Nancy Greenwald, Construction Institute

A little more than a year ago, I captured the thinking of the board of directors and the board of advisors of the Construction Institute (CI) about the most important challenges we need to take on to advance the future of the industry1.

Four issues emerged as our industry’s principal challenges:

• Improving relationships among industry stakeholders

• Recruiting and Training the next generation of leaders and employees

• Continuous Improvement of Processes: Accessing the Power of Data

• Employing Powerful New Technologies at a Practical Level

No doubt, you have heard about, read about, or been to programs where panelists talked about each of these subjects. At the CI, we have been busy shaking things up and creating ways of turning talk into action.  We invite you to join us.

In February, 2016, the CI tackled the issue of recruiting and training the next generation of leaders and employees with a workshop designed to stimulate an honest and productive dialogue and to create a foundation for concrete answers to the question “Why Should I Work for You?” The program was designed and facilitated by CI members Brent Robertson, Fathom, Inc. and Sarah Giardini, JCJ Architecture. The results of that day are powerful ideas, clear action steps, and a new narrative for the industry designed to attract this much needed workforce².

Shown (from left) are: Kaitlyn Dobberfuhl of Gilbane Building Co.; and Brent Robertson, Fathom, Inc.

How do we create an environment that encourages deeper collaboration between firms?

Why should you come to this event:

• You want to influence changes that benefit you, your firm, your clients and the industry;

• You want to learn how to better engage with industry peers of different ages, experiences and disciplines;

• You want to join with others and be part of something that has never been done, but could change everything.

For more information about the event visit our website at construction.org/event/industryREdesign and watch our video at https://vimeo.com/189700994.

What is industryREdesign?

industryREdesign is a new type of programming offered by the Construction Institute created with the idea that if we want to change the industry, change needs to be generated by professionals of every age and every discipline within our industry. industryREdesign will take the form of a series of interactive workshops designed to draw out and convert inspiring ideas into pragmatic actions everyone can apply to their own professional practice and within their own firms. Each industryREdesign workshop will focus on one distinct challenge to start an ongoing effort to apply, measure and share the impact of ideas generated for each challenge.

IndustryREdesign was the brainchild of a group of Construction Institute members who wanted to do something that inspired provocative conversation and meaningful action. The first workshop will be facilitated by Brent Robertson of Fathom and Kaitlyn Dobberfuhl of Gilbane and will be highly interactive. To capture the insights from the event, a video crew has been hired and a white-paper will be published. 

The Construction Institute, a division of The University of Hartford, is a non-profit, non-partisan association of diverse professionals working to improve the construction industry by sharing experiences and knowledge, advancing relationships, and developing business leaders statewide. You can find out more at construction.org.

¹The resulting article, “Taking Responsibility for the Future of the AEC Industry,” appeared in the New England Real Estate Journal on August 21, 2015 and is available in the archives.

²You can access the white paper and other articles under the Public Resources tab of our website: construction.org.

Nancy Greenwald is executive director of The Construction Institute, Hartford, Conn.