Soft Skills for Hard Job Sites

Project sites are complex social environments where real-time conflicts arise. Once shovels hit the ground, site and project leaders are constantly navigating competing priorities. Negotiating between owners, subcontractors, consultants, and suppliers in these stressful, time-sensitive scenarios form a large part of the job. This course focuses on four essential skills required to successfully manage and operate construction sites; unlock tools and resources for improving your leadership, negotiation, and communication skills, as well as your ability to manage jobsite productivity.

Course content will cover:

Productivity: Learn how to assess your site productivity. For example, how are you currently evaluating your productivity? Are you relying on subcontractors to self-evaluate? Do you evaluate what is causing impact and stacking? A good change order protocol and analysis of your site productivity will provide insight into how to solve and avoid future problems. Knowing how to evaluate productivity on-the spot or via field ratings can be critical to project success.

• Learn how to evaluate job site efficiency via field ratings and how to apply them on your site
• 7 Barriers to Construction Productivity gap (as defined by McKinsey & Company)
• Develop a plan to implement productivity improvements and how to present it to senior management

Negotiating: Learn how to negotiate in good faith towards mutual problem solving, instead of the adversarial/win-lose approach that leads to poor relationships and results.

• Bargaining styles – distributive bargaining and integrative bargaining
• How to identify BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement)
• Learn how to apply each bargaining style when confronted with a negotiation (as designed and used in Harvard’s Program on Negotiation)
• Learn and apply bargaining techniques to use in close-quarter, internal team situations, as well as external bargaining in competitive environments.

Communication

• How to identify non-verbal communication cues in a face-to-face team environment
• 7 key skills when using your own voice to communicate

• How to speak so people will listen
• What communication approach to use when communicating in all directions – from peer to peer, versus to client, versus to a project stakeholder

Leadership

• Understand the circle of safety theory and trust split theory
• Learn how to apply leadership theories in developing and coaching site teams/team members
• Learn how to apply leadership theories in challenging situations with various stakeholders

Derek Smith | Constructionlab

Derek is a design professional with 15+ years of experience teaching at the college level. As a design professional, Derek has collaborated on over $300 million in built or contemplated ICI and residential projects working for clients like Chrysler Corporation, Penske Industries, University of Windsor, Nature Fresh, COCO Paving/Developments and more. In 2007 he became Executive Director of the London & District Construction Association. During his time in this role, he chaired the Construction Lien Act Task Force for the Council of Ontario Construction Associations – which led to the recent prompt payment and adjudication in Ontario. In 2010, Derek also acted as employer bargaining agent to General Contractors and Civil Contractors in a successful strike free round.

Since he founded Constructionlab in 2015, Derek has been trusted by over 1000 small, medium and large construction firms, law firms, design firms and real estate development firms to deliver best-practice advice on labour, procurement, contract administration, and more. He counts 12 mixed-trade and labour relations construction associations as clients. Derek is also the inventor of the JOBSITE boardgame! He recently invented, manufactured and released this series of construction industry and design sector themed board games to raise awareness of construction careers through spirited play and learning.

This course requires full face-to-face interaction and participation from both the instructor and students. In order to attend, you’ll must make sure you have the following:

• Computer or laptop with webcam (webcams are mandatory): This course will involve on-screen interaction with your instructor and classmates, reading/viewing on-screen content like slides or videos, and interacting via typing with questions or responses. For this reason, you must have a webcam and use a full computer/laptop, and we do not permit students to attend using a tablet or cell phone.
• A quiet space with minimal distractions: Please plan to be fully engaged in the class, and clear your work schedule just as you would for attendance in an in-class program.

• Live, Online, Instructor-led training.
  • This course is facilitated by the instructor on the Zoom platform. Access information will be provided to you in advance of the training.
  • You will be expected to have your webcam on during the class and participate in group discussions and other activities with your instructor and classmates during the course.
• This course is delivered in partnership with local construction associations. You will be participating with a cohort of industry peers from multiple regions.

This course is delivered in partnership with local construction associations. You will be participating with a cohort of industry peers from across Canada.