Author: Laura Black
Earlier this month, we began a journey to understand the importance and value of people in construction and the topic of putting people to work in the construction industry. We know people are central to successful construction projects. Last week, we looked at three steps to success with our workforce: train, retain, and evaluate, as needed. We very briefly touched on the fact that one of the key components to worker retention is mentorship. Let’s explore that in greater depth today. Why Mentorship? At its core, mentorship is the guidance provided by a mentor—someone who has experience in a particular…
In June, we started a new blog series looking at the importance and value of people in construction and looking to better understand who this worker of tomorrow is. Today, let’s explore the topic of putting people to work in the construction industry—and how technology ultimately fits into this equation as well. For the sake of this blog, we are going to assume we have the workers to get the job done. We have a team of people in front of us—some with construction experience and some with none—and we have a project that needs to get built. How do…
Last week we started a new blog series looking at the importance and value of people in construction. Hopefully, this set the stage and made the case that people are still one of the most important assets on the construction jobsite. Today, let’s better understand who the worker of tomorrow is. This is a topic we explored in our recent report Who Is the Worker of Tomorrow. Also, this is a topic Peggy Smedley is exploring over on her new Substack account. For this blog, let’s start with the basics. Baby Boomers are known for their work ethic and loyalty…
Welcome to summer! While some business professionals are slowing down, construction is often ramping up. This is the perfect time to think about how to work more efficiently and that will require thinking about people, process, and technology. So, to kick off a new blog series, let’s consider the value of the people in our workforce. In many construction organizations, people are in fact one of the most critical components on the jobsite—and as we know in many industries they are in short supply. Such is the case in construction where we know the industry will need to attract an…
Today’s homebuyer wants a home that is modern, stylish, sustainable, and affordable. But are some of these needs and wants at odds with each other? Can builders construct homes that have expert craftsmanship while also being affordable? The answer is certainly yes, but to achieve those objectives, builders must consider how they are building these homes. One way to achieve this is through a manufactured home. Here homes are often constructed in an off-site location, which means the builder can achieve greater efficiencies in production, which ultimately means cost savings for the homeowner. We see this occurring in the new…
If we want to solve the labor crisis, we must consider each person’s unique set of needs. Let’s consider the example of women in construction. Too often, this group of people still face a lack of PPE (personal protective equipment) and other hurdles. In fact, a new report suggests there are several critical challenges that women still face today—in 2024—in the construction industry. In the 2024 She Builds Nation report, Lumber gained insights from more than 100 women construction owners, executives, and decision makers. Let’s unpack what this report uncovered. The Challenges Let’s start with that PPE, which is still…
There has been much talk about the rise of AI (artificial intelligence) in all walks of life—but the applications are what is truly exciting for many. Today, let’s consider one example for grid infrastructure inspections and monitoring. Buzz Solutions is an AI company that inspects and protects critical energy infrastructure. The company allows field teams to focus on performing maintenance in a timely manner, which will ultimately reduce the likelihood of wildfires, forced shutdowns, and power outages that result from failed grid infrastructure. The company was founded in 2017 by entrepreneurs Kaitlyn Albertoli and Vikhyat Chaudhry, two Stanford graduates that…
Technology continues to advance at a rapid pace—faster than ever before. We often spend some time at the end of the year planning for the year ahead. Let’s take a moment in the middle of the year to see what is going well—and what is not—in order to best prepare our businesses for the second half of 2024. To do this, let’s walk through a brief four-step mid-year review process. Recognize New Tech Trends As stated, technology is evolving faster than ever before. We must constantly stop to take note of what is changing and how it will impact our…
The best way to learn something about the different generations is to spend some time with them. I recently had an opportunity to spend some time in my child’s 2nd grade class, talking all about being a writer and editor—and there were some big things that surprised me. I spoke for about five minutes or so and then the students asked me questions—a lot of questions. Little hands flew up into the air wanting to know things like how long it took me to write a book and when did I write the book in relation to having my child.…
Yesterday was Earth Day. What did you do to commemorate it? Today wraps up our Earth Day Series, which has looked at sustainability in construction and in the lifecycle of buildings. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this series is that all stakeholders in the construction industry need to work together to achieve the ambitious goals that are needed to reduce lifecycle emissions—from design, to construction, to operations, and everywhere in between. New programs could help too. Consider the example of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) v5, which is the newest version of the…