Category: Personal Development

The Choice Between pain and Pleasure, it’s what determines your success.

We all have a choice but do we have the courage to make the right choice. The choice between pain and pleasure determines your success. The successful, the achievers, they understand this truth;

The Pain of regret is much worse than the pain of discipline

We all face fear, fear of failure, fear of ridicule, or fear of rejection. Whats holding you back from your goals and dreams? Fear typically manifest itself in procratsination, self doubt, and negetive self talk, you know that voice in your head.

We all have big goals and dreams, in fact I confidently believe Like Les Brown who often says, We ALL have greatness within us. Sadly though, most of us never achieve our greatest desires, in fact most settle for a life of medeocrity, never even start the pursuit of the life we dream of. Why is this?

Our pursuits and our decisions are drivin by pain and pleasure, Its how we are wired. We subconciously make a choice between pain and pleasure. Obviously we fear pain, the pain of rejection. The fear of stepping out in front of the world and failing, scared of what our friends and loved ones might think. We fear ridicule and judgement. Funny how those who are most judgemental are the ones that would never risk attempting anything great themsleves so your attempt scares them. It makes them feel threatended or exposed as weak because they havent the courage to face ther fears, yet I digress.

Pleasure is a much easier pursuit but its not alawys the best choice. Instant graditification is often the root of destroyed relationships. It is for many the reason we are over weight and unhealthy. its in large part why many struggle financially. It is the easy way out with regard to the decision making process, this is why as a society so many seek instant gradification yet to our own detriment.

The most successful, the achievers, they understand putting off instant gradification for long term success and happiness. Folks that are healthy and fit put in the time to excercise and are disciplene to eat healthy. Those that are financially fit set their budget and are disciplened in their spending and their saving. It is not by magic or for most that they were born with a silver spoon.

High achievers use their time wisely and intentionally, here are just three examples of what successful wealthy people do to help face and overcome their fears. They set themsleves up for success so they wont feel the pain of regret. These are just a few exapmples from Thomas Corley’s study of wealthy folks.

80% of the wealthy are focused on accomplishing some single goal. Only 12% of the poor do this.

Succesful people more easily face their fears when they have a clear vision of what they want. They have a clear writtin plan, a blueprint for achieving the goal. They understand their why behind the goal, and their why and their desire is greater than their fears.

6% of the wealthy watch reality TV vs. 78% of poor.

Achievers dont just sit on the side lines of life and watch others chase their dreams, or in some cases in reality TV destroy their lives. They intensionally and activly pursue their dreams.

86% of the wealthy believe in lifelong educational self-improvement vs. 5% of poor.

Those who understand that to chase your dreams and to face fear you have to embrace personal development, living your best life is about improving yourself everyday. Jim Rohn always said, “work harder on yourself than you do on your job”.

With regard to these statistics it is Understand that wealth is not necessarilly THE determining factor for success and happines. Having said that there obvioulsy is a clear correlation between success, achievement, happiness and wealth. Success is a reslult of smart habbits. If you will embrace just these three habits you too can pursue your goals with more courage to face your fears.

High Performance Teams

There’s been a lot of talk lately about high performance teams. If you’re here reading this chances are you are like me, interested in learning and improving your skills, knowledge, and performance. To do that you need to have an open mind to explore new ideas and be open to changing the way we do things.

High performance teams are comprised of any group of people trying to achieve a goal, here’s a few examples;

• A General Contracting project team, Superintendent(s), carpenters, Laborers, project managers, and project engineers.
• A plumbing contractor with a team of Foremen all working on different projects.
• Electrical Subcontractor working on a project with a team of Electricians, apprentices, and laborers.
• A residential HVAC service contractor with a team of Technicians.

The concept is simple, a team of individuals working together to achieve a common goal. The team is put together;

• as a master mind group generally to think through the plan, coordinate interconnected task, to measure progress, and adjust the plan as needed.
• To brain storm solutions to problems.
• To hold each other accountable.
• for personal development

One other element to this team that I think is the most powerful is this, the team genuinely looks out for the interest of the other team members by building trust in each other. How do we do this?

• High performance teams meet weekly to review the scope and schedule and to identify goals for the upcoming week. (coordinated with the project schedule) Identifies daily activities for the next week required to achieve weekly goals.
• Sets stretch goals, longer terms goals. This could be schedule milestones for the next 4 to 6 weeks, completing more billable service calls over the next month, or hitting your schedule marks while reducing labor cost are just a few examples.
• Review the prior weeks goals, what goals did we achieve? Where did we fall short and why? How do we fit the completion of missed goals in this weeks schedule without negatively impacting the scheduled goals for this week?
• What does each individual need, resources, materials, etc. to hit his/her marks for the week?
• What issues or problems are team members having? How can we find solutions? Is there another team member that can help?

High perfomance teams are built on trust and respect working with laser focus on a common goal.

High Performance Teams are built on trust

These meetings are where trust is built. This is where team members should be able to share exactly where they are, what they need, and problems they are having in an environment where everyone is looking out for each other. There’s is no ego or competition, the project or goals are the priority. When one succeeds everyone succeeds.
I know no-one wants more unproductive boring meetings on their schedule but I’m telling you, if you put your team together and implement the High-Performance Team concept your project will be more productive, efficient, and successful.
It takes a real leader to build a High-Performance team, are you that leader?

Three Steps to 90 day learning cycles

The only way we become our best and stay on top of our game is if we commit to lifelong learning. How much better would you be in a year if you committed to studying a new subject, trade, or product every 90 days. I want to share with you three steps to 90 day learning cycles to make you the best you can be. These ideas work for any career or industry.

Lifelong Learning is the key to achievment and success, Start with 90 day learning cycles

ONE – Work harder on yourself than you do on your job

The great Jim Rohn said, work harder on yourself than you do at your job. If you havent heard of Jim Rohn I encourage you to watch this video . The idea is, work hard at developing your self, developing your potential, and building on your skills and knowledge. If you will do this the bring more value to the maret place. The more value you bring, the more income, benefits, and perks you can demand.

Work on your leadership and people skils, what is called, the soft skills. These skills will take you farther than your field knowledge. If you can influence others to want to work for you, to want to carry out your vision, and build loyalty and respect you will be successful.

I advise starting out reading all you can. Commit to reading one book a month. The best place to start for leadership is John Maxwell, read all his books. I recomend starting with, “Developing the Leader Within You”.
The best book there is on developing people skills is “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. Read this book and then re-read once every year.

Two – Study The different discplines of the industry picking a new subject every 90 days.

We all have areas we are strong, and then if we are honest we would have to admit we all have areas we are weaker. Lets strengthen our weaknesses. As the Superintendent on the job, the more you know about each trade the better you can understand the needs of the project and the requirements of your trade partners.

Pick a subject, concrete, utilities, electrical, HVAC systems for example and find liturature or books to study your subject for 90 days. Each industry has loaded the internet with information on thier products, systems and codes. Firestone Building products website for example is loaded with liturature detailing specifications, installation instructions, and details. You can find this type of information for almost everything you’ll encounter on the job.

Utilize the information on the internet, purchase a book, or ask your trade partners you currently work with if they have any books or information you can borrow.

Three – Utilize your current trade partners as resources

Once you’ve decided what your subject of study is for a specific 90 day cycle, utilize your trade partners as resources. Take a foreman from a Subcontractor to lunch and pick his brain about his trade and his job. Most people love to talk about themselves and they will take a free lunch.

Be right up front and tell them you’re interested in learning more about his/her trade. This is your chance to ask questions from those in the trenches. Questions like, what are code requirements or even better, what is typically a reason inspections are failed? What is the biggest contributor to inefficiencies in your work? How could I help you be more efficient or effective in getting your work done? Is there a particular trade you need to coordinate with the most and how can this be improved?

This is also a great opportunity to build relationships, show them you care. Ask them how they got into the trade and there back ground.

Imagine how much you can learn if you didthis just once a month for a year with different trade parters.

Want to be the best? You’ve got to keep learning

The Best Leaders Encourage a Diversity of Thought

If you want to separate yourself from the pack and be the most effective leader you can be, you’ve got to challenge yourself. Challenge your thoughts, your ideas, and most importantly your ego. You’ve got to have the courage to encourage a diversity of thought within your team.

I’ve been around a lot of smart people in the construction industry. I’ve noticed there are some people who are really smart, but they don’t reach their full potential. They get “out-performed” by others who may not have the education or experience they have. Often they top out, they hit a wall they just can’t get beyond. What causes this?

CHECK YOUR EGO

Typically, its their ego. They arrogantly feel like they are so smart there is nothing anyone else can teach them. There’s nothing they can learn from the folks that work for or around them. The mear thought of giving consideration to the ideas of others is a challenge their ego and they can’t have that. Know anyone like that? I’ve seen it, been around it, don’t like it.
You know, the guy that knows it all. Once that’s your mind set you are destined to be mediocre. You may achieve a certain level of success, but you’ll never be the best you can be.

Diversity OF Thought

So how do you get the best from yourself and the team around you? After all its about the team and the success of the project, isn’t it? All teams need the best information and ideas to be most effective. By promoting a diversity of thought the best solutions rise to the top.

Theres a lot of talk about diversity these days. Typically this focuses simply on races, gender, age for example. These differences are important as they shape peoples perspective but theres a more important component. These different perspectives shape peoples ideas and thought processes. Leaders who create an environment of trust where all team mates are comfortable sharing their thoughts, thier ideas, lead more successful teams.

Successful teams bring idependent thought and ideas together for a common goal

Example

How do you do this? Look for and encourage a diversity of thought. The biggest break throughs and discoveries come from crazy ideas. If you have blinders on and stick with the old, “this is the way we always do it” mentality, you are going to get left behind. A true leader isn’t afraid to ask questions of others. Get your team together, maybe a trusted circle of peers, and start kicking around ideas.

Here’s what I started doing over the last year with great results. When trying to find solutions to schedule, work flow, details, whatever the issue at the time is we can be hesitant to throw out ideas because we fear what others might think. I know that’s not you but its just about everyone else. You’ve got to take fear and hesitation off the table right up front.

I start off this way, I talk about the greatest inventions of the world. The greatest breakthroughs started off as a crazy vision or idea that were originally thought to be a non-starter or crazy. These crazy ideas were the launching pad to breakthroughs, inventions, and solutions.

Then I throw out an aggressive goal or farfetched idea to get the conversation started. On more than one occasion I’ve had a team member say, well if we’re thinking crazy, how about this? And the conversation starts.

Typically, this is how it goes down. I throw out an idea that may never work, but we are stretching our thought process right? What happens then is we end up saying, no we cant do that but what if we do this, and then we could, and so on. When you throw out big crazy ideas you can easily work your way back to what’s real. In doing this often the team as a whole stretches their thinking and the answers and outcomes are better than anyone individually thought was possible.

What type of leader are you?

Don’t be afraid of someone having a better idea. A true leader is confident in themselves and builds an environment where a diversity of thought is a goal. The best field leaders’ number one priority is the success of the project and the team. Check your ego and focus the best ideas and solutions and you will excel and be known as a great leader.

A CALL TO ACTION TO IMPROVE FINANCIAL HEALTH

Theres a lot of talk about the Government shut down and Government workers not being able to pay bills or buy food after not being paid for thirty days. While I have compassion for thier struggle, we’ve got to use this situation as a wake up call. A call to action to improve our financial health.

I typically like to talk about and focus on leadership and developing better Construction Field Leaders. This subject however impacts us all. This past month its been the government shut down but we in the construction industry know all to well the impact of shut downs, economic down turns, and hard ship.

The financial heath and fitness of Americans is in bad shape, really bad shape. Look at a few of the statistics from Debt.com;

Just how bad is it?

19% have $0 saved
31% have less than $500
39% have less than $1000 saved
Th avaerage American credit card debt is $16,245
44% could not pay for a $400 emrgency out of pocket

How do we fix this?

First of all understand that it is fixable. We’ve got to first recognize the problem, seek out the solutions, then employ some discipline, and take action. The steps needed aren’t any real secret or some amazing strategy. They’ve been the same since the begining of time. Obviously number one is, dont spend more than you make. The old saying is, it isnt how much you make, its how much you keep. Its not a well guarded secret, its that simple. So how do you do that or more importanly, how do you get out of debt and on the road to saving?

I am a big advocate of Dave Ramseys work, full disclosure I am a certified Dave Ramsey financial coach. Ramsey has

After setting up you budget, these are the steps to freedom
transformed the lives of thousands of people struggling with debt. His basic priciples, the 7 baby steps is simple but effective. To start the baby stpes you must have a budget to undertsand whats happening with the money you are earning now. Have you ever wondered, where does all my money go? Most Americans do. To start the baby steps you must have a budget for the following reasons;

1. Understand where your money is going.
2. Identify wastefull spending and habits.
3. Make adjustments and tell your money where to go. Intentional spending.
4. Priorotize and set goals.
5. Track your spending/savings goals

We’ve got to take control of and be responsible for our own financial health. Follow these steps and teachings and you can protect yourself against the next government shutdown, lay off, or economic downturn.

Three ways to build trust, loyalty, and respect in the field

We all know construction can be a tough business, we need buy in and cooperation from everyone on the job if we want to have any chance of success. Building trust, respect, and loyalty is paramount for leaders who want to be the best they can be.

How others respond to you, their respect and loyalty, and their willingness to go the extra mile for you is in direct proportion to how you treat them and others.
Here’s three ways to build trust, loyalty, and respect in the field;

IT STARTS WITH YOU

Treat everyone on the job the same

Treat everyone with respect and honor, from the Owner/Architect, the Subcontractor foremen, to the laborer cleaning up. Everyone gets treated equally and respectfully. Obviously, everyone wants to be treated well but they are also watching how you treat others. When you show the laborer the same respect you show the Architect, or your boss, you gain respect. When you are genuinely interested in other and believe care about them and have their best interest in mind, you’ve built an ally.
“People Won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” Teddy Roosevelt

Do NOT criticize people publicly


There are obviously be times when you need to correct someone’s behavior, or address subpar performance, or quality of work. If possible, this must be done on a one on one bases. It should be done in the spirit of positive attitude and constructive criticism.

I’ve never been one to sugar coat a serious performance or quality issue, if there’s a problem I’m all about getting it corrected sooner rather than later. I do believe there’s a good way and a bad way to deal with these issues when working with people, I good leaders know the difference.
The good leader will address the problem head on while letting the individual save face, stay confident while understanding what they need to improve. A simple approach you may of heard of is the “sandwich approach”, this is where you start out with some positives the individual has going for them, things they are doing right. The middle is where you lay out the problem. You explain what the problems are and how they are impacting the project, the team, and relationships. Talk about how these issues can be improved and what you need to see out of them. Finally finish up again with a positive trait they have, why they are so important to the project and the team. And let them know that they are important to you and important to the success of the project.

The poor leader will call them out in a meeting in a room full of people. I’ve see the poor leader yell and scream at his employee if front of the entire site. This “leader has lost all trust not only in the individual he humiliates but also those who witness this. They know it could be them next. The days of the yeller and screamer to try and get production are long gone.

Do not gossip or talk about people behind their back

Why should they care what you know?

Its amazing to me the gossiping that goes on around a construction site. When someone talks disparagingly about someone else to me, I always think, is this how they talk about me?
I don’t mean talking the job but personal attacks or insults. There’s no place for it. The good leader understands this, the poor leader is too arrogant to care.

Practice the three simple concepts and you can build trust, loyalty, and respect in the field. See what John Maxell say about loyalty.

Construction Field leader master mind group

Note: This concept works for anyone in a line of work.

Where do you go when you need to bounce ideas off someone? Have a question about a product or detail? How to deal with a difficult team member or owner? Wouldn’t it be nice to discuss your field issues with others who are in the trenches just like you? Guys who work for other companies with different cultures and experiences. Check your ego and form a Construction field Leader Master Mind group.
Why not build a team of 4 to 5 trusted allies that each of you can count on, can help each other solve problems and issues your having on the job?

A construction Field leader master mind group. Here are just a few benefits;

Build your mastermind group for problem solving, ideas, success

• Don’t understand a detail, material installation, contract clause, or any issue, wouldn’t it be nice to have trusted partners you can run some questions by? Each of you have different experiences and back grounds, chances are someone in your group has the answer. Maybe next time its your experience that solves an issue for someone else.
• Different companies have different cultures, policies, and procedures, maybe you could benefit from incorporating different means and methods from other companies.
• Having trouble with a difficult subcontractor, Owner, or your project manager? Someone in your group has probably been in a similar situation.
• Having a trusted team outside your company can be valuable in just knowing you can ask any questions or seek an opinion without judgement. Remember inside companies there can be a lot of competition and judgement. Your trusted mastermind group isn’t going to be talking with your coworkers and or management about you.

Check your ego

Be like Albert, check your ego and build your knowledge.

I’ve been in the industry for a while and I have spent a lot of time in the field, there can be a lot of egos out there. Some guys like to think they know it all and don’t need help from anyone. Bullshit! There’s a lot of huff and puff out there, beating on your chest. I think that’s typically a lame smoke screen, so no body dares find out you don’t know something.
If your confident in who you are, what you represent, and understand that we can all learn something from everyone, this concept won’t be a threat to your ego. If you want to be your best, the best, you know that you’ve got to continually be learning and improving.
Why not take advantage of your very own Construction Mastermind group and multiply your experience and knowledge.

You are the Leader on your project, take ownership

You are the Leader on your project, take ownership

You are the Superintendent on the project, the leader, take ownership. Treat the project like it was your building you were going to live in. If you are a Trade Partner (Subcontractor) this goes for you as well. You take ownership of your scope and your responsibility as a team member. (This concept works for anyone on any type of project)

LEAD YOUR TEAM

Your team members will learn quickly if you are committed or not, you set the tone and expectations for the project. If you aren’t all in it will show and product, schedule, and budget will suffer.
You have got to also display leadership and people skills. I suggest you invest some of your personal time with personal development, reading, learning, taking classes and courses. If you want to be good or the best you must know how to influence others and get the team to buy in. The days of barking out orders and getting something done are long gone. Besides no-one wants to hear that, it doesn’t work.

You want to take ownership you’ve got to;

• Know the project better than anyone else. Dig through the details, notes, and submittals.

• Know your schedule, your mile stones, your completion date. Knowing the completion date seems
obvious but you would be surprised how many times when I’ve asked a Superintendent the
question, when is your completion date and the answer is, I don’t know or I’m not sure.

• Be a problem solver, certainly don’t be afraid to ask others for their thoughts and opinions
but don’t be afraid also to think outside the box to come up with solutions.

• Be the first to arrive and the last to leave. We all know that this job requires a lot of
hours, but you are the leader. If you have an assistant, you can share the responsibility of
locking up the site in the evening but always be there first. Having your subcontractors open
the site and lock the site on a consistent bases shows a lack of ownership.

• Don’t be a trailer Superintendent, you know what I mean, the guy who no-one ever sees the
walking the site, he never leaves the trailer or is always sitting in his truck. The guys in
the field notice that, if you are that guy, they are joking you.

• When walking the site don’t just be out for a walk, look for problems, look for thing that
just don’t seem right. If something doesn’t look right it probably isn’t. Identify issues as
early as you can so they can be addressed and correct as early as possible. The longer you
wait, the more costly they are in time and money.

• Have the ability to hold your own Subcontractor progress meetings, treat all Trade Partners
respectfully. again, know your schedule, the problems needing resolution, and the details.
This seems obvious but for many years I had to go to job sites once a week to hold the
Subcontractor progress meetings. As a result, the Subcontractors looked to me as the leader,
not the Superintendent.

Follow Through

Hand writing inscription It starts with You with marker, concept

These are just a few ideas you can and should implement to take ownership and be the leader of your project. If you want the be the best Superintendent, this is where you start. When you take ownership it is hard work but the rewards that come with it, respect, stature, accolades, and compensation are worth it.

New Year, Time to read How to Win Freinds and Influence people

How to win Friends and influence People, Dale Carnegie A personal development classic

Timeless wisdom. Do yourself a favor and read this book.

We are entering a new year and its a great time to re-read Dale Carnegie’s personal development classic, How to win Friends and Influence people. If you haven’t read this book I suggest you order it on Amazon or run to the nearest book store.
This book is a must read for anyone who works with people, has any relationships business or personal, wants to excel in a career and or as an entrepreneur. Okay I think that covers all human beings.

This is more than just a book that you read once and maybe pick up a few ideas you could apply in your life. Its more of a life and relationship manual. You’ll want to keep this book on your desk to refer to once a month to review and hold yourself accountable to the teachings.

We live in a day and age where soft skills and being able to lead people in the true sense of the word is paramount. You’ve got to have the people skills to inspire and influence others to buy into your vision, perform at high levels, to buy your product or service.

Dale Carnegie was way ahead of his time and that is why this book is more relevant today than when it was written in 1936.

Go after your dreams

You will find that there is a lesson on every page. You’ll need a new high lighter and a pen. My copy is high lighted and marked up with notes in the margins with many dog eared pages. While its highly educational its really interesting as well. The anecdotes about the tycoons of industry in the 30’s and 40′ like Charles Schwab, John D. Rockefeller, and Carnegie himself are fascinating.

How to win Friends and Influence people is a book for the individual who wants to succeed in business and in his/her personal relationships. If you want to improve your leadership and interpersonal skills this is a must read personal development classic. We suggest reading it once a year and then refer to it once a month and scan over your highlighted passages and notes to keep the lessons fresh in mind.

YOU ARE A LEADER, NO TITLE REQUIRED.

You are a leader, no title required. I’ve been studying leadership and the impact good leaders can have on business, careers, and relationships. I have had the opportunity to work for and be around great leaders and learn from them. I’ve also had the opportunity to be around poor leaders and learned lessons from them as well.

John Maxwell defines leadership as influence. Notice that there is no title needed to influence others. There is no requirement to be the president, CEO, or boss. This is why I believe we are all leaders or at least we have the ability to be leaders no matter what your position is at work, home, or out in public. We are all leaders, yes you too.

How can we be leaders or influence others if we are not in a position of authority?
By being the example of excellence. Now I don’t know that excellence is ever attained, I believe excellence is more of a consistent pursuit of your highest self, consistently giving your best effort, and stretching your god given potential.

What makes you a leader? Constantly being the example of and modeling of a high level of character and integrity. You couple that Character and integrity with commitment to self-improvement and you’re a leader that can make a real difference in your business, career, your relationships, in your life and the lives of others.

I want to share with you three simple character traits that if applied can and will make a real difference in your performance on many levels and will increase your influence on others.

Don’t be late.

Don’t be late to work, don’t be late to meetings, don’t be late to a family events. Showing up for work on time, be at your work station what ever that may be, ready to go. Being in the parking lot putting your shoes on or doing your make up doesn’t count as on time. Arrive at the meeting on time, prepared and ready to take care of business. What does on time mean? If you aren’t early you are late. If you aren’t 10 minutes early, getting prepared and ready to get after it at the designated time you are late. Being on time shows respect for others and the task at hand. If you aren’t early you are late.

Do more than what is expected.

Folks, the bar is set low out there, anyone can do the bare minimum and most people do. Why is that some people excel, achieve more, or get more done than others? They do what is expected and then a little more. Jim Rohn always talked about, your income is in direct proportion to the value you bring to the market place. So remember this, your value in the market place is created after you’ve done the bare minimum. Anyone can just show up, I see it all the time. People want to just show up and get rewarded. No, your value or at least your added value comes when you do what’s expected and then a little more. This applies to business and relationships. You do the bare minimum in your marriage you probably wont have a great marriage, go the extra miles on a consistent basis, it will pay off. Anyone can do the bare minimum, and most do.

Don’t be a complainer.

Great leaders are not complainers. IF you don’t bring a solution to a complaint you’re are a whiner, no-one likes a whiner. Great leaders do recognize when things aren’t going right or that there is a problem, but they bring a solution to the complaint. You see, that makes you a problem solver, not a complainer. Great leaders are always great problem solvers. Complaining can be contagious, don’t get sucked in by others. When others are complaining, ask the question, ok how can we correct the problem? What can we do to make the situation better? Always bring an idea for a solution to a complaint.

These three ideas seem simple, but they are practiced nearly as much as they should be. Notice nothing I’ve suggested requires a title. If you apply these ideas and make them your habits your influence on others will improve. You will be the example of excellence and you will be a great leader