It’s Happening: COVID-19 and a New Normal in Construction
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In this episode, Tim and Carolina talk about the topic of the hour, COVID-19, and how it is affecting the building industry.
More About the Show
The Build Perspectives podcast shares insider knowledge to build connections and community in the building materials industry. Tim and Carolina are friends, colleagues and former coworkers who love the construction industry and their clients, and want to share their passion and insights to attract future talent to the industry.
In this episode, Tim and Carolina talk live about the topic of the hour, COVID-19, and how it is affecting the building industry, including how companies, strategies, roles and responsibilities may change in the coming months.
The New Normal
Right now, people are unsettled. Some are in denial and some are starting to move forward. Everyone has made decisions, made pivots in their strategies, and they’re pressing forward with their organizations and their jobs. Some have had to make very hard decisions. Everyone is adjusting to this new normal. The question, however, is will this be a permanent change or a temporary situation?
We feel that the ripples from what happens in the next two to four weeks will be felt indefinitely. And all of these little tweaks and changes that we’re doing creatively to continue to work, to continue to run our businesses, to continue to move forward with our projects — that’s going to possibly change the way we do business forever going forward.
Most companies are having workers who can work from home. And if this sustains another month, it’s possible that it will become the new de-facto standard. So then, what kind of tools and processes can companies put in place and what communication and manager leadership can they execute on to help people feel connected to the company? How do you keep productivity and morale high?
There’s also remodeling to take into consideration. How many drywall, steel stud, 2x4s and sound deadening boards are going to be used to parse off home offices and rooms in homes to make it a private space where people can do business?
But what do you do for workers who can’t work from home? Factory workers can’t work from home, neither can shipping and logistics workers, or customer service and janitorial workers. Right now, you need to think of processes to keep these workers safe while they are still working.
And for remote workers, you need to have clear communication and clear guidelines on how to conduct remote business. It’s also important to remember that everyone is making adjustments and we need to have grace as we work in this new normal.
Connection
One thing to do during this time is to keep your database clean and clean up projects in whatever your CRM you employ. Make sure everything is up to date and try and reconnect with people who may have fallen through the cracks.
Tim thinks that things will continue to be good in the construction industry, especially for remodels and construction of single family homes (entry level especially).
Another thing you can use this time for is professional development. Make use of this time to read professional books that you haven’t had time to before, or take that course you’ve been eying for years. Try Linda.com or Coursera. Most colleges have online courses that aren’t accredited but are still educational and provide helpful information.
Some companies are trying to reallocate resources and not press forward with those plans. We think that’s a mistake. While macroeconomics are important, you have to remember your pipeline.
Get every dollar that you can add that pipeline and make your employees and customers feel special because most companies during the next couple months are going to be shocked. And the companies that are willing to make moves quickly and communicate well and get their people on board with different initiatives are going to be the ones that come out on top at the end of this.
You need to take action, see what works, and support your people, your colleagues, your customers.
This is a time when you hold on to your values and your culture. You need to need to fall back on those value and remind people, ‘This is who we are, this is what we’re about, and you’re about to see it live.’
Nothing lasts forever. This will end. What won’t end is the need for continuous improvement.
Personal Development
You may not be able to affect change at your company at a C-level or even in your own department. But you can affect change with yourself. Try reading The Discipline of Getting Things Done. Read Mark Mitchell’s book, Building Materials Channel Marketing. Or listen to a podcast, like the Smarter Building Materials Marketing podcast by Venveo.
All of these things can give you perspective and help your career, both now and in the future. Tim also recommends Side Hustle School by Chris Guillebeau. Even if you don’t want to be an entrepreneur, he has a lot of tips that will help you in your career, such as tools that don’t cost anything but will help you be more productive.
We need to have empathy for everyone around us right now. Everyone is experiencing anxiety right now, so we need to be patient with each other. Remember that our team mates and customers and employees and managers all have a story. They are all going through something and they all have vulnerabilities, including you.
Let’s not take this time to focus on those vulnerabilities, but instead, let’s try lift each other up. You need to try and keep some camaraderie, even though everyone is separate, everyone is remote. Otherwise, you won’t have people motivated to make sales calls or work as hard as they did in the office. It’s a time for inclusivity and kindness. Be patient when listening to others.
Content Consumption & Relationships
And remember that people are going to be consuming content differently. Marketing teams should know that their open rates and bounce rates and other metrics are all going to be different going forward.
For instance, try using emojis in your conversations. People will be four times more likely to engage with a chat bot that uses emojis, regardless of the company.
Take the time to explain and talk to people. They don’t want a yes or no answer right now. They want an explanation. We aren’t stuck in traffic or out on a job site or visiting clients. We have the time to talk, so we should. Because we’re social distancing, we need to be more expressive. You have to really think about how things come across in text.
The people who are most cognizant of that are going to be the most successful during this time. If for no other reason than they are the ones that will be making better relationships and connections with others, which is what this industry is all about.
It’s not bricks and boards. It’s people. So be kind, empathetic and patient with people during this time. Be a part of the solution and find out where you fit in this new dynamic.
Join the Conversation
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this week’s episode! Shoot us an email at buildperspectives@gmail.com.