Construction Brothers

Wally’s range of experience is more diverse than most. Who would have guessed that the Notre Dame leprechaun (yes, he was the official leprechaun for a year) would work his way to the rank of commander in the marines and pilot AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters? Eventually, Wally worked his way into construction leadership with FMI Consulting. Now Wally works as a public speaker and consultant, inspiring people in various fields to become better leaders. In our chat with Wally, we discuss the leadership principles that build strong, productive businesses where employees want to contribute and stick around. Wally says that it’s about a range of things that boil down to a culture built on what he calls “micro trust.” Here are some bits and pieces   Advice Wally gives leaders:

• The daily huddle is one of the best tools you have every day.
• Credibility is essential.
• “Your behavior as a leader drives the behavior of other people.”
• If you put barriers in front of new people because you experienced barriers, you’re shooting yourself in the foot (and harming your business).
• Beware of short-term thinking that can compromise long-term results. Innovate.
• “You can’t create greatness in a company if you don’t share information.”
• Begin with the end in mind. Show respect for the individual. Give them tools that work.

  Advice Wally gives today’s followers (tomorrow’s leaders):

• Show up, shut up, and perform.
• Have an open mind. Give your leaders some leeway to make mistakes. Nobody’s perfect.
• Pay your dues. If you’re good, you play.
• Don’t withdraw to your own echo chamber.

  We discuss the fact that the construction industry is a crazy world. There’s a huge range of complications and every single day. Yes, it’s important to get the job done, but the job doesn’t get done if you don’t take human dynamics into consideration. Leadership development is personal development.    Wally’s Megaphone Message:  Jerks don’t win. “We” is better than “me.” Seek to make the pie bigger for everybody. Seek to get new people into the building.  Find Wally Online: His FireStarter Speaking page - His LinkedIn page  Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie on LinkedIn - Tyler on LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nature’s timelines can seem unfair. The same is true of professional timelines. It can leave you feeling left behind.
Our message: Cut yourself some slack! Stay the course! Don’t rush it!    Keep learning, and watch for opportunities to combine your passions, skills, and experience into something meaningful.     That’s the nugget of insight we offer in today’s Five-Minute Friday.  Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we don’t have a guest, it’s a bit like Dwight and Jim when Michael’s out of town. Today we confront the reality that we’ve talked out of both sides of our mouths. As we reflect on that, we touch on blood, politics, and mouse-movers. Do we un-contradict ourselves? You make the call. Be warned: our dander gets up a couple times.  Wait. Before we go any further… In case you came to the show notes for the Mike Rowe sheep-castration link (which is likely), here it is. Here are some of the contradictions, insights, and questions we unpack today: Contradiction #1: Getting ahead of things vs. realizing not everyone can be at the front of the line

• Acknowledge that some people have bigger fish to fry than the one that you’re holding up so proudly.
• Some principles are relevant to both $50 billion giga-projects and a modest remodel.
• Is it possible to build a bigger contractor table so everyone who wants a seat can have one (without a food fight breaking out)?
• Surprise, surprise! It all comes back to trust. And sometimes that’s tough.

Contradiction #2: Progressives vs. Conservatives (in relation to organization and technology)

• It’s tough to judge what’s good about new things coming down the pike but also balance that with an appreciation of traditional practices.
• We need someone out there on the bleeding edge.
• Can we use some old-timey practices to reduce RFIs?

Contradiction #3: Old School vs. New School (in relation to workplace dynamics)

• Ties vs. t-shirts
• Taskmasters vs. Twitter
• Competent management vs. mouse-movers (Here’s what they look like.)
• Man, has Dennis seen a lot of change in his 50-year career.

Today’s Megaphone message comes from Eddie: “Have a healthy respect for tradition while maintaining a passion for the truth.” Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few months ago, after a decade of the two of us working closely together, Tyler left ABSI to start his own company. What has Eddie learned from losing his right-hand man?   Help them leave well. Celebrate their wins with them. Be genuinely happy for them. Do your best to put yourself in their shoes.   Recognize and acknowledge that this separation is a form of loss, and with loss comes emotions you may not have accounted for:  

• Shock, disbelief, or denial
• Anxiety
• Distress
• Anger
• Periods of sadness
• Loss of sleep and loss of appetite

Don’t make big decisions or be hasty. Think. Be deliberate. Figure out what has to happen right now and what doesn’t.  Refocus your goals with the team you have around you, and keep plugging.  That’s the message of today’s Five-Minute Friday.    Find Us Online: LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Supply-chain challenges are certainly nothing new, but they’ve grown increasingly complicated over the last few years. Today we discuss how you as a contractor can approach these challenges whether you’re working on a local and global scale.   We get several helpful supply-chain insights from our guest Ernie Maschner. Ernie has been an influential presence in the construction industry for more than 30 years. He now works as a VP with Victaulic, a manufacturer of engineered couplings and valves. Ernie is also involved with a few industry organizations that seek to address global supply chain issues.    Here are a few of the things we touch on in our conversation:

• The importance of communicating with all supply-chain parties as early as possible
• Industry organizations that seek to help contractors navigate today’s supply chain challenges - Ernie refers to these three: The Construction Industry Institute, The Design Build Institute of America, The Water Collaborative Delivery Association 
• How human, political, and social dynamics affect the supply chain - For example: Why does the availability of asphalt in Brazil follow a two-year cycle? Ernie learned the answer while working on projects related to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
• How some progressive contractors write up contracts that allow for the increasing unpredictability of markets 
• A $50 billion (yes, billion) modular construction project in Kazakhstan that involved modules the size of small hotels
• The cultural factors that affect people’s attitudes toward prefabrication and modular construction 
• Ernie’s megaphone message: We need to work together in a fair way. Collaborative project delivery produces better results in the end.

Find Ernie Online: Website - LinkedIn Find Us Online: LinkedIn - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Whether you’re in sales or not, knowing how to sell can be an invaluable skill to understand and master. Jack Daly is a sales expert and coach with over 30 years of boots on the ground experience. He guides us through best practice and gives us tips on how to sell larger projects than you thought were possible.   Here are a few things you’ll learn! 

• The difference between a $1,000 salesperson and a $100,000,000 salesperson
• How to not come off like a desperate salesperson
• Tips for getting your foot in the door

  Episode Links Jack's WebsiteJack on LinkedIn Other Links LinkedInInstagramFacebookEddie's LinkedInTyler's LinkedIn  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating or review and follow us on our social accounts! SUBSCRIBE!      Like us on LinkedIn!      Like us on Facebook!    Follow us on Instagram!Eddie's LinkedIn      Tyler's LinkedIn      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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