Rachel Neal is the vice president of global safety for Compass Datacenters. Opinions are the author’s own.
In the fast-paced world of construction, foremen carry a heavy burden. They are the linchpins of their teams, responsible for ensuring that projects run smoothly and safely.
However, this immense responsibility often comes with significant stress, and unfortunately, the support they need has too often been lacking. Instead, construction pros should uplift and empower these frontline supervisors who are so critical to project success.
At Compass, we’ve developed a program that empowers foremen to be more vocal and proactive in advocating for positive changes that enhance safety, efficiency and process improvements. The goal is to encourage foremen to be more open in discussing their challenges and to seek help when needed. Those factors help identify collaborative problem-solving opportunities to enhance safety, meet aggressive deadlines and increase quality and profitability.
In our experience, doing so unlocks the great ideas, creativity and passion that frontline supervisors have and then harnesses that to drive continuous improvement.
Frontliner huddles: What can I do differently?
The goals of our Frontliners program are ambitious, but the process is quite simple. Through structured huddles, we bring small groups together to engage in candid conversations. Sometimes these discussions revolve around recent safety incidents, prompting questions about what could have been done differently to avoid the incident. This reflective practice encourages leaders to look inward and consider how they can make meaningful improvements that last.
During one huddle, a frontliner admitted he could be more empathetic with his crew. Another shared his struggles with time management. It takes significant humility and vulnerability to stand before peers and acknowledge areas for improvement.
The huddles also provide a platform to offer feedback on site management, whether it involves suggestions for the general contractor or the owner. This program aims to break down barriers, allowing the team to openly discuss their challenges and better ways to support them.
The result is not only a more supportive environment for these critical team members, but an environment that leads to continuous improvements that enhanced safety, quality and efficiency while also achieving cost-savings and faster delivery timelines.
A united front
On our construction sites, the term “frontliner” has become standard for the foreman position. When these individuals hear that title, we want them to understand that it’s because they are important and this program is designed specifically for them. It takes practice and time to get accustomed to this language, but our general contractors have embraced it wholeheartedly.
We have actively participated in national conferences to share insights about our program, aiming to provide a tangible example of proactive measures being taken in the industry. A lot of presentations talk about safety, but too often there is a lack of concrete actions being implemented to address these concerns. We believe our Frontliners program is a compelling example of how our industry can take positive steps.
Every worker deserves to feel secure and valued in their workplace. While we acknowledge that our program is not perfect, we are committed to continuous improvement and measuring its impact. We encourage all companies to invest in their workforce and create environments where everyone can work safely and confidently.
