There are certain phrases we hear so often that we stop questioning them. One of those phrases is: “It’s just the right thing to do.” I’ve heard it in conversations about workforce development, creating opportunities for underrepresented groups, supporting diverse contractors, mentoring young people, and building more inclusive companies. Most people say it with good […]
There is a hard truth in construction that most companies know but do not always want to say out loud: The best person with the tools is not always ready to lead the people using them. That does not mean they are not valuable. It does not mean they are not talented. It does not […]
There’s a big difference between having authority on a jobsite and actually leading one well. This is where field leadership in construction truly shows its value. A lot of people in construction still confuse field leadership with control. They think the loudest person is the leader. They think the person who corrects everyone, pushes everyone, […]
There is no question that field experience matters. In construction, experience teaches you things no classroom ever could. It teaches you how to navigate pressure, read people, solve problems when the schedule is slipping, and keep work moving when conditions are far from perfect. Experience gives credibility. It gives perspective. It gives somebody a real […]
There is a big difference between getting into construction and growing into leadership. A lot of people enter this industry thinking the path is simple. Show up. Work hard. Keep your head down. Learn your trade. Put in your time. Eventually, leadership will come. That sounds good, but that is not the whole truth. The […]
There is something that has long bothered me about leadership training in construction. A lot of it sounds good. It looks polished. It checks the box. It gives people something to put on a calendar, something to mention in a meeting, and something to say they invested in. But too often, once that training leaves […]
Everybody says they want better field leaders. But on real jobsites, we often do very little to truly develop them. We promote a good mechanic. We hand them more responsibility. We expect them to run the work, manage people, communicate with office staff, solve problems, deal with conflict, stay on schedule, maintain quality, and somehow […]
The Problem Beneath the Partnership Too many Workforce Development (WFD) partnerships begin with great intentions and end with quiet disappointment. Companies show up to a job fair or mock interview day, collect resumes, and shake hands. However, nothing sticks, and trainees go home wondering if it was real. Leaders go back to the office saying, […]
When the Game Is Rigged and You Don’t Even Know You’re Playing Let’s be real: if you’re a young Black man in America, you didn’t get a fair start. You were born into a game that was designed long before you ever took your first breath—a game with rules you were never taught, penalties you […]
Amber Czech was 20 years old, a welder in Minnesota who loved her job and was proud of the trade she chose. She went to work, stepped into her routine, and never made it home. According to reports, a 40-year-old male coworker first walked away from his own workstation. Then, he picked up a sledgehammer […]
