Strategies for Vision Crafting in Construction Management
Over the holidays, we visited the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral. It was a surprise trip for my husband that we both thoroughly enjoyed. The attractions added since my last visit over a decade ago make it a true competitor in today’s competition of attractions. I recommend two days if you like to take it all in. We missed, by a day, watching the launch of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy for the USSF-52/X-37B Spaceplane. Now that we know the lay of the land, another visit will be on the list of “make it happen in 2024.” Until then, we will have to get our fill of space history mixed with a bit of fiction watching the series For All Mankind.
According to various watch organizations, NASA has spent over $650 billion in the US since its inception in 1958 and maintains current spending in excess of $25 billion a year. Despite the budget being close to double that of our biggest space competitors and the assistance of dollars from Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos of private America, NASA has not landed a human on the moon since 1972. Most of the history we toured occurred prior to my existence on Earth, and I have taken more than fifty trips around the sun. In fact, the last time a person visited the moon was in December 1972, during NASA’s Apollo 17 mission. Astronauts say the reasons why are budgetary and political, not scientific or technical. Many say the trips to the moon were shot in a studio and never really happened.
What do you look at today and find that, despite maybe even having the budget and wanting to make happen, you did not land the mission set forth? What can you do as a leader in these times to create stability for yourself and others despite uncontrollable circumstances beyond the management of projects?
First, it is important to remain focused and connected to others on your leadership team. The beginning of a new year is an excellent time to implement one-on-one, team, or small-group sessions to work on relationships beyond just discussing the challenges or successes that are project related.
Work of Leaders Program for Construction Leaders
One of the programs facilitated by our company to help you with crafting a plan is the Work of Leaders.
The program is designed on the principle that leaders have three fundamental responsibilities: craft a vision, build alignment, and champion execution.
Of course, a lot of skill goes into each of these responsibilities. That is, in fact, what the Work of Leaders is all about. The model is broken down into three key things that effective leaders do at each step and describes specific behaviors for each:
- Crafting a Vision: imagining an improved future state that the group will make a reality through its work.
- Building Alignment: getting to the point where everyone in the group understands and is committed to the vision.
- Championing Execution: ensuring conditions are present for the imagined future to be turned into a reality.
The true value of this model is that it lays out a manageable, realistic framework to guide the process. The goal is to provide straightforward explanations of where you may choose to target your personal development efforts.
Crafting a Vision for Construction Project Success
Crafting a vision through exploration, boldness, and testing assumptions allows you to look beyond all the craziness in the world right now and the added pressures to see more clearly.
Step two helps you gather your other leaders together to enhance your alignment toward the vision. Clarifying the vision with the people who will help lead the way with you through open and bold discussions will outline the path and potential roadblocks and create buy-in and inspiration to appropriately execute.
The last step in the program is the execution. Execution requires time frames, structure, regular measurement, and feedback to keep everyone moving in the same direction toward the goals set forth in the vision stage.
Whether your vision is to sustain your current volume while working on increased efficiency and profitability or to grow and expand your volume and services sustainably, Work of Leaders will provide a roadmap for your team to follow. We have customized the program specifically for the construction industry and can add customized training to the program to address your individual needs.
20th Anniversary of Florida Construction Connection
February of this year marks the 20th anniversary of Florida Construction Connection. Sometimes, it seems like it went by so fast, and other times, I look back and see how much I have learned along the way—often much harder than all the business advice makes it seem. Why? If you said the human component, you have the right answer. It is our free will and the free will of others to own the responsibility each year to purposely plan, intentionally work the plan, and take the lead in implementing their part of the mission.
Behavioral Expectations in Construction Leadership
Behavioral expectation is a common request as an add-on to the programs we offer, to help leaders better prepare and recognize challenges associated when it comes to execution. Our industry requires many perspectives and personalities to come together to deliver the vision and own their role in doing so. Contact us for more information.
The expression “It’s not rocket science” might sound out of place when applied to construction, but I beg to differ. Its essence conveys the need for a deep understanding of physics, mathematics, engineering, and materials science, precise calculations, intricate systems, and a thorough understanding of physical phenomena—all of which are needed to not only successfully build the garage where the spaceships are housed but also manage what is going on daily to construct any building of magnitude.
So, to all you Rocket Scientists in Construction! Make it happen!
To Reaching the Stars in Your Career,
Suzanne Breistol
