A leadership program for general contractors

Author: Jose Sanchez

PROBLEM Many of the General contractors and workers are ""technically"" excellent in their field but do not know how to deal with people. Also, in many instances, they exhibit attitudes which are not conducive to teamwork and effective, efficient operations. This impacts the team environment which is required to do an excellent job in the construction industry. Some instances included people who were technically competent, ready to be promoted to managers of regions but who were being held back due to the conflicts they were creating with fellow employees in their quest for ""perfection"". In one case, one supervisor was held back from a promotion to regional manager due to complaints from subordinates and peers (although the customers loved him due to his efficiency and results). SOLUTION Management Resources Inc. (MRI): Tailored its Leadership program to meet the construction industry's needs The program includes: Leadership Skills Customer Service Skills Personality Assessments Service Recovery The program is being taught throughout the state for seven (7) hours of Continued Education Leadership and Management Development programs are being provided to individuals who have a specific personal need. RESULTS Participants gave the program excellent ratings. Their attitudes had greatly improved by the end of the program. The time dedicated to these programs directly impacts the bottom line in terms of reduced disputes, improved productivity and teamwork. A supervisor, who was not promoted due to the problems dealing with personnel, is currently taking the Management Development program. Four weeks into the program he is already demonstrating improvement in his dealings with people and conflict resolution Attitudes have changed from being negative to being positive, resulting in improved productivity and a more pleasant environment to work in. Feedback from two contractors indicated they had been able to reduce coordinating problems by over 20% and they estimated these savings to be around $50,000.

About the author: Managing Partned, Management Resources Inc.