How To Be A Leader In A Field-Based Work Environment

Josh Thompson is the founder and leader of Thompson Exterior Services, a construction and building maintenance company.

My years in the facade maintenance and construction industry have taught me a lot about what it means to be a leader overseeing employees that are in the field. I find that there are many unique aspects of working in a field-based work environment. Here are some of the things I have found work for me as I lead my company that may be helpful for you, too.

Be a physical presence.

No matter the field, leaders should be there for their employees. But in construction and facade maintenance, a physical presence is even more important. Leadership in construction and facade maintenance should not be a job isolated to the office.

I am constantly outside of the office checking out sites and working at sites. I like to be a physical presence so that my employees can see that I am there with them and ready to work with them.

Construction and facade maintenance happens on-site, and thus I believe leaders should take a hands-on approach. This helps you to oversee the work being done, communicate with workers and subcontractors and ensure that everything is running smoothly.

Have a plan C and D.

Facade maintenance and construction are two fields that can be affected by things outside of your control. Rain can delay a project. Changes in supply costs can send you into a loop. It is not enough to have just a plan B. You should have multiple backup plans in your pocket. There will always be unforeseen circumstances, no matter how much you try to control everything, so the best thing you can do is to be prepared and have multiple plans in the works.

Embrace experience.

Facade maintenance and construction are fields where you do not need a college degree to enter. Many people even gain experience at a young age. While all leaders know that they do not have all the answers and all the knowledge, this can be taken to the extreme in these two fields.

Listen to the suggestions of your employees and how they have previously done the work. See your employees for their experiences and what they contribute to the team, not their race, ethnicity or academic background. To be successful in field-based leadership, you have to embrace the wealth of knowledge that your employees bring to the table and be willing to take their suggestions.

Make safety a priority.

There are life-threatening consequences to a lack of safety in fields like construction and facade maintenance. As a leader, you have to be looking out for the safety of your employees. Make sure they are trained and that everything that could possibly be in place to keep them safe is in place. No leader wants to receive the dreaded call that one of their employees was hurt or worse. Safety should constantly be reviewed to help prevent such an occurrence.

The fields that I work in are unique, which is one of the many reasons why I love them. They really give me a chance to use my leadership skills. I find that to be successful as a leader in these fields, you need to have a presence on job sites, have multiple backup plans, embrace the experience that employees come with and make safety a top priority.

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