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Stop the Management-vs-Employee Negative Mentality: Build Leaders, Build Culture, and Advance Together
165 Plays2 months ago
In the trades, talent and/or will gets you in the door, but mindset can determine how far you go. In this episode of The Better Contractor Podcast, Brent breaks down what actually gets people promoted in blue-collar companies and why so many skilled workers stay stuck. This conversation is for laborers, operators, foremen, and owners who want more than just another job. If you want to move up, earn more, build real leadership, or create a company people actually want to work for, this episode lays it out clearly.
No hype. No excuses. Just the standard required to become an A-level performer in the trades, and to build the culture to keep them.
#TheBetterContractor #BlueCollarLeadership #TradesLife #ContractorMindset #LeadershipInTheTrades #ForemanLife #Leadership #TradeBusiness #WorkEthic #APlayer #Contractor #Landscaping #TreeCare #Hardscaping #Entrepreneur #Entrepreneurship
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Transcript
The Price of Leadership
00:00:00
Speaker
You wanna boss up your life? All gotta do is get in with me I don't even pay to get in the club They know I'm a walking T I'm presidential leaving the club We ain't stopping at no lights You wanna be a boss?
00:00:11
Speaker
You gotta pay the price Left wrist on froze Welcome back to another edition of the Better Contractors. the last episode we did kind of dealt with foremen and leadership and how they can move up the ladder. And as a result of that one, we had some requests that we do the same thing, but for laborers, for operators, but also for business owners and leaders.
00:00:34
Speaker
And the reason being, this is for both of those. is because sometimes a lot of owners think, hey, I'm going to only look at what my foreman can do, what my employees need to do to become better for me.
00:00:48
Speaker
And that isn't necessarily the only way to look at it.
Skills vs. Mindset: Pathways to Advancement
00:00:51
Speaker
You have to have the owners also looking at it through the eyes of the employee because you need to be somewhere they want to actually work.
00:00:59
Speaker
So, guys, In blue collar work, skills will get you in the door, but your attitude and mindset determines how far you will go. So what i mean by that is blue collar work, your operating equipment, there is some skill set that you have that the employer is looking for.
00:01:17
Speaker
But if that's all you bring to the table, that is probably capping yourself at exactly where you currently are and no more. If you wanna move up that ladder, you have to get new skillsets. You have to become a leader, a manager in that company.
00:01:30
Speaker
That is most people's ultimate goal is to move up the ladder to at least a project manager maybe bidding and estimating, stuff like that, where as you get older and you cannot physically do some of the work, you have built a skillset to be able to do more managerial type tasks. But that does require a mindset shift.
Bridging the Owner-Employee Divide
00:01:49
Speaker
And what I mean by that also, and why I brought owners into it is a lot of times in the blue collar industry or just in business in general, there is unfortunately a us versus them mindset, meaning ownership, leadership versus the employees.
00:02:04
Speaker
And that can't be in order for you to move up the ladder, flip the script when it comes to the owner. That can't be because it's always going to be an us versus a mindset and you are never going to develop culture.
00:02:18
Speaker
So we had to kind of break that down a little bit and break through that. So. But let's face it, guys, good bosses and good employees are hard to find. We all know that, especially in this world.
00:02:29
Speaker
And this is an opportunity for all of us to step up and do better and hopefully advance your career. But also owners give you the the people, the guys, the crews that you are very much wanting to do the work.
Mindset Shifts for Employees and Culture Building for Owners
00:02:41
Speaker
So overall, this episode is gonna be about how employees can shift their mindset, build leadership qualities and take control their career path, and exactly also how owners can hopefully build culture by removing the us versus them mindset. So first,
00:02:56
Speaker
Let's talk about what owners actually are looking for. They're looking for reliability. That's a simple one, guys. Reliability meaning if your shift starts at 7 a.m., that you're actually there at 7, that you don't call in, that there's not customer complaints on your work.
00:03:14
Speaker
that if there's requirements or best practices or standards that your company has set, that you meet those basic requirements and your name is not coming across the management or leadership's desk in a negative way.
00:03:28
Speaker
That's a simple one. I think that's very much on you to do. So that is a simple one for most people. So number two is coachability. So that's something I think a lot of people are looking for now.
00:03:38
Speaker
We all know, hey, most people or this person can do this skill set and I'm hiring for that specific skill set. But more often than not now, owners are looking for people who could then be coached past that point.
00:03:52
Speaker
So do you have formative leadership and other skill sets that will help you move up that ladder?
Key Qualities for Leadership Growth
00:03:58
Speaker
If the answer is no and you are capped at that position, you may still get hired.
00:04:03
Speaker
But what's going to be hard is for you to move up the ladder and increase your pay, increase your positions, go ladder that way. If you cannot be coachable, you're probably going to be stuck where you are. Let's be real.
00:04:14
Speaker
Initiative. So what I mean by that, and this is something that stands out to me easily on a job site when I visit job sites. If there is something to be done, does someone go do it?
00:04:26
Speaker
I've seen two different types of employees, two different types of people where one, I have to give them everything that and that needs to be done that day. The other is, hey, they wrapped up those 10 things or whatever it is that I had to to do, had them do. And now they said, you know what? I got an hour left in my day.
00:04:46
Speaker
I see ab B, and C that needs to be done. And they just go do it. That will stand out a lot. So guys, initiative is a huge thing. The next one is attitude under stress.
00:04:58
Speaker
So especially if you are wanting a leadership position or eyeing one, This is going to be huge. So we all know in blue collar work, poo hits the fan periodically, probably almost daily.
00:05:10
Speaker
Are you someone that focuses on the stress of the situation? Are you someone who just constantly is focused on there's always an issue? Or are you someone that spends it just a couple minutes on the issue and then moves your entire team and your entire crew to the solution for that?
00:05:27
Speaker
Are you someone who every time something bad happens in the job site, you are immediately calling your foreman or your project manager, whoever you're working for and asking for every piece of advice they have every time something happens, or are you just handling some stuff?
00:05:42
Speaker
That kind of stuff will stick out, especially as you're being eyed for a leadership position. Next, I have team mindset. So I've seen two different types of people here as well. Some who go in and want to be and be known as the person on that crew.
00:05:58
Speaker
And as a result, they tear down others. They do not coach others. They do not create new leaders inside of the company. It is basically a crew of them and a bunch of helpers.
00:06:08
Speaker
A true leader is going to coach and build up other people underneath them and make everyone on their crew better. Next one is work ethic. To me, this is something that you either have or do not have.
00:06:20
Speaker
To me, this is also something that you need to put your name on. So for me, no matter what I've done over the years, and you know I've been in business for myself for most of my adult life, but prior to that, there were some periods where I worked for other people.
00:06:33
Speaker
I didn't always love those jobs, did not always love who I worked with, but I always, always showed up. I did everything i just talked about, and I always had work ethic. because it was my name being put on that job and i wanted it and that mattered to me.
00:06:48
Speaker
So work ethic has to come from you. It has to be something you develop, has to be something that's grit inside of you. Next is integrity. People got to trust you, whether that's the owner of the company or people underneath you, for you to be in leadership, the people below you need to trust you, you need to be a person who does what they say and ownership needs to also trust you.
00:07:08
Speaker
So what is the mindset shift that employees need to make? Number one, you're not just an employee. You should take pride in whatever you put your name to. Number two, leadership starts long before a title.
00:07:21
Speaker
And I say that because I've seen a lot of times where we have promoted internally Atlantic Corp, people into positions, especially more here recently. Because they've already acted like a leader, and it just made sense for them to move on up the ladder with a little bit more training.
00:07:35
Speaker
But if you're just a good operator, you should not expect that you're just gonna automatically be put into a leadership position or managerial position just because you have 10 years of the company and just because you have experience on every piece of equipment.
00:07:49
Speaker
Because if you're not a leader, you're not a manager, then you don't need to be in that position. You will just remain an operator. So you need to start acting and being that leader before you actually want that promotion.
00:08:00
Speaker
Number three, you're being watched in a good way. Owners watch for people who step up when no one is looking. So I can think of many times where names cross my desk and if it's overly negative or overly positive, when those positions open up above them that I know that person is wanting, just know you are being watched whether it feels like it or not. People are mentioning your name. People are seeing what you're doing.
00:08:27
Speaker
Maybe right now there is not a position that is open and available, but chances are there's going to be, and you need to be someone that they think of in a good way for that position when that position opens.
00:08:39
Speaker
Number four, your attitude is a choice, not a reaction. Bad weather, tough job sites, long days, everyone in the blue collar space, we deal with those. The ones who stay positive are who move up. I cannot think of how many times we've had guys, you know, over the years, obviously, just like anyone else in this industry, where they're negative in those negative situations.
00:09:02
Speaker
People can destroy a crew, destroy destroy the morale. And I'm telling you guys that if you want to move up, that is not something that your ah leader or boss or owner is looking for.
00:09:13
Speaker
So next, how employees can become leaders without a title. So ah in the previous bit, we mentioned you need to kind of become that before the time comes for that promotion, because that will automatically put you into that position.
Demonstrating Leadership as an Employee
00:09:27
Speaker
So I would ask these questions. What can I help with? and what needs done next. That alone guys is gonna put you in that top percent of people because that is two things that stand out to me so quickly because there's honestly, if you're going to be in leadership or production or leadership or a foreman position, that's what you're gonna have to start doing is thinking, okay, what do I need to do?
00:09:53
Speaker
What does person A, B and C on my crew need to be doing? What needs be done next? And then just go do it. Number two, You need to learn the why, not just the how. So understand the purpose behind tasks is going to make you promotable.
00:10:06
Speaker
I can't think of how many times over a period of time where leadership or people who were moving up that ladder, you need to be able to explain the why behind task, because for most people, just simply telling people to go do something, it doesn't work.
00:10:22
Speaker
So if you're going to move up the ladder, become getting that leadership position or whatever position you're wanting to do, you need to be able to fully understand what you guys do at your company, but learn that why and not just the how. Number three, you need to become solutions oriented, not complaint oriented.
00:10:40
Speaker
So I cannot think of how many times where people are not that way. The best leaders will always, always, always spend a little bit of time on the problem and a whole bunch of the time on the solution.
00:10:53
Speaker
But what I see a lot, not just in blue collar, but just across working career, working area out there is I see people who do not think that way, even in their personal lives. They'll spend hours and hours and hours complaining about something going on when really that doesn't do any good unless you just need hours and hours to process something.
00:11:14
Speaker
Your focus needs to be on how to fix whatever that is. And that is especially true when it comes to business leadership managerial type skills, because time is money. So if you're spending 10 hour day and you're focused eight hours on just freaking out over the issue, you need to take that eight hours or that 10 hour day, make nine and a half of it on how to actually deal with that and move forward, because that is what is going to get that company back on the good, hopefully profitable route production focused.
00:11:42
Speaker
But you cannot do that when you're focused on the issue and complaining about it. And especially if you're complaining about with your crew, because you'll destroy the morale of all of them. Number four, you need to own mistakes quickly.
00:11:52
Speaker
There is nothing that will earn your earn respect faster than that. So guys basically, and that's just going to be simple. If you mess up your guys on a crew, just simply say, hey, that was my bad. I'm going to try hard not to let that happen again. And and and then actually back that up and say, hey, if you see me doing this again, let me know.
00:12:10
Speaker
that is going to get crew respect faster than probably anything. Number five, how can employees grow those skills? So I would pick one skill to master every quarter would be something I would do. So with Lander Corp, for example, you can get pay increases by learning how to operate different pieces of equipment by getting your CDL, all those types of things. That's probably not uncommon in the blue collar world. Most of us are doing those types of things. where We're using equipment, but learn how to,
00:12:39
Speaker
do something new every single quarter. Over the course of a year, you've learned four new things. Over the course of three years, guess what? you've You've added 12 different things.
00:12:49
Speaker
Most companies don't have a ton of different things there. So if you've done that, automatically you have a bunch more certifications and most companies, at least like Lander Corp, When you master that new skill, add that piece of equipment, normally that involves a pay raise.
00:13:03
Speaker
So again, you're moving up the ladder no matter what, but it's also making you more valuable to the company and therefore more valuable to move up the ladder with a leadership type position. Number two.
00:13:14
Speaker
Learn from the best guy on the crew. So I think it's critical and I can think so many times in the past where a very, very good foreman, I've put people with them and I've saw i've seen them shine. I've seen multiple people in that crew grow.
00:13:29
Speaker
They went and got their you know additional certifications like I just talked about. They went and got their CDL. Their leadership skills improved. On the flip side, I've seen the opposite that happen with bad foremen, four persons, and it'd be the opposite. And I've put a decent labor or something with that person, and I've seen it go the other direction.
00:13:48
Speaker
So if you want to grow your skills, learn from the best guy on the crew, but also be that but best guy on that crew. Number three, study the next job above yours.
00:13:59
Speaker
So for example, I'm gonna take this back to Lander Corp as well, because it's something I practice and do and and evolve with every day. But let's say you are a foreman and I can think of one here recently that was kind of been dabbling with some sales.
00:14:14
Speaker
but he's a four person. So we had a little bit of a slow period, challenged him to do some sales. He made sales. So that is an example though of jumping into that next role. A while back, we had someone step up into a, you know, lead a safety call.
00:14:31
Speaker
that And he did they did awesome. So anytime you can study the job that you want to go to or one above you and actually you step up and do that role, even if it's temporary, you're gaining those skills.
00:14:44
Speaker
You're showing people that, hey, when the time comes for that advancement or that job opening, I can do it. But you got to study it and start practicing it before that time comes.
00:14:55
Speaker
Number four, communicate clearly. So short, clear, respectful communication is gonna make you look like a leader. That is probably one of the biggest things I've seen over time is that good leadership is not only direct, but quick to have those conversations.
00:15:14
Speaker
Bad leadership in the field or even higher than that I've seen either fails to have those direct, meaningful, honest conversations. They're scared to or what happens a lot is their buddies because chances are your crew has been with you every single day, Monday through Friday, sometimes on weekends.
00:15:32
Speaker
And you guys have been together for a long time and honestly, you become friends. And that's what I would expect. and That's what I want. But some people think that you cannot have those tough conversations, communicate clearly and honestly when you are friends.
00:15:45
Speaker
I'm going challenge that and and and and hope that you can do better. And there's podcasts where we've talked about just that on how to communicate pre-frame. But that's got to be something, that's got to be a skill set that you learn. It's got to be something that you're not afraid to go do. Because as an owner, I'm telling you,
00:16:04
Speaker
the right leader, the right foreman will go into a tough situation deal with it, communicate it, and honestly come out with more respect than they had before.
00:16:14
Speaker
So I think that's something a lot of people have just honestly just struggled with because nobody wants to have those hard conversations. Let's face it, it's not fun, but there is a good way to do it. There's a respectful way to do it. And there's a way to do it that also you gain respect by the end of that because of how you handled it. So I would take it as an opportunity. I would take it as actually a good thing to be able to step up and lead differently. than maybe how they had other bosses in the past do it.
00:16:39
Speaker
So look at as a challenge, but one that can have a great return for you. Number five, this probably seems a little bit generic. But it works. Keep a clean truck work area.
00:16:50
Speaker
Organization is everything. I know for us at Lander Corp, if I go to a job site, it's one of the first things I look at is, are the trucks clean? are Is stuff put up? Is stuff scattered about the job site? Is it organized?
00:17:04
Speaker
Because to me, when you have chaos like that, you know, chaos meaning stuff is just not organized. that increases the chances for a safety incident.
00:17:14
Speaker
If the customer walks up on site while that's the case, they're immediately wondering, did they hire the right company to come do the job? If you guys have landowners or your person is a homeowner that you're working for, it just looks bad parked in the driveway. Nobody wants that dirty junky truck when they open the door, cans fall out, stuff like that. So it's just a very, very basic thing.
00:17:38
Speaker
that everyone is going to judge you on. And it's a super, super easy thing to address. So the next one, number six, ah next topic is what owners wish every employee understood.
Trust and Independence in Employee Management
00:17:50
Speaker
so A little bit different, but basically number one, we're looking for people that we can trust when we're not on site. If I had to summarize a lot of this under, under one sentence, it would be that when I'm looking for someone at a higher level, that is what I want is someone who I know I put so-and-so on this job site. It is going to be done the way i would like it to be done.
00:18:15
Speaker
That means we're aligned on core values. That means we're aligned. on best practices. It means that we're aligned on what that job site looks like. Number two, promotions happen when we see their leadership behaviors, not when someone wants it.
00:18:29
Speaker
So I think sometimes guys, it's very easy to be like, oh, the company's making money or I've been here an extra six months over this person. So now I automatically just get a raise.
00:18:43
Speaker
There's a lot of economics and there's a lot of financial stuff behind the scenes that probably a lot of people just don't see when you're in the field. I get that. I've been on that side of the fence before, but I'm telling you, when we see, as an owner, when we see people below us or that work for us, whatever, and they are irreplaceable, that is when you get a promotion.
00:19:06
Speaker
It's plain and simple. I don't care what industry you are in, whether there's blue collar, even if you're already in leadership and management. Your promotions are going to come because you've become irreplaceable. And that should be your goal.
00:19:18
Speaker
Number three, great attitude beats great skill. We talked about this one earlier, but I cannot repeat it enough. Skills can normally be taught as long as there's a basic level of understanding of the tool of equipment operation, whatever it is.
00:19:32
Speaker
Great attitude is incredibly hard to find. And that is something that is harder, more difficult to be taught. Obviously, you know, as an owner, we have our part that we owe you in culture.
00:19:45
Speaker
But a generally negative person is always going to be generally negative. So if that is you and you are wanting to move up and you're maybe wondering why, you might look inward and just say, hey, what is my attitude at work?
00:19:57
Speaker
How do I communicate with people that work alongside me, my team, my crew? Am I shit talking upper management all the time? If the answers to those are those are yes, I do those things, that may be all that is holding you back. And that just needs to be an attitude shift.
00:20:14
Speaker
Number four, if you act like a ah foreman before you are one, most likely you'll become one. don't have anything to add to that. Number five, work ethic is the greatest competitive advantage in the trades. So I think when we talk about attitude, work ethic is the other one.
00:20:29
Speaker
We all completely understand that those two combined, that is a powerhouse employee that every single owner wants to have so desperately.
00:20:40
Speaker
So, The next big point I had now is actually for the leaders. Great employees want to work for great companies and bosses. So what do you guys need to do? So owners, people who are already in leadership managerial positions, what do you need to do? This isn't all on the employees, like I said in the very beginning.
00:20:57
Speaker
There's stuff you have to do or you're not going to ever attract the type of employee that I just talked about. Or at best, they don't do not stay with you. So what do you need to do? You need to set clear expectations.
00:21:09
Speaker
Your team cannot hit targets that they can't see or you've not communicated. Great leaders define what good looks like. They're setting those production goals. They're setting those safety standards, the timelines, the behaviors, the KPIs, the stuff that you are looking for.
00:21:26
Speaker
If you are not communicating that to your team on a regular basis, it is going to be very, very difficult for them to say, hey, I've met whatever standard, whatever production goal, safety goal, whatever it is.
00:21:39
Speaker
You have to set clear expectations for them. Then you also need to tell them how they can get there and give them feedback. If you don't think someone is doing it. You need to sit them down and say, hey, I know this is a target. This is a goal that we both shared. This where we want to be um on the job, on production, whatever, safety.
00:21:58
Speaker
And if they're not meeting, you owe them a sit down to go over why it's not being hit. Maybe it's something they're doing wrong that you can coach them through. But maybe you didn't get the job right. And if that's the case and you need to take ownership for that one and say, hey,
00:22:11
Speaker
You were, it appears that you were doing all you can do, but it looks like we've bid this job wrong and that is not on you and we got to fix it. And then you need to go fix it. Take that ownership. Number two, need to remove roadblocks. So leaders, sometimes you just need to ask, what do you need from me to be successful?
00:22:30
Speaker
Sometimes maybe a successive paperwork. Maybe there are other issues on the crew that you're not aware of because you're in the office. You need to ask the guys, girls in the field,
00:22:41
Speaker
What do you need from me in order to be successful? And the second part of that question is how can I help you achieve the goals that you want in your career? So that is giving them to be able to communicate with you. And I would recommend speaking of those two points.
00:22:56
Speaker
doing some kind of evaluation at least every six months, if not even more frequently. And I would make sure it's not ah necessarily a raise type of evaluation.
00:23:06
Speaker
It is just a understanding and asking the employee, where is it you want to be in six months, one year, five years, 10 years?
Aligning Employee and Company Goals
00:23:15
Speaker
What does your ideal life look like at those timeframes as far as working for the company?
00:23:20
Speaker
And then you need to let them know, hey, in order to achieve those, this is what we need to see. And then during those sit downs, ask them those questions. What roadblocks can I remove for you? And how can I help you achieve those goals?
00:23:34
Speaker
That's going to create a real dialogue. It lets them know that you care. It lets you become a part of their success. And it's going to give you employees that are more bought in to to stay with you and to move up that ladder.
00:23:45
Speaker
Number three, you need to give real time feedback, correct issues quickly, and then praise improvements immediately. Silence is going to be the enemy of progress. And you have to be the one to let people know that, but then also to help them and coach them.
00:24:00
Speaker
So we kind of talked about that one before. It's super, super simple. If you, as the leader, as the owner are not being direct and honest, giving that feedback and you're not coaching, ah your employees are going to get burnt out and get tired because they're going to feel like they're at a job that has, you know, ah a dead end, that they're at a position and that is all they're ever going to achieve. Why?
00:24:23
Speaker
Because you never had those conversations. Number four, you need to model the behavior that you want. So if you are a chaotic owner or you are an owner who treats employees poorly, whatever that is, you're going to create that culture based upon how you are acting. And you cannot expect your employees to all be A players if you yourself are a C player.
00:24:46
Speaker
So you need to always be be developing yourself and be the example of what that looks like in life. And I say life because it's not just at work. It's going to be how you are personally.
00:24:57
Speaker
You know, do you have your own shit together? Are you someone that they respect? Are you someone they can trust? Are you someone who, when you pull into the job site or pull up to work, is your truck even clean?
00:25:08
Speaker
if If you are chaotic, most likely when you ask other people not to be, you're probably not going to get the answer that you want. So you need to model the behavior that you are expecting of others.
00:25:20
Speaker
Number five, need to develop your people. You need teach them the skills, challenge them with responsibility and push them to grow. I've always thought, and I've told a lot of our foremen, your success really is not only the production, it's not only the safety, but it's also who you create as new leaders and type A and and employees on your crew. And earlier in the podcast, I mentioned, and I can think of two different people. Obviously, I'm not going to name names, but two people over the course of the 16 years I've owned Lanner Corp.
00:25:57
Speaker
One of them was someone who really lived out ah their foreman duties, lived, i just they were all in Landercorp. And a whole lot of our future foreman came from his crews over the next several years.
00:26:15
Speaker
The other person, on the flip side, there was a lot of employees that we would send there and they would come back worse than before. So that is your two different types. Obviously, we know exactly the one we want, but you have to push that type of culture. And that was one, this was years ago. That was one thing I did not do enough of then. But you need to find the people like that that will just be all in with you, but then also push the people under them to be all in as well, coach them and help them to move up the ladder. And that's exactly what they did. And the culture was great, ah you know, under that person. And that was a job site we had that was very remote, states away. So that was super, super critical for that job site to have that type of a leader.
00:27:01
Speaker
And that leader was invaluable. So guys, in closing, I want to speak again to both owners and employees.
Consistent Excellence: Lessons from Top Athletes
00:27:08
Speaker
Life in business owes you absolutely nothing. You're going to get out of it exactly what you put into it. So if you are an owner thinking, man, my employees, they just suck. I need to get more out of them.
00:27:20
Speaker
If you're not doing and pushing yourself and developing yourself a whole lot more, guess what? You're probably not gonna get it out of your employees. Employees, if you think, hey, my boss owes me this just because I've been here 10 years and you've not put in the work to to advance and to the next level, to to gain those skills, to get the CDL, whatever it is that your boss is wanting,
00:27:40
Speaker
Guess what? You're probably not going to do it. If you complain about, hey, I hate all this paperwork or I hate this about my job, but that's what the next position requires more of you. Guess what? Probably not going to get the advancement. So, guys, be real with yourselves. Realize that in order to advance in today's world and society,
00:27:58
Speaker
Everywhere, personally and professionally, you have to do more. Do you think Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant or any of these greats that you've seen in life, you do you think they were just average?
00:28:08
Speaker
Did they practice average? Did Michael Jordan show up at the same time the rest of the team did? Watch the documentary. He showed up early. Kobe Bryant showed up early. They both put in work past what was required and past what others were doing. That is why they were great.
00:28:23
Speaker
that is what you're desiring, you have to do the same thing. So, guys, i want to challenge you guys a little bit. I want to see the trades elevated. That started with everyone that would listen to this, whether you're on the employee side or you're on the ownership or leadership side.
AI's Impact on Blue-Collar Jobs and Leadership Needs
00:28:37
Speaker
The blue collar industry is going to blow up. There's going to be an influx of work. There's going to be an influx of people probably wanting to do this type of work as AI takes more and more professional jobs away.
00:28:48
Speaker
I view that as a huge opportunity for myself and for others and everyone in the trades, employees included. But owners, if you want that, you must lead and model the behavior that you want your company to be. The culture is on you.
00:29:03
Speaker
You know, if you're looking for someone else to lead your company or the culture, or you're just silent and you're not speaking and you're not training, guess what? Someone else is going to do that for you. They're going to set that tone, set the culture, set the best practices, lower your KPIs, lower your production, have the safety risk.
00:29:19
Speaker
You have to be the one to lead that. And then you will start to build the culture that you want, where a level employee that you desire so much will want to come work. Employees. Again, you got to take ownership for your career path. You got to take the steps.
00:29:34
Speaker
You got to stand out above the pack. You have to become that a performer. And the only way to do that is by doing what others are unwilling to do. So again, I've said this so many times in this podcast because I've heard it so many times.
00:29:46
Speaker
You have to be better than average you and a lot better than average in order to go up the ladder to get the bigger raises. You have to be completely irreplaceable. You have to be undeniably good at what you do. That is what's going to get the promotion.
00:30:00
Speaker
If you sit around and complain and bitch and everything about your boss, about others at work, you're just a negative person and nobody's going to want you up the ladder at all. And if anything, you'll probably get fired. So you have to look inward and ask yourself, am I who is?
00:30:15
Speaker
if If I was the owner, am I who they would want an X position that you want to be in? And if the answer is no, which it may be, then you need to look inward and get those skills and do this stuff right now to move up that ladder.
00:30:28
Speaker
So guys, I want you to take action on these things. I want this industry as a whole to be better. If this is a podcast that you loved, please share it with others. Owners, if you think this would be beneficial for your employees to listen to, please share this one, the one right before it about leadership.
00:30:44
Speaker
Share this with them. Challenge them listen to it. Hopefully it's something maybe that, you know, me saying it is is better than you saying it. I don't know because it's coming from someone else, but share it with them.
00:30:55
Speaker
We have a Facebook group with the Better Contractor. i want you guys to join that one. There's 2,000 to 3,000 people inside that group right now. And the the thought process behind it is I've said on other podcasts,
00:31:06
Speaker
We want you guys to help each other. so the idea, you know, first two or 3000 and you've been in business for any time at all, I guarantee someone in that group has walked, actually not just one, a bunch of people in that group have walked through whatever it is that you're walking through right now. And if you ask the question, I think a lot of people but would be willing to help you out. What I do ask also is that you not post meaningless stuff.
00:31:30
Speaker
So, you know, there's been a lot of things in there posted about a job site or a picture of this or a picture of that. That just clutters up the feed and nobody wants to see it because it's not helpful. to everyone and you're only promoting yourself. That's not the point of that group. But anyway, join that group, invite others to join the group.
00:31:47
Speaker
Other than that, um I do like for feedback on these podcasts. So DM us if you have someone that you think we should have on a question answer type session. It needs to be someone in the trades. It needs to be someone who has excelled. It needs to be someone who is good at a certain thing inside of business that would relate and be able to teach all of us. So if you know someone like that, you'd like to see them on messages.
00:32:10
Speaker
Also, if there's a topic that you want me to talk on, do the same. Like I said, when I started this podcast, this one and the one prior were both something that that we were asked to talk about. So otherwise, guys, I hope you enjoyed this podcast. Again, please share it.
00:32:26
Speaker
Otherwise, we'll catch you next time.