Best Practices: How to Promote, Maintain a Healthy Work Culture

By Todd Sachse

As construction professionals, we spend a lot of time on the process–the technical, logistical and operational details that keep a project moving smoothly and lead to successful outcomes.

One piece of the puzzle often overlooked is culture. A healthy work culture can improve communication, increase job satisfaction, boost efficiencies, minimize downtime and, ultimately, make your jobsites safer, more collaborative and more productive. It’s important to recognize that culture isn’t an abstract notion, but a practical, tangible and meaningful piece of the professional lifestyle. There is a direct connection between a positive and productive work culture and a healthier bottom line.

Understanding the building blocks of a healthy work culture is a critical first step in creating and nurturing the kind of leaders and relationships that build strong, cohesive and capable teams and, ultimately, improve performance and profitability.

Empower
Superintendents who are empowered tend to feel confident and comfortable. That means fostering a culture not built on fear, but one that encourages team members to share feedback and new ideas. Anyone working in a climate of fear will tend to be more reluctant to share and more likely to hide or minimize their contributions. Of course, part of allowing leaders to make independent decisions is providing tools and training they need to make those decisions. Establishing standard guidelines and parameters is one of the most effective ways to ensure you and your team members have the autonomy you need. We refer to this as systemizing the predictable in order to humanize the exceptional. In other words, when processes are established, superintendents can feel empowered to make decisions when they encounter a situation that is atypical. The tricky part is striking a balance between enough freedom and flexibility to make independent decisions, while also establishing sufficient guidelines.

Endorse
Every company has a culture. There is no such thing as “no culture.” A work culture is really just a group of people with a common set of beliefs and a common mission. The key is to make your work culture a priority: become obsessed with nurturing and strengthening your own positive team. The biggest thing you can do to promote that is to hire and fire around your core values. When you do that, and your team is made up of people who share those core values, everyone fits in and truly feels like part of a team. Remember: core values are who you are; skills are what you do. Different skillsets can work together seamlessly with shared core values.

Reward
One mindset that has worked well for our own operation at Sachse Construction is to make sure we aren’t just talking the talk: we work hard to make sure teams in the field (especially superintendents) enjoy the same perks and privileges as office team members. People working in our headquarters have “soft perks,” like sponsored lunches or special in-office events. Consequently, we are constantly looking for ways to extend those benefits outside the office. We provide superintendents with generous meal vouchers or gift cards, as well as a monthly stipend for a gym membership or yoga studio with nationwide locations. Superintendents travel, and their extra benefits should travel as well. We also have an unlimited PTO policy, a well-received benefit that helps avoid burnout and generates significant company loyalty.

Collaborate
There are many details superintendents can look for to determine if a specific company’s work culture is a good fit for them. A good example is how the company supports and trains them, and whether the company gives them the tools and resources they need to do their job. One of the most important initiatives is the extent of collaboration present between different aspects of the overall operation. Too many construction companies operate with distinct silos, which are structural and operational impediments to communication and coordination. Collaboration is impossible without shared core values. Another part of a collaborative environment is continuity: making sure different project managers share the same systems, documentation, procedures and processes across all projects and project teams. Having to relearn everything with each job is stressful, tiring, time consuming and frustrating.

Invest
Investing in the right infrastructure, accommodations and professional resources on the jobsite can have both a short-term and a long-term positive impact on superintendents and their teams. From creating a quality environment in a job trailer to providing superintendents with the facilities and technology they need to communicate and conduct meetings and video conferences, everything matters. The return on investment on comfort, quality, consistency and technology on the jobsite is enormous. Unfortunately, far too many companies try to cut corners on this front, which is not only unprofessional, but can lower morale and decrease productivity. Creating a professional and comfortable environment for project teams in the field is a strategy that quite literally pays for itself–and then some.

Streamline
Superintendents who are heard, and whose suggestions and feedback are welcomed and encouraged, tend to be more satisfied and more efficient. Anything that makes the job a little easier and a little smoother is well worth exploring. Clear and consistent communication, both inside and outside the organization, should be as easy and as simple as possible. Companies like Amazon have succeeded largely on the strength of the streamlined, seamless and almost effortless customer interactions that make ordering a product incredibly easy. Uber is the ultimate example of a company that makes the process easy for customers and for employees alike, with every option available through an app and the touch of a button. Ironically, making a process easier can actually be pretty hard. These goals also tend to get harder, not easier over time–so a company-wide commitment to continuously think about and work on its processes is a good idea.

Relax
The vast majority of superintendents would benefit from additional tools and techniques to help manage stressful situations. Some obstacles that could potentially delay a project (such as weather) are unavoidable, but there are ways to process and manage the resulting stress. Unmanaged stress can be a big problem on the job, especially among leaders, because it can trickle down and affect the entire team. It takes investment and training, such as a formal stress management program—including education about how to reduce stress, and access to specific tools and techniques to help make that happen. Periodic “clarity breaks” are another proven stress-reliever and productivity driver, as even a small break can have an enormous impact on mood and performance.

Repeat
It may sound obvious, but one of the most important initiatives that cultivates a positive work culture for superintendents and their teams is a company-wide commitment to actively and aggressively reinforce the professional culture. Messaging should be created around that culture. It pays to be clear, loud and direct. Repeat yourself even when people might start to think it’s too much. Be willing to examine and reexamine yourself to ensure you aren’t slipping. Creating and maintaining a strong and healthy professional culture is, to a large extent, an act of will–and of commitment. It won’t just “happen;” it must be intentional, and it must be reinforced.

Todd Sachse is CEO of Sachse Construction. Visit www.sachseconstruction.com.