Rockefeller and Dealing With People

“Hard Skills” including the technical ability to design and build a project are the foundation of the construction industry.

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
D. Brown Management
April 5, 2018 2 minute read
Share

The “Soft Skills” such as the ability to deal with people is the glue that holds complex projects and contracting businesses together.  

Quote: The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee and I will pay more for that ability than for any other under the sun. John D Rockefeller

These are the skills that connect teams from different companies together effectively for the more collaborative project delivery we are seeing across all sectors of the construction market.  

These are the skills that both hold teams together and attract new people to that team.  This is exceptionally critical considering the shortages of talent in the industry that will continue to get worse.  

Combining soft and hard skills together is what makes effective teachers, coaches and mentors that develop others.  

These “Soft Skills” are purchasable as Rockefeller describes but they can also be developed.  In the current and future construction environment the contractors that master the development of talent will dominate.  

Schedule a call with us to learn more about how we help contractors accelerate talent development

Progressive Levels of Business Development
The most important first step for a contractor is to find a customer who will pay for a project. With continued growth, the process of business development becomes progressively more complex including how it is integrated with strategy and operations.
Related Article
Succession Readiness at All Levels
Succession goes far beyond ownership transitions every generation or two. Succession readiness at all levels is what allows contractors to grow profitably and safely. How would you evaluate succession readiness across your team?
Related Article
Building vs Demonstrating Capability
Building a sustainably growing construction business is a huge challenge for everyone on the team. Building an effective project team across dozens of different companies with sometimes competing interest is incredibly difficult.
Related Article