Monday, June 11, 2007

Women in the workforce

http://www.topbuildingjobs.com/news.php/466da7468e75d/?articleID=17


It is true, as the article points out, that women do not make a large percentage of leaders in the top 100 construction companies.

But I do ask, how many of these companies have had substantial leadership changes in the last 20 years? If we take out all of the family companies, where leadership is kept in the family, then lets eliminate all the companies that have not changed top level leaders in 20 years, how many are left? I think then we will have a more accurate picture of women leading large companies.

Every company I have worked for was ultimately a family company. And the next generation of leaders at those companies is already picked.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Incentive Programs

I have always felt incentive programs are an essential part of business. People want to be rewarded for going above and beyond. George Lucas, when Empire Strikes Back was released and was an absolute block buster, gave more than $5 million in rewards to his staff, and apparently that went to everyone, even that kid who scrubs the toilets on Hoth.

George Lucas provided the vision, and most of the direct financial costs, bot don't you think the cast also took risks? What if the movie had been a flop? What would have happened to their careers? George took a lot of direct risk, but everyone involved had some risk.

Incentive programs in construction can be very simple, because the goals are so measurable. Incentives need to be tied directly to the work.

Saturday, June 9, 2007

Bonus programs

Good managers like to reward their employees. Bad managers like to reward themselves. Good managers also like to reward themselves. So there is a fine line between good and bad.

Most construction companies have some kind of reward program, designed to help their builders stay focused on the 4 goals of any construction project.
Build a QUALITY product, ON TIME, SAFELY, and ON BUDGET.

My very first job, outside of the home was a newspaper boy. The bonus program there was real simple. Most people chose to pay the Gazette directly, but some preferred to have me come by and collect their monthly payment.

I choose now to see my salary as a bonus. The Gazette was under no obligation to pay me for delivering 36 papers, only for the surplus they had received in the office (I paid for the papers I delivered, but more people paid the office directly than I had to collect from, so the office sent me a check for the excess). And if I did not go collecting, I did not get money.

I will admit, I was not very diligent. I got all my money, but if I missed people one month, I would get them the next month. They must have hated that.

The bonus program should provide and incentive to ALL employees to do their part. If your program does not drive ALL to excel, then something is missing.

Construction employees tend to bonus so much because it is so easy to measure the products being produced. But how do you reward people that have harder to measure goals, while keeping them as team builders?

First Post

I have big plans for this site - don't we all when we first start. First I need to make some posts about the big ideas I have. I redesigned the bonus program. I I have thoughts on selling options, vs including the options. thoughts on 2x6 construction. Just so many thoughts.