Mistake #3: No sense of purpose
Solution: Make sure employees know your why.

Employees, especially younger ones, want to have a
sense of purpose in their life and work.

What is your company’s purpose? What is the project’s
purpose? Do you articulate that and communicate it clearly
on a regular basis? Every company and every project has a
purpose. Tap into the purpose with your employees.

Mistake #4: Employers don’t treat employees like
human beings
Solution: Make their lives better
This is a simple concept, but perhaps not that easy. If
you make your employees’ lives better, they will be more
loyal to your company. So how do you do that? There are
two areas that we see that can make your employees’ lives
better. Improve their finances. Hire someone to come in and
help people set up budgets and pay off debt.

Improve their health and well-being. Start a wellness
program (formal or informal) and help them to be healthier
and happier.

Mistake #5: Work is stressful and full of angst
Solution: Create a fun place to work
I usually get pushback from this concept of creating a
fun place to work. To many people in the AEC industry,
work and fun just doesn’t go together. So, what can you do
as an individual and a company to infuse more fun in your
work, on your projects, and in your offices? Put in games,
have contests, have laugh time,
start every meeting out with
something fun, and promote
and encourage fun ideas of
team, collaboration, and play.

So, there you have it. The five
biggest mistakes and how to
solve them. If you want more
information, visit my website at
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The Canadian Design and Construction Report — Summer 2017 – 11