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;

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

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.