In the construction industry, leadership skills are not innate but can be acquired, allowing workers with the opportunity for career growth and higher pay. Tery Tennant, a leadership specialist, put an emphasis on the importance of understanding the essence of strong leadership. Transitioning from technical expertise to leadership roles can be quite challenging and yet it is the key for success.
Recognizing Strong Leadership
According to Tery Tennant, the hallmark of a good leader is how well their team performs in their absence. This transition can be difficult for those accustomed to technical roles, but it is necessary if you want to embrace the responsibilities of leadership.
Importance of Interpersonal Skills
Hannah Flint, a Leadership Consultant at FMI Consulting, underscores the shift towards valuing interpersonal skills for managers. As a manager, success becomes tied to the ability to delegate tasks and achieve results through others. Construction project managers are not the ones operating heavy machinery so they need to make sure that the operators understand the importance of proper maintenance and following safety guidelines etc.
Avoiding Leadership Pitfalls
Tennant and Flint identify six common pitfalls that leaders should steer clear of.
Reactive vs. Proactive Approach
Instead of merely reacting to crises, leaders should proactively create long-term solutions.
Decision-Making
Leaders should not make decisions that employees are equipped to make themselves.
Clear Expectations
Clearly stating expectations and holding staff accountable for their performance is crucial.
Coaching and Feedback
Leaders need to provide adequate coaching, training, and performance feedback.
Interpersonal Skills
Prioritizing relationship-building and interpersonal skills is a must for effective leadership.
Receiving Feedback
Leaders should actively seek input from some reliable sources.
Addressing Leadership Development
Tennant and his wife Linda run Attainment Inc., which helps out people in advancing to higher positions. Tennant highlights the importance of focusing on high-payoff activities (HPAs), tasks that contribute a lot to a leader’s effectiveness. Prioritizing HPAs is key to shifting from a reactive to a proactive mindset.
Identifying and Prioritizing HPAs
Leaders must identify their personal HPAs and then help their teams develop their own. Although these activities may vary by company, some common leadership HPAs include:
Achieving Financial Objectives
Leaders also have to ensure the company meets its financial goals.
Sharing Vision and Values
Communicating the company’s mission, values, and objectives is very important.
Employee Development
Leaders should establish employee scorecards, key performance indicators, and HPAs.
Coaching and Feedback
Providing mentoring and feedback to improve employee performance.
Training and Motivation
Assisting staff in creating training, career, and motivational plans.
Process Improvement
Creating, documenting, and improving the processes for more streamlined operations.
Implementing Effective Delegation
Leaders should delegate tasks that others can perform more efficiently, cost-effectively, or for personal growth. Starting with simple tasks allows leaders to gradually assign more duties. Providing clear instructions and emphasizing the significance of the task are key aspects of effective delegation.
Addressing Performance Issues
Leaders should investigate and address the root causes of underperforming staff. Communication gaps, lack of training, motivation, or unclear expectations might be contributing factors. Leaders must actively engage in training to manage teams better.
Providing Clear Instructions and Feedback
Written job expectations enable managers to provide feedback, assess performance, and hold employees accountable. Regular coaching and feedback sessions contribute to team improvement. Leaders should avoid using the term “constructive criticism” and instead focus on offering guidance.
Building Interpersonal Skills
Effective leadership hinges on cultivating strong relationships. Developing emotional intelligence is an important part of managing ones self and interpersonal relationships. Acknowledging the need for assistance and focusing on task completion can help leaders manage their peers effectively.