Be curious, not judgmental
This is a quote by Ted Lasso. It resonates very strongly with me.
At my worst, I am judgmental. At my best, I am curious. However, I have to be very disciplined to not slip into judgmental mode.
On the other hand, Emily Taylor who will be co-hosting with me in our upcoming Helix DECONSTRUCTION podcast series, is the most naturally curious person I have ever met. Emily politely asks questions so she gets a good understanding of a matter but perhaps, even more importantly, to gain an insight into the reasons why people or parties adopt certain positions.
Consequently, Emily and I will interview our podcast hosts in the spirit of this Ted Lasso quote and the above infographic.
Deconstruction Podcast
The construction industry comprises many different sectors and within each sector, many different specialised parties with vastly diverse needs and priorities. Let’s look at the subcontractor sector for example.
A small individual carpenter subcontractor faces very different pressures and responsibilities than say a large company mechanical services subcontractor.
Many in the industry are quick to adopt ‘set and forget’ judgmental positions when it comes to dealing with other parties. I put my hand up. Guilty as charged.
However, I recognise that in 2023, for the industry to be sustainable for all and to achieve much better productivity, diversity, and environmental outcomes (to name just a few), it is essential that all parties look to be more collaborative. For this to happen, all parties must be more understanding of the pressures facing other parties.
Talking, and more importantly, listening to other parties I think is central to this happening.
We have settled on our podcast guests and are now in the process of finalising all the necessary logistics. Some are well-known industry people. However, some are not and have expressed shock as to why we would want to talk to them.
We have responded that they are very smart, knowledgeable, and have an interesting backstory. However, their response is telling. There are tens of thousands of such people working in this great industry.
Hearing from such people is in our view, long overdue.
Watch this space for more information.
Preparations are underway!
