A Chat with Tiffany Boston, Assistant Superintendent at Skanska

Team building, applying military practices on the civilian jobsite

By Chris Maday Schmidt

With a background in construction, contract management and safety and risk management, Tiffany Boston, assistant superintendent at Skanska, first became interested in the construction industry while she attended West Point and took engineering classes. Boston shares a snapshot of her life as a superintendent in the Army in Bagram, Afghanistan, and her techniques for team building and fostering safety on the jobsite.

(Q) Your background includes several military safety certificates—how have you applied your safety expertise in your position with Skanska?

That training and experience gave me the confidence to dive into safety head first. I felt like I transitioned from one safety-focused organization to another. I’ve used [Skanska’s] Toolbox Talks and foremen’s meetings as an opportunity to share some safety lessons learned from my time in the Army whether the topic is DUI, safe equipment transfers or heat/cold injury prevention.

(Q) Please expound a bit on what the Toolbox Talks entail.

A Toolbox Talk is a weekly discussion about a safety topic. We discuss anything from ladder safety or proper fall protection use to recent incidents in the construction industry. It’s another tool to emphasize the importance of working safely.

(Q) How does safety enforcement differ on a military job from a construction site?

The military has different enforcement tools like non-judicial punishment via negative counseling statements—which affect your annual evaluation—or Article 15s, which can result in loss of pay and rank. Punishment under court martial is an option for extreme situations.

(Q) What types of similarities are there between an Army jobsite and a jobsite in the U.S.? What military lessons have you learned that you can apply?

The biggest difference is that you don’t have to carry a weapon or worry about being engaged by enemy forces. Regardless, you still have to look out for your buddy. If you see something isn’t right, then say something, because you could save a life or a limb.

(Q) What has been your most complex and/or unique project you’ve been involved with and why?

The most unique project I’ve been involved with is the one I just left. We were remodeling a hospital, including some critical care areas, so there were several special considerations. We had to keep those work areas a lot cleaner; we had to take extensive precautions to keep dust from exiting the work areas to the rest of the hospital, and sometimes we had to shut down entire departments to minimize the negative impact on patients.

(Q) What is your favorite part of working in the industry and what do you enjoy most about your position?

My favorite part about working in the industry is being able to see the fruits of my labor for years down the line. I enjoy working in a close-knit team toward a common goal and building a strong team between the various trades.

(Q) How do you work toward building a strong team between the various trades—what techniques do you engage?

I try to build a strong team with respect, perspective and humor. You win more flies with honey than with vinegar, and things go more smoothly when people work with you because they want to work with you, rather than because they have to work with you. It also helps to show everyone how their actions/inactions and tasks affect their fellow trades, the project and themselves long term. Help them think beyond the 50-meter target.

(Q) What new or recent technologies have you employed on projects?

On my previous project, I was introduced to PlanGrid, which is a program to store, update and share project blueprints. I used it to share structural/attachment and finish details with the trades, store pictures of completed work and to track scope completion and punchlist items. I’m doing something similar on my current project using BIM 360 Field, which enables me to go into more detail.

(Q) What are your ultimate career goals?

Long term, I’d to become a senior superintendent and be able to provide the same mentorship that I’ve received.

(Q) Talk a bit about the mentorship you’ve received over the years. What is the best piece of advice that’s stuck with you?

The best advice I’ve received is: “There’s a _______ (name of whoever your problem child is) on every project.” You have to be ready to lead that person around by the nose to help the project and the other subcontractors succeed.

(Q) Are you involved in any type of industry associations or mentorship programs, yourself?

I’m a member of the Society of Women Engineers and the Society of American Military Engineers.

(Q) When you’re not donning a hardhat, how do you recharge your reserves?

I like to play the guitar, hike, go to the movies and play video games.