Industry Highlight: Design, Engineering, and Construction

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We buy boys construction toys, and we buy girls babies and homemaker sets. The conditioning begins when we take the first swallow of earthly oxygen. Just take a peek at Gabrielle Galimberti’s Toy Stories exhibit if you think my statement is too bold - the global norm is far from teaching children gender neutrality. But what happens when women, or men, step outside the predetermined gender boxes (and all of the behaviors that come along with them)? How does this affect our professional and personal lives? 

After earning my undergraduate degree I worked for a small private university that specializes in architecture and architectural design. I worked in the office of admissions where I got to manage and work with students. Lucky for me, these students became architects, designers, and engineers - and I’m still in contact with a number of them. Recently, Tara Spencer and I were catching up and in a natural course, we ended up discussing the immense gender divide in the construction industry as a whole. I reflected upon a short stint of mine when I worked at a construction company. I definitively coined the culture as antediluvian and underdeveloped. I lasted at that place of employment for six months. 

The feelings came fluttering back. And my experience was not an isolated one. In fact, it was cushy. Tara, a licensed architect, and certified interior designer embarked on a data-collecting journey to capture other women’s experiences in an industry dominated by men and so clearly overshadowed by a boys club set of rules. 

Tara polled interior designers, architects, construction managers, engineers, interior designers, and product designers. As I read through the personal accounts of these female professionals being on the receiving end of microaggressions and clear dismissiveness, I had to pick my jaw up off the floor.

I am giving you this detail to set the stage for a series. We want to share real examples of what women have experienced in the construction industry, and offer ways you can maintain your confidence - you are credentialed after all - but also combat against the, at times, vulgarities. It’s a challenging feat; anyone who has been on the receiving end of lewd remarks can relate… There’s not an easy answer. At least not one that feels safe or necessarily appropriate.  

If you struggle with a male-dominated place of work, where your intelligence is overlooked and misconduct is rampant, tune in to this series. We aim to have you walk away with an understanding of what challenges women face in these fields, but also to provide proven tactics for managing provocation and realizing that you are not the problem. You are not alone and there is strength in numbers. Mainly, though, there is strength in knowledge. We can educate women to respond strongly and we can educate men that behavior matters -- as does allyship. 

First published on LinkedIn.

Cultivate a Leadership Culture

Mimicry. We see this both in nature and in the workplace. Whether it's the viceroy butterfly attempting to look like its more attractive counterpart, the monarch (I’m partial), or if it’s the malleable mind of an employee who mimics a leader’s behaviors, we must create organizational frameworks that encourage an environment that fosters leadership. 

What steps can organizations take to mold future leaders and help individuals reach their full potential? 

Mentorship. 

Formalized mentor programs are implemented to help people evolve. Whether a person is a new or tenured employee, the act of mentorship is invaluable. Mentors can shed light into life experiences: missed opportunities, successes, behavioral shortcomings, moments of strength… The list goes on. Organizations have an opportunity to help employees advance in more ways than one when a flexible but scalable mentor program is put into place.

[But here’s the thing -- if there isn’t a mentor program, that should not stop you from seeking out a mentor. Notably to my female audience, do not be afraid to ask for time from someone you respect. Observe the people you want to mirror and ask yourself why. Request time with this person.] 

Acknowledgment. 

I mention acknowledgment more than I do not. Why? It’s a powerful way to establish relational trust and respect. Furthermore, it increases discretionary effort (who doesn’t want to work harder for someone they respect and appreciate?). If you find yourself in a work environment without acknowledgment, the organization is missing the mark. Herein lies an opportunity: It can start with you. Acknowledge your colleagues, your direct reports, and even your boss. A contagion of acknowledgment can change workplace cultures into supportive, accountable ones.  

Consistency. 

Can your colleagues count on you? In an organization where leaders are notoriously late for meetings, cut off counterparts to take calls, and interrupt repeatedly to hear their own voice, there is little hope for the next class. Consistency is a double-edged sword. Do you want to be consistent? Craft what you want it to mean for yourself. To me, being consistent means many things. That I deliver work in a timely way, done with thought, effort, and a scrutinizing eye. But it also means being a confidant, and a voice of reason. It means providing emotional regularity, and being truthful about distractions. The truth is, consistency simply defines a repeatable pattern. This is why it is essential to craft what consistency means within your organization. Consistent leaders can encourage collaboration, trust, and accountability. 

We absorb tendencies from people we are around the most. And there’s no spoiler here, we spend a lot of time at work - at least 10 continuous years of our life. Great place to pick up habits, but it’s an even better place to practice habits, and teach others those habits. 

Foster leadership by being a mentor, by acknowledging others, and by consistently leading by example. If you want your organizations to foster an environment of leadership, it starts with you. 

First published on LinkedIn.

Back to the (Communication) Basics.

Communication encompasses a myriad of elements. From the words that we say, to the expression on our face, or the way we are sitting upright, communicating is a lot more than considering which words will be best strung together for comprehension sake.

Image from Lee Campbell

As we navigate working from home, video-calling, and bad connections, we are faced with new communication hurdles. Your screen may freeze on you with a half-way (seemingly displeasing) stare, or your calling app may need an update causing tardiness and an interruption several minutes into a meeting. Amidst all of this, we need to remember that listening, now more than ever, is an integral part of communication.

If there’s one flop we can all relate to (guilty or not), it’s talking over each other. Especially in a virtual working environment. Add in some background noise, people beeping in and out, or a long-winded talker, and you have yourself a challenging circumstance to ensure effective communication.

The owner of each meeting must be present and taking an active part in spreading the “spotlight.” It takes effort to see who has a question (fortunately, the chat feature works well for building up a queue if there is not an opportunity to verbally interject). The point for this post is less about meeting management – although I can cover that in coming weeks – it is about active listening. While listening is particularly important for managers, it is a lost skill for many of us.

Are you pausing to speak to allow another person to finish their thought, or are you barging ahead to say your piece? Are you thinking about what you will say next (or about what’s for dinner), or are you internalizing the words that are being spoken?

As a painless starting point, ask yourself the aforementioned questions. Can you be a better listener? With a slight increase in effort, our prolonged WFH life can be a little less of a communicative calamity.

First posted to LinkedIn.

Do You Inspire?

What does an inspired person look like? Not only are they actively engaged, their productivity is superior. As a consequence, their production motivates those around them – and a new standard is set.

Inspired people can be team members, leaders, or managers. Arguably, all people can be leaders – thus it does not matter where an inspired person falls on the totem pole. This is about setting standards of excellence, and having it radiate to others.

If an inspirational leader (person) unlocks motivation and engagement – as well as commitment, there’s no question that businesses will be served well to help people tap into their inner inspiration. But how do we do that?

First, let me define what I mean by inspiration. Inspirational leaders use a combination of skills that motivate and simultaneously place value on accountability for results. This is not a cheerleader – it is a cheerleader with expectations. Inspirational leaders use taught or innate traits to help unlock performance potential in others.  

HBR conducted a study to learn what traits the participants identify as inspiring. The findings point to an interesting conclusion: inspirational people need to be diverse and have the ability to adapt. While many attributes help inspire others, only one trait is needed to double the likelihood that you will be viewed as an inspirational person.

Some of these traits include humility, empathy, openness, vision, focus, unselfishness, and stress tolerance. From my experiences, it is clear these attributes require self-reflection, receptivity, and a guiding philosophy of servanthood. [Are you taking steps to flex muscles that result in the aforementioned traits?]

The answer to reaching limitless potential is through the investment in people and in ourselves. Inspirational leaders recognize the opportunity to draw upon the rolodex of traits, contingent upon the situation. An aptitude to respond appropriately in differing scenarios takes poise and practice. The good news is, in dealing with people, there is never an absence of opportunity to practice inspiring others! What trait do your colleagues or counterparts possess that you find most inspirational?  

First published on LinkedIn