Winter/Spring 2020

CONSTRUCTION TODAY EORGIA

F E A T U R E S

8 A Conversation with Labor Commissioner Mark Butler

Creating valuable workforce solutions through strategic alliances and community relationships.

10 Construction Safety Week Focuses on Empowering Healthy Connections at Work

Teaming up to improve awareness and education of mental health issues in the construction industry.

12 Is Firefighting Embedded in Your Company Culture?

Improving problem-solving and decisionmaking can lead to doing a better job of problem prevention.

15 Join YLP at the 2020 Golf Classic Proceeds are vital to continue rich history of charitable giving.

17 Peer Group Builds on Early Success

EA members are executives or individuals who will assume an executive role in the foreseeable future within an AGC Georgia member firm.

Publisher: Heather Greyling

Editor: Rachael Ryals

Project Manager: Adam Lingenfelter

Publication Director: Ryan Griffin

Marketing Specialist: Taylor Hicks

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Project Coordinator: Cindy Samons Layout & Design: Pankaj Kumar Bharti

©2020 Naylor, LLC. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher.

PUBLISHED MARCH 2020/ GGC-B0120/5510

COVER: PHOTO COURTESY OF LABOR COMMISSIONER MARK BUTLER

AGC Georgia offers unique opportunities to grow the construction industry and enjoy camaraderie with other passionate industry leaders. It has great value to all its members and is a mainstay in the tradition of Carroll Daniel Construction where my father also served as association President.

As I shared with many members during the seven President’s Tour events hosted this past January all around Georgia, our collective passion and voice can make a big difference in the talent pipeline we are creating to sustain the construction industry for decades to come.

Because of our collective support the AGC Skills Challenges this past fall were a huge success. Together, we held five high school competitions with an increase in number of student competitors (up 22%), competing schools (up 24%), sponsoring firms (up 43%) and overall contributions (up 59%) totaling $205,000. The numbers prove we are making an impact!

We also had significantly more influencers attend the recent series. Legislators, school counselors, CTAE coordinators and school administrators are among the many community leaders coming to the events to see what the hype is all about. As we grow these events, the media is becoming more interested in our story. It’s rewarding to shine the spotlight on the young people who are taking an interest in the industry.

The regional champions are already back at work planning to build on that success for 2020. I encourage you to get involved if you aren’t already! It’s one of the most rewarding events to be a part of and the Carroll Daniel family looks forward to this event each year.

Brian Daniel President & CEO Carroll Daniel Construction 2019-2020 President AGC Georgia

Developing a strong workforce pipeline for the construction industry is critical. During my tour around the state, I was proud to share some initial successes with Carroll Daniel Construction’s field engineer apprenticeship program that is in partnership with Lanier Technical College. In its inaugural year, seven students are enrolled and have completed approximately 1,000 training/classroom/hands-on hours in three classroom subject areas and eight field evaluation categories. They are involved on the jobsite doing various tasks relating to safety, construction documents, site operations, estimating, and management of subcontractors/laborers.

Implementing this model across the state at your local technical college would make a big impact in the industry. I would be happy to connect with fellow contractors who are interested to see this model grow.

I’m proud to be in great company with so many of my respected competitors who also want to help make a difference. I look forward to continuing to serve alongside you.

Our collective passion and voice can make a big difference in the talent pipeline we are creating to sustain the construction industry for decades to come.

A Conversation with Labor Commissioner MARK BUTLER

Butler is committed to reshaping the operations of Georgia’s labor department to create valuable workforce solutions through strategic alliances and community relationships.

During an exclusive conversation with AGC Georgia, Commissioner Butler shared his perspective on the construction industry’s role in the State’s employment growth and advice for mining talent from the area, among other key topics that impact Georgia’s progress.

QThe latest employment statistics were positive. What role has the growth in the construction industry played in helping improve employment rates?

A: If you look at the raw numbers, construction jobs have been one of the top growth areas in the state. For example, during the last 12 months, the construction industry has had a growth rate of about 3.6% in jobs, which is almost double the growth rate of the average of all sectors in the state. In fact, it’s the third highest on a percentage basis in growth. So, you’re talking about one of the top growth sectors in the state, and it has been for the last several years. If you look back, the growth really started taking off in construction jobs back in 2012. Since then, we’ve seen a pretty large jump in the total number of jobs in construction. I think it increased over that seven-year period by about 66,000 jobs, which is a tremendous amount for that sector. The

construction industry is definitely one of the things that’s helped when it comes to the state’s overall job growth.

QWhat construction trade careers do you see as growth opportunities and why?

A: All of them. It would probably be easier to come up with a list of things that are not than those that are. When we talk to most folks in the construction trades, it’s pretty much demand across the board. Obviously, you need take a look at some of the specialties such as HVAC, electrician, welding, plumbers/pipe-fitters, but you’re also looking at some of your higher end stuff like civil engineers and management. I’ve never had someone come up to me and say “Oh, we have enough of X.” Look, we don’t even have enough day laborers, so we’re pretty much talking the complete spectrum. This includes someone with very little experience to individuals with postgraduate degrees in the construction

industry being in demand. But probably your higher-demand jobs are going be in specialty trades, which takes a little more training.

QWhat advice do have for the AGC Georgia members to reach young people and engage them to view the construction industry as a solid career path?

A: First of all, you can’t wait until they graduate high school. You have to reach them way before then. We give this advice to most industries – you need to start engaging your K-12 system at an early point. A lot of people don’t think about that, but K-12 is basically where your talent is going to come from at some point. If an industry is not paying attention to what’s going on – whether it’s a state-wide company or a local company – there’s a need to figure out ways to engage your local school system. Encourage them to provide in-school construction programs.

We’ve seen some school systems that have some type of SkillsUSA event. We visited a school in Northwest Georgia where they have embraced the construction industry and offer everything from carpentry to electrical to plumbing. At a minimum, you’re going to expose these students to the opportunities and what the work is like. What happens when the students get exposed? They reflect and say “you know, I really like doing this.” Otherwise, if they’re not exposed to it, it’s probably not going to come to mind. You have to engage them at an early point and push your local school system to do something to help reach these kids at an earlier age. Whether they realize it or not, if they’re not getting young people interested in some type of vocation – whether it’s being a doctor or a lawyer or whatever it is – they are not doing their job. More and more of those type of activities have to exist. In fact, I think access to construction labs should be a requirement in schools.

QWhat initiatives is your office pursuing that AGC Georgia members should be aware?

A: There are several things they should know about if they don’t already. First of all, we have our Georgia Best Program. It teaches kids work ethics and soft skills that are necessary in all fields. No matter what you do in life, to be successful you have to have really strong soft skills, which are things such as knowing to show up on time, working well with others and other basic skills. We also have a lesser known program that we are working very hard to expand, which is Jobs for Georgia Graduates. This is where we engage young people who are in danger of falling through the cracks, since they’re at high risk

for dropping out. So, we help them through the issues that are working against them, help them finish school and point them toward a career. Not only do we help them during high school through graduation, but we also track them for 12 months after they graduate. We want to make sure they’re successful in their next stage, whether that’s going to work, going on to further education or into the military.

QDo you have any words of wisdom for AGC Georgia members?

A: I know everyone is really busy right now, so it’s hard to do, but you really need to do your best to engage your local school systems. Not just as a whole system, but also reach out to the school counselor to make sure they understand the opportunities that exist in the construction trades. There’s a lot of bad information out there. Some people think “Oh, these are dirty jobs that don’t pay well. If you want to be successful, you have to attend college to get a four-year

degree.” This is just absolutely false. So, visit your local school and ask to sit down with the school counselors and share the opportunities with them. By educating the counselors, they are able to tell the students what the opportunities are and how they can find them, because these are the individuals who will influence a lot of their decisions. It’s also important to engage with the school board and let them know, “We want to help your students be successful by showing them that are several paths out there where they can be successful and they can have good careers in these fields.” Not everyone wants to sit behind a desk, not everyone wants to attend a four-year school and some have really good talents that are hidden underneath. Once we can expose them to these trades they’ll discover “Wow, I’ve got some talent in this.” My best advice is to connect with your local school system, since that’s where your talent is going to come from. You’ve got to make sure they have a good understanding of what it is you do, what the opportunities are and what the pathways are to get to those jobs. ■

If you look at the raw numbers, construction jobs have been one of the top growth areas in the state.”

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY WEEK

FOCUSES ON EMPOWERING

HEALTHY CONNECTIONS AT WORK

Teaming with OSHA to lead Mental Health Campaign May 4-8

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Atlanta West Area Office and AGC Georgia’s Safety Committee are joining forces to develop a campaign to specifically focus on improving awareness and education of mental health issues in the construction industry.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Total Worker Health initiative, addressing worker well-being in a holistic way which “integrates health protection efforts with a broad spectrum of interventions to improve worker health and well-being” beyond the well-known “fatal four” – falls, struck by, electrocution, and caught-in/ between – is what some safety professionals are now considering as “a new frontier in workplace safety.”

“The campaign’s slogan Empowering Healthy Connections at Work was

20% of all men who died by suicide in the U.S. [in 2018] worked in the construction/ extraction industry.

created while listening to a mental health professional highlight several times how important developing human connections, trust, and empowerment among the workers is key for effectively and compassionately addressing this preventable injury,” said Marilyn M. Vélez, M.P.H., Compliance Assistance Specialist, Atlanta West Area Office.

Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas, an international mental health and suicide prevention speaker and author, reports from a 2018 published CDC study (Peterson, et al, 2018) that 20% of all men who died by suicide in the U.S. worked in the construction/

extraction industry. That would mean an estimated 5,000 men in the industry died by suicide – over nine-times more than all of the fatal four deaths together.

“These are eye opening statistics impossible to ignore by safety professionals of AGC Georgia’s Safety Committee and OSHA,” said Vélez. “A brainstorming meeting was held and a mental health professional was invited to develop a new safety awareness and education campaign to address mental health issues in the workplace.”

AGC Georgia and the Atlanta West Area Office of OSHA will be promoting

This artwork is displayed on a billboard on I-285 near Camp Creek Parkway in western metro Atlanta to promote mental health awareness within the construction industry.

the Empowering Healthy Connections at Work initiative during the national Construction Safety Week planned for May 4-8. The nationally organized campaign was established to ensure all firms, workers and clients are aware of the paramount importance of safety and the need to educate the industry on best safety practices to keep everyone safe.

While AGC Georgia will be providing planning resources for your firm to get involved in the Empowering Healthy Connections at Work initiative, all contracting firms are also encouraged to visit constructionsafetyweek.com and download planning resources.

If you wish to join forces, please contact Cherri Watson at watson@agcga.org or Marilyn M. Vélez at velez.marilyn@dol.gov. ■

Learn More!

To download planning resources, visit: constructionsafetyweek.com

To join forces, contact: Cherri Watson at watson@agcga.org

Marilyn M. Vélez at velez.marilyn@dol.gov

IS FIREFIGHTING EMBEDDED IN YOUR COMPANY CULTURE?

By Trudy Shay Petty Petty and Associates

Work is at a standstill. The team is waiting for the owner to approve a change order and the crew for one of the subs, who someone forgot to call, just arrived. You reached out to the owner to learn he is on vacation and not accessible. Heavy rains are predicted, and you are already behind schedule. Completing the project on time is what this owner cares about the most so there is an urgency to prevent the owner from getting more upset.

Sound familiar? Unfortunately, this type of situation where things happen unexpectedly and escalate with potentially costly consequences occurs often in all types of organizations and especially in the fastpaced, schedule-driven construction industry. This is “firefighting” at its best where a situation that could have been prevented demands an immediate solution. In my scenario, with no clear way to put the escalated problem or “fire” out, what happens next is a flurry of activity involving several people at the company trying to determine how to best use the subs today and tell the owner later about why the project is again off track. You are now in a panic and forced to move into damage control mode.

Firefighting in the Construction Workplace

What I have found over the years in my work with commercial contractors is they are particularly adept at “firefighting.” I often see the very same situations and problems occurring across different companies in the office and field that reach the “fire” stage with many of the same problems reoccurring. Unsolved problems or those not prevented can easily escalate into “fires” requiring constant firefighting.

In my interviews with construction personnel, many cite an ability to put out fires as one of their strengths. They often mention the adrenalin

rush they get moving from one crisis to another. Some boast about getting lots of practice in putting out fires that makes them better firefighters. Company employees during business planning sessions often use the word “firefighting” to describe their work environment—in these instances, it is not a compliment. When asked to explain, responses include “too much reliance on putting out fires at the expense of getting better at upfront planning, communication and problem solving.”

Contractors might want to ask themselves two relevant questions: (1) Is firefighting the norm at your company and how your staff operates

Learn to anticipate problems before they happen where your focus and resources are on problem prevention.

on a daily basis, and (2) Is being a good firefighter the type of performance your company rewards? If the answer to one or both questions is yes, it increases the likelihood that firefighting is embedded in your company culture. The most effective problem solvers learn to anticipate problems before they happen where their focus and resources are on problem prevention.

Symptoms of Chronic Firefighting

In Roger Bohn’s classic article Stop Fighting Fires appearing in the Harvard Business Review, he lays out the symptoms of firefighting that can derail an organization. For contractors, a useful exercise is to assess if any of these symptoms are occurring at your company and to what extent:

• No time to solve all problems

• Solutions are incomplete

• Problems recur and cascade

• Urgency supersedes importance

• Many problems escalate into crises

• Performance over time degrades

It is a proven fact that chronic firefighting is an unproductive and wasteful activity that can consume a company’s resources, is ineffective and highly stressful to those involved. As Jimmy Leppert at Kotter International in his 2013 Forbes magazine article says, “Reward firefighting and you’ll create a culture of arsonists.”

FIREFIGHTING ASSESSMENT–STARTING THE CONVERSATION

A few questions for your management team and employees to consider:

1. To what extent are we fighting fires in our office and on our jobsites? Do we see the same fires reoccurring?

2. Can we avoid or prevent some or all of the fires we are putting out from happening in the first place, and if so, how?

3. Do we reward firefighting behavior and celebrate “heroes” who put out the biggest fires?

4. Are we spending more of our time and valuable resources on what is “urgent” vs “important”?

5. How often are we operating in a damage control mode in order to minimize the impact of something that has already gone wrong?

6. What can we “Start doing, Stop doing and Keep doing” to develop a stronger problem-solving culture and “problem prevention” mindset?

ACTIONS TO STOP OR REDUCE FIREFIGHTING

Transition from a “firefighting” mindset to a “problem prevention”

mindset to change behavior.

Develop a stronger root cause analysis and problemsolving culture

Enhance your company’s problem-solving capabilities with new tools and techniques.

Refrain from rewarding firefighting unless it is for an unavoidable problem.

Anticipate potential problems in the planning phase of every project, initiative and goal-setting activity.

Increase the quality of your upfront planning and communication processes (most often both are the underlying “causes” of what could go wrong).

Plan for possible flare ups.

Avoid a quick fix Band-Aid approach to solving problems.

ANTICIPATING PROBLEMS & PLANNING

Goal: To build and complete the owner’s project by the agreed to date

ACTIONS

1) Didn’t explain owner’s role impacting schedule

2) Didn’t establish and agree on change order process up front

3) Didn’t ask to be apprised of owner’s schedule and travel plans

To Prevent It

1) Spell out for the owner how their prompt reply impacts completing project on time

2) Increase coordination, collaboration and face to face meetings with owner

3) Review owner’s calendar for changes during two week look ahead scheduling

To Minimize The Effect

1) Extend completion date

2) Find another way to make up lost time

process. They are also on the lookout for any disruptions to continuous workflow and ways to reduce or eliminate waste.

Anticipate Problems in Your Planning Process

Most “fires” before they ever get to the firefighting stage can be prevented or avoided by “anticipating problems” where what could occur is identified early in the planning phase of any initiative or project. This technique used by the best problem solvers will ask the question “what could go wrong” (also called negative brainstorming). Unless you legitimize asking the question this way as part of your company’s problem solving process, too often it can come across negative or you can be accused of thinking the worst of someone before something goes wrong.

This “anticipating problems” exercise allows a company to strategically

think through and prioritize what issues or problems could occur and then you are in a better position to identify and implement proactive, preventative actions against the root causes of what could go wrong. A measurable result is much less firefighting with an emphasis on problem prevention.

Using my opening scenario, see the top of page 14 for a partial look at how the process works.

On the Bright Side…

Contractors who embrace lean construction practices do less firefighting than other companies, especially in the field. This is due to more upfront project planning, collaboration and communication of all stakeholders involved in the construction delivery

For the contractor who is committed to continuous improvement, getting better at problem-solving and decision-making is often a top business priority that includes doing a better job of anticipating problems and problem prevention. When firefighting is the rule at your company and not the exception, it is a source of tremendous waste. ■

Trudy Petty is owner of Petty and Associates, a Texas-based management consulting firm. A trained facilitator in total quality management and licensed instructor of a nationally-acclaimed “Problem Solving & Decision Making” course, Trudy is committed to helping AEC companies enhance their effectiveness and performance. Her work with clients across the U.S. includes AGC Chapters, the American Council for Construction Education and other industry groups. Contact Trudy at 214.476.5220 or trudy@pettyandassociates.com.

It is a proven fact that chronic firefighting is an unproductive and wasteful activity that can consume a company’s resources, is ineffective and highly stressful to those involved.

JOIN YLP AT THE GOLF CLASSIC

Proceeds are vital to continuing rich history of charitable giving

For nearly 25 years, the AGC Georgia Young Leadership Program has been a model for fellow chapters across the nation. As an award-winning benefit for young professional members, those who volunteer time to help lead the YLP’s Council have a great sense of responsibility to deliver exceptional programming and leadership development opportunities, along with making a difference in the community.

One of the most important aspects of YLP is to provide opportunities for young professionals to build on their leadership skills. What better way to do that than be a part of an organization that encourages its participants to get involved from the ground up in creating dozens of professional development learning sessions, along with charitable and networking events. YLP also hosts two first-class fundraising opportunities each year – a golf tournament and a sporting clays tournament. These two tournaments are responsible for consistently raising over $90,000 each year. These dollars are allocated to the YLP Charitable Works Fund within the association’s 501(c)(3) organization, AGC of Georgia Foundation, Inc.

In 2019, proceeds from player participation and sponsorships at the Golf Classic in the spring and at the fall Sporting Clays Fundraiser allowed YLP to contribute $71,245 to many deserving organizations and causes. The group is making plans now to host the 21st Annual YLP Golf Classic. It will take place on Wednesday, May 6, 2020 at Canongate 1 Golf Club in Sharpsburg.

Traditionally, this tournament sells out two courses with just under 300 golfers taking over the 36 holes! Some of the best networking happens between tee boxes in our incredible hospitality tents! These sponsors, along with our Elite sponsors, and those who sponsor the lunch, each hole, the practice areas and many more aspects of the event are a vital part of the Classic’s success and ultimately YLP’s annual goals for charitable giving.

If you have someone in your firm who is eager to make a difference in the industry and build their leadership skills – make sure they are enrolled in the Young Leadership Program. Also, make sure you and your team are supporting this group’s incredible work by sponsoring and/or playing the upcoming Classic.

To learn more about the YLP, please connect with Machell Harper, director of member services and YLP staff liaison at 678-298-4108 or harper@agcga.org. Also, considering visiting www.agcga.org/ylp. ■

MAY 6, 2020

GROUPS BENEFITING FROM GENEROUS SUPPORT OF YLP CONTRIBUTIONS IN 2019

• AIDS Walk

• Associated Schools of Construction

• Camp Twin Lakes

• CASA

• CEFGA

• Heaven’s Gait Therapeutic Riding

• Hillside

• Lighthouse Charitable Foundation, Inc.

• Make-A-Wish

• Metro Atlanta Project with Northside Church

• MUST Ministries

• Shepherd Center

• SkillsUSA

• Tekton Career Training

• Wreaths Across America

• YMCA

AHC Autry, Hall & Cook, LLP

PEER GROUP BUILDS ON EARLY SUCCESS

In just over two years, AGC Georgia’s newest professional development program, the Executive Alliance, has garnered quite a loyal following and continues to grow, outpacing initial goals. EA was designed to meet the professional needs of association members interested in being a part of a best practices-based peer group.

The group’s primary focus is to provide networking opportunities and educational programs promoting collaboration and diverse discussions among professionals while developing them into highly skilled and informed leaders.

EA members are executives or individuals who will assume an executive role in the foreseeable future within an AGC Georgia member firm. Fifty professionals are members of the 2020 program. Each of their three leadership retreats are being facilitated by The Family Business Institute.

They convened in late January for a leadership retreat at the Cloister

(pictured) and focused on “The People Dimension of the Construction Business.” The open discussions included conversation on organizational structure, recruiting, the importance of job descriptions and onboarding, along with talent management and workforce learning.

FBI will help the participants build on these topics when they join together for additional retreats at

Member Firms Represented in EA

• Albion

• R. W. Allen, LLC

• All-State Electrical Contractors

• American Global of Georgia, LLC

• Athena Construction Group, Inc.

• S. C. Barker Construction Co.

• Batson-Cook Company

• Berkley Surety Group

• BM & K Construction, Inc.

• Brasfield & Gorrie

• Brown, Nelms & Co., CPAs

• Choate Construction Company

• Collins and Arnold Construction Co., LLC

• Dollar Concrete Construction Co.

• Duffey Southeast, Inc.

• Garbutt Construction Company

• H & H Insurance Services, Inc.

• Harrison Contracting Company, Inc.

• JCI Contractors

• Kajima Building & Design Group, Inc.

• New South Construction Co.

• C. C. Owen Tile Co., Inc.

• Penco Electrical Contractors,

• Piedmont Construction Group, LLC

Chateau Elan in April and at Omni at the Battery in August.

In addition to the leadership sessions, EA benefits from six social events to offer participants time for sharing best practices and lessons learned.

To learn more about EA, please connect with Machell Harper, director of member services and EA staff liaison at 678-298-4108 or harper@agcga.org or visit www.agcga.org/ea. ■

• POND

• R. K. Redding Construction, Inc.

• Sheridan Construction

• Smith & Howard, PC

• Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP

• Sports Turf Company, Inc.

• Sterling Seacrest Partners

• Travelers-Bond

• Trident Construction Group

• WLS Construction Inc.

• Yates Insurance Agency

The group’s primary focus is to provide networking opportunities and educational programs promoting collaboration and diverse discussions among professionals…

*Represents AGC Georgia member firms

Rawson

Mike Brickner

Brian Hughes Clay Davies Jeff Innis

Bob Reynolds

Yates Brooks Fischer Michael Dawson Bill Woolfolk Carter Woolfolk Robert Woolfolk Bill Turner Duvall Brumby Scott Angel Mike Ivkovich