Effectively Leveraging Trainers, Coaches, and Mentors

Contracting is a high-risk sport and the training of yourself, your managers and your craft labor should be as rigorous as a professional sports team.

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
D. Brown Management
February 21, 2018 2 minute read
Share

Contractors are facing a massive shortage of critical talent yet most contractors spend very little on talent development. 

Talent Development Tools: Effectively leveraging trainers, coaches and mentors. Quote: I invest a disproportionate amount of my income in paying for an ever-growing collection of trainers and coaches. Graham Duncan.

A valuable quote from Graham Duncan in the book Tribe of Mentors gets to the heart of continuous improvement. Consider that he invests and manages money for a living.  

Question:  What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made?

“I invest a disproportionate amount of my income in paying for an ever-growing collection of trainers and coaches.”

Graham Duncan; Co-Founder of East Rock Capital

The highest performing companies, teams and individuals heavily leverage these resources.  Truly effective training HURTS and is not fun because it stretches you. This is the same whether you are training for something physical or mental.  If you are taking the time to invest in training make sure you put 100% of your effort into it; and then some.  

Learn more about how we approach talent development

Production Tracking - Don't Be a Dry Monkey
Put a few monkeys in a cage with a ladder that has bananas on top. One monkey immediately goes for the bananas. Cold water sprays on the others. Don't let anyone on your team be a dry monkey when it comes to production tracking or schedule management.
Related Article
Noel Tichy and the 3 Zones of Learning
When it comes to developing talent in yourself and in others, it is important to know the boundaries of the learning zone as defined by Noel Tichy in his 3 Zones of Learning model.
Related Article
Coaching and "GPS Feedback" - John Wooden Example
The best coaches and superintendents all have an eye for detail and constant communication. Winning in construction or sports is about ensuring that thousands of details come together correctly. The game (or project) is won far away from the scoreboard.
Related Article