The Next Generation Professor

Today I wanted to talk about the new generation of workers that are coming into the construction industry. In just about every study I have read there is a projected shortage of skilled labor coming up in the next several years. While much of this is due to baby boomers leaving the workplace, another factor that keeps popping its head up is the fact that the “Z” generation is much more engaged in higher education and not interested in careers in the skilled trade industry. What this means to us in the construction industry is that we will continue to find it increasingly difficult to find qualified help in the coming years. While there are many different schools of thought on how this will actually play out, I tend to believe what many are predicting to be, an unprecedented shortage of skilled labor in the coming years. This projection is just a lead in, and I am not going to be talking about any of the details to this trend, the studies, or ways to mitigate the problem should it actually come to fruition.

In this article, I want to address the upcoming role many leaders will have in this new generation of workers. While the people that enter into the field side of the construction trade don’t typically earn a college degree, e.g., electricians, plumbers, HVAC techs and the like, they have chosen this field the same as a college student has chosen their path. As a leader, you need to remember that to the field worker you are the professor in their world. What you teach them, and more importantly the actions they see you perform will shape the type of person they become. If you teach them it is ok to cut corners; then they will cut corners. If you teach them it is ok to be dishonest; then they will be dishonest.

Everyone can remember someone who has had an impact on their lives in one way or another. It may have been your college professor, your football coach, your parent, or even just a friend. What I wanted to take the time to cover today is that in the new generation of workers, you will be all of the above to your team members. The days of carrots and sticks are over. The new generation of workers want to be part of something bigger than just a job and truly believe that the company cares. A leader’s responsibility has always been to their team, and true leaders have always cared about their team. However, in the past, it wasn’t uncommon for poor leaders to be in positions of power. This will not be sustainable in the future.

I have a massive passion for quality and an almost psychotic obsession for customer service. These behaviors were instilled in me by many of my mentors while growing up in the field, and then later as a business owner. To start with, my father is by far the greatest man I have ever known. He taught me since I was a baby about responsibility and doing the right thing, even when no one is looking. His tireless work ethic is the reason for the way I am today and the internal drive I have to keep going even when everything is pushing against me.

My passion for quality was given to me by my first foreman who would never accept anything less than perfection on every installation. He is the one who taught me what the difference is between a hack and a professional! (LOL, that one is for you Jimmy.) Over the years I have had the blessed fortune to work with or for some of the industry’s most amazing people, and I know everything I am today is due to their expert tutelage. But this article isn’t about me.

I told these details about myself ahead of time to set the mood for you, so you would be ready to hear what I have to say, and understand the effect you have on the people you train and manage. What you tell your team will echo in their heads for a lifetime, and your actions will be stories they tell to others for as long as they walk the earth. You are not just the boss, manager, supervisor, or even co-worker. In the new generation everyone will be part of the workforce family, and as with family, you will have to care honestly about their future and well being.

Being a leader doesn’t end with the right way to do a specific task. Being a leader means helping everyone on your team get to where they want to go on their career path. Being a leader means helping your entire team build a better life for themselves and their families. Being a leader means helping them be fiscally responsible, honest, and a person of integrity. While you may forget sometimes, this is your job as a leader, and it doesn’t stop at the workplace, nor does it stop a 5 PM. A true leader is a professor, a father, a life coach, a friend and sometimes even a minister. But in the end, it is all about being real. You cannot pretend to care. Either you do, or you don’t. If you do care, great, don’t be afraid to show it and don’t assume they know you care. You have to prove it every day. However, if you are a person who doesn’t care about their team, then do everyone a favor and get out of a leadership position. For as I said, in the coming years all will become transparent, and in my humble opinion, there will only be a place for true leaders in our industry.