Greatness Podcast

Women lifting up other women in the construction industry is critical to our efforts to be a more inclusive industry. As part of my journey of making new construction industry friends in Kansas City I met the amazing Erica Jones, Vice President of MMC Corporation and Founder of On The Rise. This incredible program elevates women in the construction industry during a half-day workshop. Erica is a wonderful example of someone who beyond leading marketing for a $1.2 billion company also steps up as a volunteer to lead change in our industry. Erica joined the Greatness Podcast to share many examples of how to support the success of women and minorities, intentionally, in our industry; and also shares her success in building the marketing team for MMC as the organization grew from $300 million to their current size. Her advice to women - be advocates for other women, lift women up, be a mentor, pay it forward. Let's embrace that we bring different things to the table - it makes every organization better.

I strongly encourage those of you in the construction industry (all genders) to join myself and five other amazing construction industry podcasters for the free inaugural Women in Construction Week Audio Summit 2024! Join creator Barb Allen and myself for a preview of the Audio Summit on the Greatness podcast and sign up here - https://constructionbarb.ck.page/8c2e8cf8f1. I'll be talking about unconscious bias, a favorite topic. 

Bill Proudman co-founded White Men as Full Diversity Partners (WMFDP) 30 years ago to work with leaders at the intersection of equity and inclusion - helping leaders be the stewards of an inclusive culture with courage, consciousness, and competency. Bill is a white man who had the courage to "follow his heart" three decades ago when he realized that a "whole bunch of people around the globe were having a very different experience than I was" and these differences were not "out there", they were important to him. WMFDP works with leaders on creating a culture where people feel they belong - feel seen, connected, proud, and supported. This isn't about attacking or criticizing white men. "This isn't a blame and shame game". It's a system where certain people have "systemic unearned benefits" and we as leaders need to be present to that in working towards inclusion. 

Have you ever experienced a man apologizing for an all-male panel at a conference? Five years ago while attending my first Australian Pipelines and Gas (APGA) Conference in Darwin I saw APGA CEO Steve Davies do just that. Steve was so proud of the fact that he had convinced many of the industry's top leaders to come to Darwin for a senior leader panel, and then it sank in - no woman. And Steve said that on stage - I'm embarrassed that there isn't a woman on this panel and we, as an industry, can do better.Steve's courageous statement created the spark for my work with APGA to develop the Women's Leadership Development Program modeled after a similar program at the American Gas Association. Our first cohort sold out in 24hrs, and as Steve says, ". . . women in the industry were crying out for something that was targeted at them and their experience in the industry." Our purpose - to retain women in the pipeline industry and provide them with the skills they need to continue to advance their careers.Seven cohorts and 175 women later the outcomes of the program make my heart sing. One participant told me that after 10 years of a stalled career she's had two promotions in two years, and 90% of the participants report an increase in confidence. Steve also comments in the podcast that the program has inspired member companies to pay more attention to and place greater value on inclusion.

Have you ever had someone who saw more in you than you did in yourself? Or been told you're not thinking big enough, aiming high enough with your aspirations? Many people experience these feelings, including many of the women I speak with in various industries. Lisa Mednick Takami joined the Greatness Podcast to share her amazing research and associated book, Women in the Higher Education C-Suite: Diverse Executive Profiles. Through her interviews with senior women leaders in higher education, Lisa gained tremendous insights into the skills necessary - emotional intelligence, political savviness, etc. - to achieve executive positions. These learning are important and transferable to many industries

My good friend Denise Burgess, a tremendous leader in the construction industry and recent inductee into the National Academy of Construction, joined the Greatness Podcast to talk about her 30-year journey as an African American woman in the industry. Denise candidly shares her experience of frequently being the only woman of color in the room. "Oh, did your dad just send you here to take the notes?". Denise shares a deeply personal story about the "personal assault" of a less-than-flattering story in the Denver Post and the ensuing 1200 audits of her project that found no wrongdoing, a powerful story of resilience and staying grounded in your values. I can empathize with Denise's experience as constantly having to prove herself, and appreciate her story of one group saying that they thought "Dennis" was showing up and asking Denise if she needed to call someone to negotiate the contract. Why is it important for you to listen to this podcast regardless of your industry? Because listening to different people's experiences creates empathy and exposes us to the unconscious bias we ALL have. Two of the many pieces of advice Denise shares - "be true to yourself" and "really hear people" - and great stories of allyship.

What distinguishes a great coach from a good coach, either as a professional or as a leader coaching your team? David Goldsmith, Co-founder of the International Coaching Federation and iconic pillar of the executive coaching profession, joined the Greatness podcast to share his invaluable insights on this topic. Key nuggets - how are you, as a coach/leader, curious and asking the right questions that allow your people to solve problems for themselves? How do you walk away from coaching individuals with them clearly in action? Another great insight - how do you, as a person, move within the "eye of the storm", not in it.Coaching is about movement and progress, helping people find clarity and prioritize their time and energy. It's about creating space to be thoughtful and to focus upon YOU and your development. I'm grateful to the people who coach me and the people who give me the gift of coaching them. 

What keeps us in the game - be it life or work? We all know leaders that continue to be curious and "in the game" throughout their lives, but what is it that drives that ongoing curiosity? Dr. Pamela Meyer's latest book, Staying in the Game: Leading and Learning with Agility for a Dynamic Future explores "embodied agile leadership".. According to Pamela, an agile leader is engaged with their whole selves, open to surprise, and continuing to learn new information with a mindset of adaptation.These leaders don't have "death grip on the original plan". Instead they are "responsive versus reactive" and slow down to go fast.

Do you know what the number one micro-aggression against women is in the workplace? Being talked over. Believe me, I have experienced and witnessed it all too often.So what can we all do about this? How do we actively advocate for underrepresented people at work and make them feel included? Many of us understand that inclusion is important, but how do we use our privilege, be that the colour of our skin or our leadership position, to advocate for the under-represented?My friend Jeffery Tobias Halter joined the Greatness podcast to discuss "active male engagement in advancing women" and advocacy for all underrepresented groups. As Jeffery states, men are 75% of leadership in most companies and are 75% of the solution in advancing women and underrepresented groups. Jeffery started his organization 15 years ago because he realized men may want to help but don't know what to do on a daily basis. One of Jeffery's suggestions - go out and ask someone who is different from you about their lived experience at work. Have a "listening conversation". It may feel uncomfortable, but these conversations are critical to creating understanding and empathy.Another suggestion - download this podcast and listen to it in a team meeting; then have the conversation.Jeffery has many free tools on his website - https://ywomen.biz/free-tools/ - and I would encourage each of you to check these out!

We spend a great deal of time helping leaders understand how to help employees trust them. But what happens when we as leaders lose trust in an employee? How do we understand the source of the breakdown of trust and the steps to repair it? As Dina Denham Smith describes in her HBR article and as a guest on the Greatness podcast, this breakdown in trust can lead to less delegation, micromanagement, and stress. Dina's "three C's" - competency, consistency, and character - are research-based and quite helpful. Dina shares wonderful tips on how to diagnose each specific situation and how to rebuild trust or make the decision to end the relationship. One key question - "How big is that breach?"