I recognize the need, both personally and for the company, to step up as a leader.
I’m looking for a solid set of tools and insights to help become a stronger leader. Before the course I focused on broad, ambitious goals without knowing how to recognize and implement the simple yet critical steps to take first. The course could be taken by and benefit anyone from an ambitious project engineer, project manager, or business owner.
Construction companies don’t focus enough on professional development and performance strategies and this course is a great place to start.
I really like how the course has a strong focus on teaching people how to break issues down into small, specific tasks, that when put into action can help accomplish large goals or daunting challenges. These tools are not specific to construction and are widely used throughout other industries, but as the owner of a construction company, it’s really helpful to see these techniques applied specifically to the construction industry.
I looked forward to attending the course each week.
I feel that the course covered a lot of topics and having that exposure over the five weeks has provided a spark of enthusiasm and a general feeling of wanting to be a better leader using the tools from the coursework. Going back through my notes and course material, I’m realizing that I need to dedicated time each week/month to revisit and continue the work. In general, it felt good participating and working towards my professional and personal development.
The course provided an opportunity to connect with other construction professionals
It felt really good to be able to contribute to group discussions and receive feedback from others. These opportunities don’t come around very often, especially when we are all extremely focused on building and running our own companies. I shared a lot of the same struggles with other participants and it was great to have the opportunity to discuss these issues using the tools and framework of the course. However, it was surprising how beneficial it was to hear about some of the differences and other issues that fellow participants are struggling with. This really gave me some perspective to how these tools can be used to address a wide range of issues and challenges, both professionally and personally.
I never felt uninterested or had the urge to check email or check my phone for anything.
Topics are introduced by Eric and some instruction and examples are provided, then the group is placed into breakout rooms to discuss and work through the topics collaboratively. Group discussions last between five to ten minutes, then each group reports back to Eric and the rest of the participants. I liked going in and out of the breakout rooms. Contributing to the small group discussions was a great way to keep people engaged. The course requires individuals to participate, and the more open and honest in the small group discussions you are, the more you’ll get out of the course. As a teacher Eric is enthusiastic, passionate, thorough. He has helped me realize that complex problems and goals should be broken down into small specific tasks that must be taken to reach the larger desired outcome.
I really like “Drop the Mask, Ditch the Dude, Kill the Bear”.
It reminds me of my weekly and daily action lists that I create, and at the start of each list in call caps it says GET SHIT DONE. Also, I can’t remember exactly where this came up in the course but there was something about sometimes needing to say less, or not talking just to talk… When I was first hired at D+H the previous owner told me over and over to never forget the number one rule in construction – shut the fuck up!
I would not have been exposed to them otherwise. It’s helpful to hear about how and why people do things certain ways, what their challenges are, what problem solving tools they use, etc.
The course has changed the way I lead.
We have an assistant superintendent whom we have high hopes for. He has a positive attitude and is a good fit with the culture and values of the company. He has not progressed as quickly as we’d hoped along the superintendent path. We’ve been getting worried he would be stuck in the assistant role for the long term. It was during the E.A.R. exercise that I realized that we have a lot of responsibility for his progress, and that waiting for him to excel on his own and show us he’s ready to take the next step with little to no help from leadership likely won’t result in his success. Since the course, I’ve focused on the E.A.R principles with this person in mind and have given him the opportunity to run his own project as superintendent in a few months once his current project is complete. Leading up to his new project I plan to work closely with him on what his responsibilities and outcomes are, and what specific actions are needed that lead to those outcomes.
This course connected a lot of the principles of high performance I find fascinating with my company. I’ve read a lot of books, listened to a lot of podcasts and other media about high performers and their strategies, routines, habits, philosophies, etc., but I’ve only ever viewed that through the lens of how those tools can help me grow personally. This course helped me realize that I can use the same tools to conquer the daily challenges within the business that will ultimately benefit the entire company and not just me as an owner.
Show up ready to participate with an open mind and commit to doing the work with no distractions to get the most out of the course.
Be prepared to participate and be open to discuss and work on your strengths and weaknesses. If you’re stuck trying to tackle something big and complicated, like most important outcome and tasks you’re expected to achieve in your position, I would suggest working through some simple, less complicated ideas, just to see how the process works and plays out. Also, reach out to Eric. He is very responsive to email and open to receiving questions.
The big benefits of the course are:
- 1. Opportunity to interact with other construction professionals working on their own leadership skills.
- 2. The course provides a foundation and toolbox of tactics to use to become a better leader.
- 3. Provided an opportunity to take a break from the daily work routine to work on professional development, which is not something people do enough of in the construction industry.
I would recommend this course because it’s a great exposure to some very helpful tips and tools to help people become better leaders.
It provides the foundation to achieve high performance with the expectation that your desired outcomes are possible if you put in the work.
