Many employees and company owners want to “move up the ladder” to higher company employment positions as employees or to bigger and better, more prestigious construction projects well before they are ready for those positions. There are some things to remember when trying to move up the ladder. If you or your company are known for getting a good employment position or acquiring good prestigious project, and you do not perform, not only will your pride be hurt, but you will have a tough time trying to get one of those jobs or projects any time soon.
Here are some things to think about when trying to “move up the ladder” to better paying employment positions or larger more prestigious construction projects. Find a level of play where you can enter the workplace or the project size where you feel that you can really know that you will be able to compete and do well. As an employee, this level will be one where you know everything there is to know about excelling at a particular position. As a construction owner, this level will be a project size and scope where you have had a lot of experience and know that you can excel and build a solid reputation by doing a great job.
While in these positions, keep a “downward focus”. What I mean here is, consistently focus on what you do best and focus on what you can control. Do what you were hired to do and do those things to best of your abilities by keeping your head down, being a good listener, and keeping your eye on what is important. Do NOT take your eye off your work to play politics in order to work yourself to a higher position. Sell yourself through your actions and the product you produce. There are a lot of people who “sell” themselves into good positions and then do not produce. They are not interested in the job at hand; they are always looking up to the next job. Don’t try to verbally sell yourself, as many sharp company owners or experienced General Contractors will see right through the unrealistic sales guys. Excel at your job first. This means: getting things done on time if not early; being very thorough, clean, and organized; doing exactly what you said you would do; listen, watch and learn from others; and most of all keep your comments to yourself as many times you will say things that are irrelevant. It also means be a team member. Elevate others by your work ethic and team play. I guarantee others will follow, as they always do. Finally, be there to help others and always be open to learning new tasks or new trades. Successful people are willing to do the difficult things that other people do not want to do…even when they do not want to do them. You see, when you consistently do the things others do not want to do, and you have the ability to take on problems and solve them, you become very valuable to and employer as an employee, or as a company to a General Contractor.
Don’t get me wrong everyone wants to move up the ladder to higher positions, to better paying jobs, and have the ability to complete prestigious construction projects and so on. Just do your homework. Educate and train yourself to be the best at what you do. If you want to move up to higher levels of employment or expand you company to higher levels of work and contract values, hire a mentor to bring the experiences and other strengths you need to succeed. Let’s look upward by looking downward to the things that really matter. There is a saying that you are what you surround yourself or associate yourself with. If you want to be the best hang around and do what the successful people have done. In most cases, getting to the top was not an event it was a journey. What I mean is that it will take time, preparation, learning, failing and more learning to be successful and to build a solid personal and corporate foundation. So by really looking “downward” you can really make yourself grow “upward”!
Come visit our Constructus International website at www.constructus.com to get the nutrition you need to grow yourself into a solid construction business person. Use our Advisors business knowledge and the experiences of our contractor community members will help educate and train you to move up the ladder of success.
-Thanks for reading!
Tom Dedin
CEO- Constructus International