The Garrison Report #2009-10


The Industry's Need for Leadership

Listen to the audio version of this report here

The last several reports, while discussing a variety of topics, had one common theme -- that being leadership. This is no accident because Construction 3.0 is focused on leadership. If you haven't read or listened to the earlier reports discussed in this report, it is suggested that you go back and review those reports. In the body of the written report we have provided the links to both the audio version and the written version of the report for your convenience.

The Garrison Report 2009-5
Client Relationships -- To Be or Not to Be?

Audio link:
www.jackstreet.com/jackstreet/WCON.GarrisonReport29.cfm
Written link:
www.tedgarrison.com/resources/garrison-report/2009-reports/client-relationships-to-be-or-not-to-be

This report focuses on the contractor's responsibility to create a relationship with the client based on trust and mutual respect. This can only occur when the contractor exhibits leadership, namely by exercising the responsibility of protecting the client. Only by exhibiting leadership can the industry shift from an adversarial environment to one based on trust and collaboration. The benefits of this for collaboration will produce significant benefits for both the client and the contractor.

The Garrison Report 2009-6
Risk Management

Audio link:
www.jackstreet.com/jackstreet/WCON.GarrisonReport30.cfm
Written link:
www.tedgarrison.com/resources/garrison-report/2009-reports/risk-management

Risk management is about looking ahead and being accountable for the results by identifying the gap between the client's expectations and reality. Instead of providing leadership to identify risk and take the appropriate action to minimize it, too many people in the industry attempt to deal with risk by shifting it to someone else. Unfortunately, this approach doesn't work and in fact increases the risk to all stakeholders. Instead industry requires leaders to stand up and be accountable for dealing with project risk. Without exception leadership the bad practices will continue to be used despite their negative impact on all stakeholders.

The Garrison Report 2009-7
Why Lean Construction?

Audio link:
www.jackstreet.com/jackstreet/WCON.GarrisonReport31.cfm
Written link:
www.tedgarrison.com/resources/garrison-report/2009-reports/why-lean-construction

While lean construction focus on operational issues, it is critical to Construction 3.0 because is based on paradigm shift in thinking. Lean construction focuses on empowering the work force instead of attempting to control them. Lean construction is more about leadership then about tools for increased productivity. Further, it takes a leadership to create a progressive vision that focuses on the long-term instead of short-term results.

The Garrison Report 2009-8
Infrastructure Crisis

Audio link:
www.jackstreet.com/jackstreet/WCON.GarrisonReport32.cfm
Written link:
www.tedgarrison.com/resources/garrison-report/2009-reports/infrastructure-crisis

The infrastructure crisis in part is caused by a lack of national vision with regard to the infrastructure. This is a direct result of a lack of leadership. This report focused on how the industry must step up and fill the leadership gap on infrastructure. Clearly the government isn't doing its job when the infrastructure finds its self in a $2.2 trillion hole and increasing at a rate of $200 billion a year. The construction industry must combine its expertise with leadership to lead the nation out of this crisis.

The Garrison Report 2009-9
Surviving in a Down Economy

Audio link:
www.jackstreet.com/jackstreet/WCON.GarrisonReport33.cfm
Written link:
www.tedgarrison.com/resources/garrison-report/2009-reports/surviving-in-a-down-economy

While this report may look to be different than the previous reports, it still has the same theme of leadership. The issue here is that companies that prosper, succeed because they are leaders in their industry. The problem in construction is there are too many "me too" companies. In other words they are followers. We need more company leaders to demonstrate true leadership by creating a company vision that makes them unique.

In the end, success is about leadership. The industry's challenge is to develop a more strategic perspective. To put it another way, it needs to change. In Mavericks at Work, Doug Woods, the president and cofounder of DPR Construction, explains, "This industry hasn't changed the way it does business a whole lot in the last hundred years." Only with leadership will the industry be able to achieve the necessary changes. This means greater leadership is needed in all areas; including dealing with clients, the workforce, managing the construction company, and in dealing with the nation's infrastructure.

In general, when people think about leadership most think of leadership at the top of the organization, but even that's a problem. In a recent interview by Ted Garrison of Hank Harris, the managing director of FMI, Harris stated the problem with too many industry CEO's is they are too operationally focused and not strategic enough. But the need for leadership needs to be developed at all levels. This is the only way the industry will meet its challenges and attract the millennials (those born in the 1980's and 1990's) and without them the industry will be starved for sufficient talent.

The industry needs to invest in developing its strategic thinking and leadership. This means companies and associations must commit to this challenge or the industry will continue to struggle economically. While there is no single answer to address this challenge, unless the industry commits to modernizing its practices it will become a very undesirable industry to work in. It is time to action -- no excuses.

 

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