PCCA Journal|2
nd
Quarter 2010
30
quadrants: 1) Need is high/Skill is low, 2) Need is
high/Skill is high, 3) Need is low/Skill is high, and 4)
Need is low/Skill is low. This provides a framework for
how to focus your people-development thinking. The
tasks with high need and low skill level (quadrant 1)
should get your first dollars. However, also consider
the tasks in other quadrants. Even if your people are
good at something, when the cost of failure or loss
is high, training is imperative. Now fill in quadrant 1
(See Exhibit 3). Some topics that are common across
the industry are pre-bid evaluation, pre-job planning,
job start-up, short interval planning, job cost analysis,
productivity feedback, change order management, job
status review, closeout, and post-construction review.
Consider your target audience. One size does not
fit all when it comes to effective training. The content
should vary by job title. Field staff use different skills
and knowledge than project managers. Senior project
managers need more business and people management
skills than the project managers they manage. The
senior team has to deal with broader industry issues
than the mid-level managers, so their training focus
should be different. The delivery method should vary
by job level, also. As you move from field to office,
the training methods and content should reflect those
changing audiences. For example, meetings manage-
ment training has a different focus if the audience is
a group of superintendents versus senior executives.
Although there are some common practices, field staff
generally require training examples directly applicable
to the field environment or they will not use them. A
daily huddle meeting is very different from a quarterly
financial review.
The training should be industry-specific and practi-
cal. The issues that field managers face in construction
are very different from those experienced by their peers
in manufacturing or technology. For example, generic
meetings management training will not be as effective
as construction-specific meetings management train-
ing designed specifically for field staff. They will more
easily relate to the curriculum, see the application, and
use it more effectively if they can see how it directly
applies to what they do everyday. Choosing the most
targeted, focused training programs will extend your
training dollar and give you the greatest return. Exhibit
4 helps illustrate this concept. Furthermore, there are
market sectors within the construction industry such as
heavy civil, specialty, and general contracting, and the
development needs of each level within each industry
sector can vary widely. Find content and material that
speaks to the right level and group to be most effective.
After you define the focus of your training, do not
waste it on a poor delivery. Invest in a high-quality
training and development program. Consider important
adult learning characteristics before you decide on who
and how to train your people. Some of the characteris-
tics of great learning experiences include:
Relevant, real-life, and practical
•
Good leader/trainer/teacher
•
Challenging learning environment
•
Creative, unique, and interactive delivery
•
All learning styles (visual, auditory, written, kines-
•
thetic) impact design and delivery;
Participants are moved in some way, often to take
•
certain actions
Fun—learning should be fun, especially for adults
•
Investing in targeted, experiential training is the
greatest risk-reducing investment in a tight, competi-
tive market. Determine the highest returns on your
training dollars. When the training is strategically
An Upside to the Downturn
Continued from page 28
The Need/Skill Matrix
1
2
4
3
Need is High
Need is Low
Low Skill
High Skill
Exhibit 2
Training Focus
1
2
4
3
Need is High
Need is Low
Low Skill
High Skill
Sample Quadrant 1 Items
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The Need/Skill Matrix
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