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The new year is nearly upon us, and it’s the time of year when individuals begin to take stock of their personal and professional lives and make plans for the future.
For many around this time of year, you’ll probably find things slow down over the holidays, giving you a chance to catch your breath and strategize for the coming year.
By setting resolutions for your company, or for your professional growth, you can create a positive path for the new year. It can also provide you a method for breaking old habits and creating forward movement that leads to growth.
We created a list of new year’s resolutions designed to help business owners and professionals make 2023 their best year yet:
Make professional development/training a priority
The industry is rapidly changing, and you and your team have to be prepared to change with it. Additionally, we all know that construction work is dangerous and without the proper safety training, there is more risk of accidents happening in the workplace.
However, proper safety training will not just lessen the risk but it will also reduce any litigation fees and administrative fines the company will incur if an accident happens in the workplace. Safety training should never be disregarded even if there are looming deadlines or unforeseen delays. With regular training, workers are kept reminded from time to time what they need to do. As they become mindful of the things they need to do, they become aware of the risks that come if they don’t follow the guidelines. Thus, training is not for the apprentice only but also for the seasoned veterans.
It's also shown that regular training boosts retention and succession rates. Professional development hones the skills of your employees. Consequently, it opens up new opportunities for them. When employees see that they have room for growth and opportunities to go further in the company and in the industry, they are more likely to stay. This also solves the problem of older workers leaving the workforce earlier than they’re supposed to.
MindForge has dozens of training topics – ranging from sexual harassment to ladder safety – that ensure your team has the tools they need to stay healthy and your corporation in compliance. And, our platform allows for your admins to easily track training, assign courses based on role or project and follow-up as appropriate.
Improve communication – especially with your front-line workers
Communication is one of the most important components to creating a safe and successful workplace – especially in the construction industry. Time and time again, project teams fall victim to the consequences of miscommunication, resulting in the missing of critical updates, losing productivity and making costly errors.
In the construction industry, it is often a challenge to ensure everyone is on the same page. Employees are not in front of their computers all day, so email updates aren’t read as often. Team members often work far away from corporate headquarters, potentially creating a sense of isolation. And jobsites often have project team members from various trades and disciplines.
But with the MindForge platform, your team can send out communications to everyone based on role or project easily and effectively – sending out one message and get it sent to all the workers at the same time, in the same way. Project leaders and admins can easily identify who has read the message.
Improve and enhance your company culture
Building a positive company culture will not only improve your overall working environment, it can improve productivity as well. By fostering an environment where your employees feel secure and valued, it empowers them to be grow and be more accountable. In addition to creating a supportive culture for your employees, research confirms that teams perform higher.
Because the platform allows for administrators to view who viewed each message – and when – Mindforge makes it easier to create a culture of accountability. Encourage team members to ask questions or post feedback. Reward feedback with praise. Make sure you also encourage radical candor, promote respect and welcome curiosity.
Consider also creating an internal survey to gauge everyone’s opinions and feelings on your culture. Ask people what they love, what they don’t love and their ideas for improving things.
Prioritize mental health
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that working in construction have one of the highest suicide rates compared to other industries, a rate about five times higher than the general population.
Many factors contribute to this, including a tendency to be away from home for projects, a male-dominated industry and a culture that demands strength. To combat this, every construction company needs a plan to bring mental health safety to the forefront in their health and safety training.
Mental health tool box talks, sharing resources and educating the team all have a hand in breaking down the stigma of mental health and allow team members to feel more relaxed about discussing their emotional well-being. You send a message that these are meaningful conversations when you combine the discussion of physical health with mental health. Resources can be found on the MindForge platform at https://www.mindforge.live/suicide-prevention.
Embrace technology
Technological advancements and innovation drive the construction industry forward. However, many teams are reluctant to adopt new technology, limiting their capabilities.
It’s normal for there to be reluctance to adopt a new product among team members – especially among those less comfortable around technology. The key is to share success stories, emphasizing how the tool was helpful. Identify a team lead who will help answer questions.
Software like MindForge is changing the way construction companies oversee their teams and tasks, communicating critical safety issues and report updates. It’s often the most realistic and affordable starting point for construction executives who are looking to dip their toes in the digital age.
It also has to start at the top. When project leadership utilizes a tool, it sends a strong message to the front-line worker that the tool is embraced. This sets expectations accordingly.
For more ideas on how to create a success plan for your company, contact Client Success Manager Ben Ross at ben.r@mindforge.studio.