Site Visits and I3 (Inspect, Involve, Inform)

Not long ago, I was having a conversation with a young construction professional. ?He was telling me with excitement that he would be heading out to a job site in a few days. So, I asked what he looked for when he visited his field teams. His response wasn’t surprising. Well I go out to see the team to let them know they aren’t forgotten. I take some time to speak with the site lead (superintendent). Most of the time, they need someone to vent to. Then, he might invite the site lead to lunch.

?Having just met this young professional and the fact I didn’t dig any deeper, I wanted to avoid judgment. As I thought more about this exchange, I acknowledge that this is not uncommon for leaders in any industry to lack intention and focus during worksite visits. I know I have done it in the past. I am sure had I been asked that same question at some point in my career - What are you looking for? My answer might have been: I’m not sure, but I’ll know when I see it. This is not a good strategy. There is a better way.

? First, good on him for making the effort to engage his team in the field. There are a lot of people who might not make the effort or could make any number of excuses not to go,? especially if they are uncomfortable engaging folks on the front line because they don't have the depth of knowledge or experience to make a positive impact; I know this because I have felt that way. As I was promoted to higher levels, I became aware of how little I really knew across the organization.

?How do we engage employees and teams during site visits, and how does it look? It doesn’t have to be very complicated. Just use I3.

Inspect – Involve - Inform

? When leaders take the time to visit a work site, it allows them to Inspect the job site, including team members. I used to tell my Soldiers that every time I looked at them, it was an inspection. It’s important to Involve team members. What are their thoughts on how we operate and where we are headed? Often, golden nuggets are hidden in these conversations, which could have an incredible impact on the organization. ?Lastly, leaders have a duty to Inform this group how their work contributes to the organization's overall mission and what the future holds.

? When I was in the Army, I visited many units and had little idea how they did their work. At the Brigade level, we had a dining facility that prepared over 2,000 meals daily. I didn't know how to run a restaurant, but I developed some basic checks I would make as I learned more about what to look for.

A quick walk of the dining facility looking for:

Outside:

·????? Cleanliness—Is there trash or cigarette butts on the ground? What does the grass look like? Overall appearance.

·????? Check the dumpsters and trash area

·????? Back dock where deliveries came in and field rations were sent out.

Inside:

·????? Restrooms – Clean and stocked with soap and necessary paper products.

·????? Food preparation area – clean and orderly, slip and trip hazards

·????? Dishwashing area

·????? The serving line

·????? Dining area

? I didn't have to be a food service professional to engage this group, and taking the time to stop and speak with people and by asking questions, I became more comfortable asking questions about inventory, use of recipe cards, single point of sale system, and staffing.

How can I apply the I3 framework as a construction professional?

Inspect:

·????? Construction site cleanliness and organization – Are there access points for emergency vehicles?

·????? Review and discuss the project schedule

·????? Check issues/resolution tracker/system

·????? Review the safety observation checklist

·????? Observe crew uniform, PPE, and attitude (behaviors and motivation)

o?? Physical protection

o?? Emotional protection: Construction professionals are 5x more likely to die by suicide than to be killed on the worksite

Involve:

Ask questions:

·????? About them personally and professionally

·????? My three go-to questions would be: 1) What do you love about your job? 2) What causes you to call it work? 3) What makes you scratch your head?

·????? Ask for feedback on trade partner's performance and quality of work.

·????? Who are your MVPs company internal and trade partners?

·????? How can I help?

Inform:

·????? Let folks know and understand the value of the project to the company.

·????? Let them know what's on the horizon for the company and what else is happening.

·????? What are you working on, and what is important to you?

?In the end, this is nothing more than engaging team members. It doesn't take much to have a considerable impact. Allowing our people to have a voice and to be heard is huge. A mentor told me about the importance of the 3As: Be Accessible, Approachable, and Available. I'm going to add one more—Be Authentic!! Be yourself. It is okay to tell folks that you don't know something. I have found that our people often enjoy teaching us what they know!