Honestly, I think they would make a great team, although I’m not sure either one has the experience to construct a panic room that could block out Covid-19. Luckily, those of us in the construction industry don’t have to rely on Tim or Bob, because we have the power of resilience in our toolbox.
Over time, each layer builds upon the one before it until finally, a beautiful and well-designed structure emerges. A structure where countless people may live, work, shop, exercise, play or just spend time in.
How do you construct a foundation for the future, when the present is on shaky ground?
As a leadership speaker for the construction industry, I would like to share some of what I’ve learned about creating strategies for building resilience and building a culture of employee health and wellness in your construction business to help you with that foundation.
Why Does the Construction Industry Need to Cultivate a Culture of Resilience?
With the tidal wave-like shift in our culture recently, from people adapting to working at home to the huge strides in e-commerce, the construction industry has felt extraordinary pressure to quickly build homes and spaces that meet our ever-changing needs.
The added pressures from the Covid-19 pandemic have taken an immense toll on construction workers, who were already operating in high-stress environments. Faced with even longer hours, tighter deadlines and increasingly dangerous conditions, this kind of work environment can wear heavily on their mental health.
As a leader, it is critical that you recognize and acknowledge these challenges and more importantly, take action to help. Bringing in a motivational speaker for your construction organization is a huge step towards building resilience in the workplace and creating a culture that celebrates employee wellbeing.
Resilience is a core element needed for construction workers to successfully move through the day-to-day obstacles they face, and I’m here to help you with some real-life strategies you can implement with your team.
How to Build Resilience in the Construction Industry?
You understand how important resilience is, and you are committed to showing your team that you support their personal and professional growth. You are ready to take action by implementing strategies for building resilience and creating a culture of corporate wellness.
Now what? Get your hard hat on and watch your step… Let’s start building team resilience.
Establish Open Communication and Set Clear Expectations
Do you remember playing the game “telephone” with friends? No matter what the first person whispered, the message was warped by the time it got to the last person. Communicating project instructions to workers across several locations can often feel the same, but instead of ending with everybody laughing, poor communication may result in project delays, additional costs, a stressed team and unhappy clients.
As the leader, it is up to you to be clear in your expectations and communicate them in a way that will be understood by each worker on your team. Not only will this avoid future confusion and save you time and money, it will also ensure your employees feel empowered and work more productively.
Celebrate Your Construction Team Wins
If you read that as “it’s time to party,” I love the way you think! Of course, the word “party” has different iterations, but in this instance, I’m talking about food, which I’ve heard goes a long way in construction. Every so often, after an exceptionally rough day of work for example, treating your team to an enjoyable meal or taking them out for drinks is a great way to recognize their contributions.
Celebrating successes (whether large or small) with your team, will make them feel recognized and appreciated. Knowing they are valued will push them to work harder and strive to do their best for you. By acknowledging their efforts and explaining how they contribute towards the overall mission, they will feel included and important.
Create a “Got Your Back” Culture
“Got your back” is a phrase that rolls easily off the tongues of many, but not everybody puts it into action. You know you’ve got your employees’ backs, now it’s time to show them through the supportive team culture you create, especially during moments of hardship.
When challenges arise, ideally your team comes together to lift each other up because they feel appreciated and motivated by you. The support you’ve given them through good times better positions them to work together through difficult ones.
Establishing a “got your back” culture within the workplace is a critical strategy for building resilience and makes for a more reliable team. This is especially beneficial when the construction site is located far away from your workers’ families and they are each other’s main sources of support during a project.
A great way to start building a “got your back” culture is to focus on creating happiness in the workplace. When you have conversations with your team to discover what work-related stressors impact them the most and then follow through by listening to them and implementing their strategies for improvement, you show that you value and trust them.
Ultimately, happy workers are more productive, leading to an elevated experience for the team, your business and your customers.
Prioritize Wellbeing
When employees are sick or injured, they need time off but generally return to work fairly quickly with an “all clear” from a doctor. But what about instances where the diagnosis isn’t easily explainable or treatable? If you could avoid employee absences that negatively affect your bottom line, wouldn’t you want to know how to do that?
Earlier, I mentioned the increased levels of stress and potentially unsafe conditions that construction workers face in today’s post-pandemic world. Factors such as these can quickly lead to poor mental health and subsequent physical symptoms for many workers.
Depression and anxiety are costly (and concerning) for employees and employers. With medical costs estimated at $210 billion per year, that’s just the tip of the mental health iceberg. Lost productivity and missed days at work can lead to increased costs and additional stress on other workers trying to fill the gap.
You can help.
Workplace anxiety and depression (which also carries over into family and home life), can be reduced by paying attention to your employees’ wellbeing and mental health. When you notice things aren’t quite right and provide resources to help increase resilience and the ability to bounce forward during challenging times, you will build a culture of corporate wellness.
Another valuable strategy to build team resilience, energize your employees’ wellbeing and ignite change is to book a motivational speaker for your construction organization.
Pay Attention to your Construction Team’s Health and Safety
We dug deeper into how to improve your employees’ mental wellbeing, but what about employee absences due to preventable physical illnesses? Construction workers can’t work from home and the time they miss is a major loss, not only for them and their paycheck, but also for the team and project. It is especially frustrating when it could have been avoided with preventative measures.
It is imperative that you implement health and safety procedures for your team, especially as we battle this extremely contagious disease. Post guidelines in areas that are visible to all employees, and train your managers and supervisors to ensure they are adhered to by all workers.
Additionally, providing face masks, vitamins, hand sanitizer and other health supports is a great way to show your workers you care about their health and the health of their families.
Lead by Example
As I mentioned earlier, the phrase “got your back” is meaningless without action, and the same goes for offering help. Your words need to be matched with action to count. One of the best ways to start is to lead by example.
Building resilience in the workplace begins with you sharing a company-wide statement detailing support for your employees and your commitment to addressing issues as they arise. As you promote honesty and respect, ensure that the actions of your managers and supervisors also reflect the high value they place on employees’ health, safety and mental wellbeing.
With your leadership as the solid foundation, building a “got your back” culture within the entire team will naturally follow.
How Investing in Construction Keynote Speakers Can Help
Investing in your team’s growth is important, not only to your business but to each individual worker. Bringing in a leadership speaker for the construction industry or scheduling a resilience in the workplace training is a solid first step towards building team resilience and improving your employees’ health and wellness.
Resilient construction workers can align their goals with their actions, inspire those around them, adapt to new technologies and reduce overall risk. When faced with inevitable changes and challenges, resilient workers will thrive, which ultimately provides a better experience for your customers.
If you’d like to learn more about resilience in the workplace training, contact us by calling +1 877.697.4868 or sending an email to team@adammarkel.com. You can expect a response within 24 hours.
Supporting your construction workers with these tools and resources will create a solid foundation for building future resilience.
