September 27, 2012

Construction leadership must adapt to new workforce

KELLY LAPOINTE

staff writer

The far-reaching voice of the Millennial Generation should not stop leaders from communicating, but they will need to adapt, said Lieutenant-General (Retired) Andrew Leslie at the recent Construction Industry Leaders Forum (CILF).

“The folks of today I believe are better, faster, they’re smarter, they’re more aware than they were 30 years ago,” he said.

“They want a voice. We call it a 10,000 lb. finger. They are not the least bit afraid of tapping you in the chest with that finger and asking the hard questions, especially if their jobs, or their lives, depend on the outcome of what you say.”

Leslie has commanded troops in the warzones of Yugoslavia and Afghanistan as well as in the command centres of the Canadian military.

He spoke of his personal experience leading thousands of troops who have the world at their fingertips through the evolving realm of technology and social media. Leaders have to change the way they speak to their employees.

The difference today compared to yesterday, Leslie says, is that young men and women are now actively voicing their opinion.

That voice should not stop leaders from communicating, but they should evolve that communication style.

“The young folk of today expect levels of communication which are unparalleled. Choose your messages really carefully,” cautioned Leslie.

“The power to communicate, where they can take cell phone pictures of what they are doing at work and send them to their mother on the other side of the world...is amazing. How do you harness that technological ability, that willingness to get out there and interact with others. How to you harness their ability to communicate so quickly and to coalesce around opinions and thought leaders of which you’ve probably not aware.”

Communication for the future will have to be transparent and readily understood, he said.

Transformational leadership requires “a willingness to embrace the new ideas to become better, faster, smarter, more efficient or more effective,” said Leslie.

It’s important to admit that there are issues within your organization that need fixing and decided what you want solved during your tenure, he said.

The transformation has to be leadership driven.

“You have to own it,” he said, adding that it can’t be passed off to a committee or given to a group of external consultants.

“If the folk in this room don’t own transformation, your organization won’t evolve to the next level.”

Though there is a need for change, Leslie warned that it is important to be cautious because there are always people who do not welcome change.

“Very often there’s a ‘not on my watch’ syndrome, which is most prevalent, not always, around folk who have done the same sort of thing for a good many years. How do you break through that barrier? Do you want to?”

A “huge” lesson Leslie learned is that if something is working, don’t fix it.

“If you’re happy with your organization, if you’re happy with your support system, for god’s sake, don’t mess with it.”

CILF, hosted by the Canadian Construction Association, was held at the Albany Club in downtown Toronto on Sept. 19.

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