Five Stages of Adult Behavior

To build a project effectively you have to have a deep understanding of the building materials, tools and installation methods.

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You need to understand what works best in which situations and that is your value-add.    

Talent Tools: 5 Stages of Adult Development. Book: Changing On The Job by Jennifer Garvey Berger.

Leading a construction business is about leading people.  The larger your team gets the more important it is to learn as much about talent development as you have learned about construction means and methods.  These are not skills that can be delegated to someone in HR.  

A couple things to consider as you go on this journey:

  • As a whole we are much further down the road to understanding building materials.  You cannot expect to find the same level of prescriptive formulas about how the human mind works as you can find about engineering calculations.    
  • At first there will seem to be dozens (or hundreds) of different models about how the mind works, how we learn, team dynamics, etc.  As you study more you will see a lot of commonalities and this will help you develop your own style of leadership.  

Changing on the Job is one of many great books on the topic of adult development in a professional context




Coaching and "GPS Feedback" - John Wooden Example
The best coaches and superintendents all have an eye for detail and constant communication. Winning in construction or sports is about ensuring that thousands of details come together correctly. The game (or project) is won far away from the scoreboard.
Retirement Onboarding - Post-Retirement Business Involvement
Contractors are a special breed of people. We work “Mach 5 with our hair on fire” for decades, putting in 50-90 hours per week. We love the industry and want to stay involved.
Continuous Improvement - Takes or Saves Time
I am too busy to learn to improve the process! This statement is only funny because it is so true. It is one of the first mindsets you have to break within yourself and then within your team if you want to achieve consistent operational excellence.