The Leadership and Learning Podcast

Tori Baires is a Group Talent Acquisition Manager at Granite Construction. She is one of the founding members and current leaders of Granite's Military Employee Resource Group (Supporting and Recognizing our Veteran Community). She has also created and implemented a military/veteran hiring and retention program across all of Granite. Tori also partners with various departments at Granite aiding in a variety of initiatives for the company.

In this episode, Tori shares how her military experience shaped her leadership today and has reinforced her 'above and beyond' mindset.

In this episode you will learn:

• Many examples of going above and beyond.
• How she was nominated for the 2022 Veteran Champions of the Year in Corporate America.
• The key leadership lessons she learned while in the military.
• Her passion for taking the initiative / ownership of a challenge.
• How to get the anti-initiative / anti-ownership people on board.
• The challenges of Talent Acquisition managers are faced with today and in the future.
• The biggest recruiting mistakes companies in the construction industry make and how to avoid them.
• The importance of employee retention.
• Mistakes companies in the construction industry make that will cause people to leave and ideas on how leaders can avoid making these mistakes.
• Keys to being a successful mentor program with advice for mentors and mentees.
• Advice to get ahead in your career regardless of your role.

Running a small, or a family business is no easy task. Particularly when it comes to scaling the business or planning for succession.

My guest, Jim Moody, Consulting Director of the Misura Group shares his knowledge, experience, and expertise on the key elements for both scaling and succession.

In this episode, Jim offers plenty of tips and lessons on:

• The importance of having balance between working on and working in your business.
• What should come first family need or business needs.
• Adapting to challenges for small and family business.
• Problems you'll encounter when you are the Jack or Jill of all trades in your business.
• How to properly invest in growing your business.
• Hiring smart people and letting them do their job.
• When to move on and having something to move on to.
• Steps for succession planning
• The hard decisions you must be prepared to make
• Proper strategic planning.
• Continuous learning.
• And a powerful message on the importance of planning for a better future.

Jennifer Todd, owner of LMS General Contractors went from receptionist at a construction company to successfully building her own construction company over the past 16 – years. She knows a thing or two about hard work and relationships.

In this episode, Jennifer talks about how L.O.V.E.E. language for leaders can help you sharpen your leadership skills while developing and strengthening your business and personal relationships resulting in long-term success.

In this episode you will learn:

• The five different elements of L.O.V.E.E. language for leaders.
• The sure-fire ways leaders breach trust and how to avoid them.
• A fool-proof listening strategy that works every time.
• How to demonstrate that you value the people on your team.
• The importance of boundaries.
• How everything communicates.
• Plus, much more.

Creating a safety culture is what most companies in the construction and manufacturing industries strive for ... as they should.

My guest, Steven McKenney shares his 30+ years of experience with building safety cultures, fixing broken safety cultures and providing best practices to help you reinforce your safety culture.

Steve is the Western Region Safety Manager for Roseburg Forest Products, and he serves as Chairman of the Safety and Health advisory committee for the American Panel Association.

He knows a thing or two about safety !

During this episode you will learn:

• Why safety programs fail?
• Why safety programs succeed?
• What the ideal safety culture looks like?
• What role do leaders play in the success of establishing a safety culture?
• The signs you don't have a good safety culture.
• How to create a good safety culture.
• How to overcome obstacles of a safety culture that isn't where you'd like it to be.
• Critical advice for leaders who want to elevate their safety culture.
• The importance of a meaningful safety slogan to safety culture and how to create one that sticks.

Creating and implementing an effective onboarding process for new employees has proven to be critical to individual and organizational retention success.

In this episode, onboarding expert, Cody B. Loveland explains what onboarding really is, why it's important and the outcome all organizations should strive for.

Listen in as we uncover the key principles behind effective onboarding, the importance of connecting with employees on a deeper level, and the strategies for retaining top talent.

In this episode you will learn:

• The factors critical to a successful onboarding experience.
• The importance of the connection – intersection.
• How to 'win the heart' of new employees.
• The importance of the 3 – V's in retaining all of your employees.
• Whose responsibility it is to ensure a successful onboarding process.
• Why it's important to onboard existing managers.
• The benefits of investing in a robust onboarding process.
• The factors causing tenured employees to quit companies.
• Cody's views on remote workers Why people quit companies.

In this episode, host Randy Goruk shares content from a recent webinar he presented for Team Engine. If you are interested in being an even better coach of your team, you are bound to pick up at least one nugget to help you get there.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why coaching for managers is important.
• What coaching is.
• 3 – universal truths about coaching.
• Techniques for inspiring your team.
• Techniques for engaging your team.
• Techniques for empowering your team.
• A proven coaching model.

Contact Randy at [email protected] to learn more about his 'Live Online Coaching Skills Course'.

In this episode, host Randy Goruk has a conversation about hazardous waste management, waste to energy and leadership with Heather Johnson, CEO of INGENIUM, a leading hazardous waste management provider focusing on providing sustainable solutions before implementing traditional disposal options.

You will learn:

• The biggest hazardous waste management challenges manufacturers and distributors of building materials are faced with and the implication for construction companies running jobsites.
• Why targeting a waste to energy program is important for building material producers.
• Why a career in hazardous materials can be rewarding.
• Career advice for college graduates and emerging leaders who want to be successful.
• Waste management advice for building material and construction company leaders.

Host Randy Goruk shares a classic audio recording of a speech the late U.S. Army Lieutenant General Melvin Zais gave to the Armed Forces Staff College many decades ago.

The audio recording is over 40 years old so it has a few blemishes but hang in there because if you listen carefully, the powerful message for leaders is delivered with precision and great thought.

This special message will cause you to think about the actions you take today to demonstrate that you care.

It will make you think about the actions you aren't taking that you could be taking to demonstrate that you care.

Because as a leader you must care.

Host Randy Goruk has a conversation with Todd Eichholz, CEO of A&A Paving about his business success. Todd shares the leadership practices that have helped him turn an old, tired paving, sealing company he bought ten years ago, into a growing, thriving jewel of a company today. You can do the same with your business if you know what winning looks like.

In this episode you will learn about the importance of:

• Having a stellar onboarding plan.
• Being fully transparent with your team.
• Being a data driven company.
• How to share results for better results.
• Having a growth plan for your employees.
• Achieving work-life balance.

You will also hear Todd's three main pieces of career advice for Emerging Leaders.

Host Randy Goruk has a serious conversation with CEO Jimmy Greene of Jimmy Greene and Associates about the cost of success. Jimmy Greene is an experienced construction industry professional who has so much personal experience to share, and he does. Get ready for a unique set of perspectives on the topic of success.

In this episode you will stop and think about:

• What is success.
• How you spend your time.
• What you are not doing that you should be doing.
• How you make your money.
• Do you have peace.
• What you will leave behind.

· There is so much information to unpack in this episode, you'll listen to it more than once.