I want to share with you something I’ve noticed since starting Building PPL and having the true honor of working alongside dozens of construction businesses. There seems to be a cycle on the People Operations side of the business and it usually begins when something starts to break.
Communication is inconsistent, managers struggle to hold people accountable, or employees aren’t clear about expectations. (Maybe all three are happening at once) Teams are frustrated and leaders are spending too much time addressing the same problems.
The first request that comes through is often training.
- “We need communication training.”
- “Our managers need leadership development.”
- “Our employees need to be more accountable.”
Training may absolutely be part of the solution, but it usually isn’t the first thing the organization actually needs.
What’s almost always missing is the People Operations foundation supporting that behavior. Roles may be unclear. Expectations may not be documented. Managers may not have consistent processes to follow. Employees may be receiving different messages depending on whom they ask.
A workshop cannot compensate for unclear systems.
From our standpoint, we don’t just go to leadership to be told what they want. We come in at the middle. We listen to leadership, hear what employees are experiencing, and determine where the gaps exist between the two. From there, we help build or strengthen the processes, expectations, and systems needed to create clarity and consistency.
The cycle clients usually want
- Leadership Development for managers struggling to lead their teams
- Training for the employees who struggle using your software or communicating with clients
- SOPs to help scale the business and ensure consistency on all projects
The cycle that usually works
The cycle tends to follow a consistent flow:
- People Operations (the SOPs and people processes) to create the foundation.
- People Development (or training) to help employees build the skills to succeed alongside the boundaries established through those processes
- Leadership Development to equip the managers and leaders to support the organization’s next stage of growth, all while using the tools provided to them.
That is a well-oiled People Operations Machine.
Stay with me, I’m almost done! (I know, I have a lot to say. It’s exhausting)
As the business moves through these phases, the HR function must shift with it.
Yet across the AEC industry, HR often isn’t thought of as the function that can lead this type of work. Instead, it gets added to the responsibilities of the CEO, VP of Operations, or a Project Executive…all while they are expected to bring in more business and keep projects running smoothly.
I’m here to tell you that your HR or People Operations team can do this work. They may need new tools, additional development, or time to grow into a more strategic role, but it is possible. If your current HR team doesn’t have the capacity or experience to take it on alone, it is still possible with outside support from an organization like ours.
Whether the work is led internally or supported by an outside partner, the goal is the same: build the People Operations foundation that allows training, development, and growth to take hold.
P.S.
I realize I just spent an entire newsletter explaining why training usually isn’t the first thing you need and yet I’m about to recommend training. We also understand that getting people excited about new processes and systems can be an uphill battle. Training is tangible. It creates energy and dare I say, training is the sexy part of People Operations. And sometimes, offering something people are excited to participate in creates the buy-in and momentum needed to begin the less glamorous work happening behind the scenes.
So, if you’re looking to dip a toe into learning opportunities for your team, reach out and we’re happy to make recommendations. It’s probably a band-aid to the work that needs to be done, but we’ll allow it!
As I said, oftentimes you need to start with the work behind the curtain, and sometimes it’s helpful to have something exciting enough to get people into the theater.
