app for preparing jobsite inspection reports, preconstruction photos, and any report that requires you to insert pictures and text into a Word or Google Doc. Tsheets - The best mobile time tracking app I have ever used.
Direct download: 033_Top_10_Mistakes_When_Dealing_With_Conflict.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:13pm EDT |
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