MANAGEMENT
By Brent Darnell
Creating a Positive Work Environment in Construction Change starts with building better people skills
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magine for a moment construction projects that are completely service-oriented and customer focused, where there are zero defects and total customer satisfaction. Imagine working on projects where there is trust, communication, and teamwork between the GC and subs and with various trades. Imagine an industry where projects are brought in ahead of schedule and well within budget and negotiated projects are the norm. Imagine an industry where people care about each other to the point where there is total cooperation and working safely is as natural as breathing. It may sound like a dream. There are many seemingly unsolvable problems that prevent
Brent Darnell is president of Brent Darnell International, Atlanta, Ga., and author of The People Profit Connection, How Emotional Intelligence Can Maximize People Skills and Maximize Your Profits. He is the keynote speaker at the SEAA’s 46th Annual Convention and Trade Show, April 25-27, 2018 in Greensboro, N.C. For more information, visit brentdarnell.com.
the industry from realizing such a positive image, but I believe that the root causes of these problems relate to something called emotional intelligence (EI). Defined as social competence, or the ability to deal with people, I believe that if we focus on these social skills we will help to solve industry issues such as poor safety practices, low productivity, poor communication, poor teamwork, poor client satisfaction, and poor industry image. Many companies are starting to wake up to this reality. Several have created positions that focus on customer relations or client satisfaction. Gilbane, one of the largest Construction Managers in the United States, has created a position called Corporate Director of Client Satisfaction. They know that focus on these soft skills will add to bottom line results. After reading The People Profit Connection, Mary C. Bloom, the Director of Client Satisfaction for Gilbane Building Company said, “Your observations and case studies reinforce our thinking about the next level of skill development we have identified. The methodology you outlined incorporating an emotional
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intelligence perspective is great input as we work to elevate our peoples’ skills, business success, and ultimately client satisfaction.”
Profile of a construction manager After studying the emotional intelligence profiles of over 200 construction managers, a typical profile emerged. They have relatively high assertiveness, independence, and self-regard, but relatively low emotional self-awareness and interpersonal skills (empathy, interpersonal relationships and social responsibility). With this typical profile, most construction managers tend to be perceived as aggressive, independent and capable. But they may also come across as people who don’t listen, ask for other’s input or opinions, or involve others in decision making. They tend to be blunt and undiplomatic, have a hard time delegating and tend to micromanage. They also tend to spend little time on developing themselves or others. Without the strong interpersonal skills to balance competencies like assertiveness,