E21: Tom Crane is China Construction America’s Head of Shared Services and Vice President of Human Resources & Communications.

The parent company is the largest construction company in the world.

He forms and provides operational management of the organization’s Shared Services Center functions, while increasing their long-term strategic and operational effectiveness, efficiency and speed of delivery.

Tom is also a member of the board of directors of Plaza Group Holdings, LLC.

He previously served as Chief Human Resources Officer at Skanska USA, where he led a 70-person team and $19 million budget and played a key role in Skanska USA achieving an 85%+ employee engagement level and limiting voluntary salaried employee turnover to 12% per year.

He served as Director of Media Relations for Honeywell.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Temple University.

Tom’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasbcrane

WHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER:

●     Why a background in journalism and communications can provide a strategic advantage in the C-Suite.

●     How to influence others through your writing.

●     What Tom learned working as executive leader for three companies on three continents.

●     The moment Tom learned to write under pressure when the stock price was at stake.

●     The mental shift you must make to become an effective communicator.

●     How to improve your communication by identifying patterns in others.

●     What Tom learned from former Honeywell CEO, Larry Bossidy, about leadership.

●     The “grassroots” approach to selling your idea to the C-Suite.

●     The key for having tough conversations at work.

●     When employee turnover is okay and when it’s not.

●     The most important data points you should track when it comes to employee turnover.

●     How a single relationship Tom built early in his career transformed into a big opportunity. 

●     How employees from under-represented groups can rise to the C-Suite.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Things to know when writing an email:

●     Your mission.

●     Your strategy.

●     Your intent.

●     Your audience.

Then bring all those things together.

Traits Tom would instill in every employee:

●     Self-awareness.

●     Spending more time thinking about the bigger picture

●     Accountability and responsibility for the whole process even though you only have a part of it.

Tom’s advice for employees from the underrepresented groups in C-Suite:

●     Establish a mentor relationship, both inside and outside of the company.

●     Stay focused of what you can produce the best.

●     Socialize your ideas.

●     Don’t be afraid to be visible.

●     Let people know that you have an opinion.

QUOTES:

“Make it better than you found it.”

“We are only the caretakers for the roles we have. That’s our legacy.”

RESOURCES:

 On Writing Well, William K. Zinsser https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Well-Classic-Guide-Nonfiction/dp/0060891548

Crossing the Unknown Sea, David Whyte, https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Sea-Work-Pilgrimage-Identity/dp/1573229148

Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done, Larry Bossidy https://www.amazon.com/Execution-Discipline-Getting-Things-Done/dp/0609610570

An Immigrant In the C-Suite, John Lopez, https://www.amazon.com/Immigrant-C-Suite-Journey-Business-Community/dp/1706577109

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