WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:05.722 --> 00:00:09.082 Hey everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Construction 00:00:09.082 --> 00:00:12.872 Trailblazers Paving the Way to Excellence, your go to podcast for 00:00:12.872 --> 00:00:16.762 innovation, success, and streamlined excellence in the building industry. 00:00:17.262 --> 00:00:18.182 I'm Samantha C. 00:00:18.182 --> 00:00:21.712 Prestidge, your host and expert in operations and processes. 00:00:22.472 --> 00:00:26.902 I've seen the transformative effects of adopting smart, efficient processes. 00:00:27.292 --> 00:00:32.232 These changes not only boost company revenue, but also restore peace of mind 00:00:32.232 --> 00:00:34.682 for owners overwhelmed by the daily grind. 00:00:35.372 --> 00:00:38.792 Today, we're diving into a topic that might make some of you feel a little 00:00:38.792 --> 00:00:43.562 bit uncomfortable, but trust me, it's crucial for real growth and solving those 00:00:43.592 --> 00:00:45.132 deep seated issues in your business. 00:00:46.092 --> 00:00:51.452 We're talking about the importance of asking tough questions and how to dig 00:00:51.452 --> 00:00:53.552 deep so that we can find real solutions. 00:00:54.254 --> 00:00:57.584 If you're all about leaving behind the daily firefighting and moving towards 00:00:57.584 --> 00:01:01.734 a future of freedom and predictable success, then you're in the right place. 00:01:02.084 --> 00:01:06.544 Discover more about us and catch up on past episodes at ConstructionTrailBlazers. 00:01:06.914 --> 00:01:07.264 com. 00:01:07.864 --> 00:01:09.144 Alright, let's get into it. 00:01:09.537 --> 00:01:13.907 So, a few weeks ago, I was meeting with an engineering client who came 00:01:13.907 --> 00:01:17.597 to me with what they thought was a singular issue, and they were 00:01:17.597 --> 00:01:19.667 looking for a quick fix solution. 00:01:20.467 --> 00:01:23.507 If you listened to our episode about understanding when something is 00:01:23.507 --> 00:01:28.207 and isn't worth your time, then you know I am not a fix it flash, and I 00:01:28.217 --> 00:01:32.477 wasn't going to be giving that client a quick fix solution unless it was 00:01:32.657 --> 00:01:34.397 actually the best solution for them. 00:01:35.037 --> 00:01:39.337 Because here's the thing, a quick fix is usually a band aid solution. 00:01:39.687 --> 00:01:44.407 It's a remedy we think will solve the problem when it's really only addressing 00:01:44.407 --> 00:01:48.487 the surface level of that problem and we're not getting down to the real issue. 00:01:48.895 --> 00:01:53.420 So my client was not ready for what happened after they told me about their 00:01:53.420 --> 00:01:58.195 problem because I started asking them some tough, uncomfortable questions. 00:01:58.635 --> 00:02:02.075 These were questions that just needed to be asked and no one 00:02:02.075 --> 00:02:03.245 on their team was asking them. 00:02:03.795 --> 00:02:07.775 So things like, do we know the revenue lost from this problem? 00:02:08.021 --> 00:02:12.131 Did anyone actually communicate to this person what the expectation was? 00:02:12.651 --> 00:02:16.971 Or was there any followup or follow through after you all discussed 00:02:16.981 --> 00:02:19.131 this at your last strategy meeting? 00:02:19.536 --> 00:02:22.906 These are questions that might sound tough, but are really 00:02:22.906 --> 00:02:24.116 just to get a lay of the land. 00:02:24.146 --> 00:02:25.616 Let's figure out what's happening. 00:02:25.616 --> 00:02:27.046 What is the real problem here? 00:02:27.776 --> 00:02:32.116 After most of these questions, the room would usually go quiet for a few moments. 00:02:32.451 --> 00:02:36.781 And then someone would chime in and say, Whoa, Sam, you're cutting deep. 00:02:37.264 --> 00:02:42.824 Yes, I do cut deep, especially when we've got big challenges that are leaking money. 00:02:43.374 --> 00:02:46.724 Asking uncomfortable questions is not about just causing 00:02:46.724 --> 00:02:47.934 stress for the sake of it. 00:02:48.234 --> 00:02:52.314 I don't like making my clients feel uncomfortable and squirm in their seats. 00:02:52.734 --> 00:02:56.874 Although, honestly, if whoever you've hired to solve the big challenges, 00:02:56.904 --> 00:03:01.684 whether it's a consultant like me, an employee, your VP of strategy, if they 00:03:01.744 --> 00:03:06.614 aren't making you shift in your seats and feel a little uncomfortable sometimes, 00:03:07.169 --> 00:03:09.149 then they aren't really doing their job. 00:03:10.019 --> 00:03:13.309 So I don't like making my clients feel uncomfortable, but I do 00:03:13.309 --> 00:03:16.989 like helping them solve their challenges with effective solutions. 00:03:17.879 --> 00:03:21.679 Big challenges are usually a result of small issues that add 00:03:21.729 --> 00:03:26.229 up over time and have never been properly addressed and resolved. 00:03:26.659 --> 00:03:30.179 So to solve those problems, you need to dig into all of those 00:03:30.209 --> 00:03:33.309 issues and understand why they happened in the first place. 00:03:33.729 --> 00:03:35.489 Those tough questions helps. 00:03:35.574 --> 00:03:41.148 Dear the conversation toward the heart of the issue and understand that why, this is 00:03:41.148 --> 00:03:43.488 what leads us to make meaningful change. 00:03:43.488 --> 00:03:46.368 Instead of feeling like we're just throwing spaghetti at the walls, 00:03:46.788 --> 00:03:50.628 it takes you beyond that quick fix-it flash mentality and temporary 00:03:50.633 --> 00:03:54.978 solutions, and instead towards strategies that tackle root causes. 00:03:55.308 --> 00:03:58.368 And that's where the pain of change actually pays off. 00:03:59.343 --> 00:04:02.373 So, why do most of us not ask tough questions? 00:04:02.373 --> 00:04:04.513 Why do most of us not like digging deep? 00:04:05.403 --> 00:04:09.333 Sometimes, we're afraid to ask tough questions because it might feel like we're 00:04:09.333 --> 00:04:11.513 trying to point fingers and blame someone. 00:04:11.543 --> 00:04:15.393 So, that question earlier, did anyone actually communicate to this 00:04:15.403 --> 00:04:17.343 person what the expectation was? 00:04:17.643 --> 00:04:22.938 It can feel like an attack, even though it's really just Figuring out who is 00:04:22.938 --> 00:04:26.828 responsible for what, where have, where could things might have gone wrong. 00:04:26.838 --> 00:04:29.088 We're not trying to play the blame game, we're just trying 00:04:29.088 --> 00:04:30.618 to understand what happened. 00:04:30.891 --> 00:04:35.311 Sometimes we don't ask tough questions because we don't want to step on someone's 00:04:35.311 --> 00:04:39.951 toes, and we're just trying to politely stay in our lane, so we might see problems 00:04:39.961 --> 00:04:44.421 spiraling out of control, but if we bring it up, it might feel like We're 00:04:44.421 --> 00:04:45.931 stepping outside of our lane like that. 00:04:46.061 --> 00:04:47.521 That's not our responsibility. 00:04:47.561 --> 00:04:48.961 They've got it under control. 00:04:49.331 --> 00:04:54.471 and we're, you know, trying to tiptoe around egos when really egos do not have 00:04:54.471 --> 00:04:56.611 a place when we are problem solving. 00:04:56.611 --> 00:05:00.721 There's no room for egos because we should all have the same goal in 00:05:00.721 --> 00:05:05.381 mind, which is to be better to excel together to achieve goals together. 00:05:05.691 --> 00:05:06.051 Right? 00:05:06.461 --> 00:05:10.291 So staying in our lane, staying in this comfort zone, that's what 00:05:10.311 --> 00:05:12.351 leads us to Band Aid solutions. 00:05:12.641 --> 00:05:15.801 And Band Aid solutions come with a hidden price tag. 00:05:16.181 --> 00:05:21.641 They may offer temporary relief, but they don't really solve the problem. 00:05:21.886 --> 00:05:27.726 So those same issues tend to come up again months down the line and usually 00:05:27.726 --> 00:05:29.886 have an even bigger price tag then. 00:05:30.243 --> 00:05:34.923 If you're used to band aid solutions, it likely means your team is also 00:05:34.933 --> 00:05:39.183 used to never navigating conflict and giving tough feedback to each other. 00:05:39.823 --> 00:05:42.413 This is what I call a kumbaya team. 00:05:42.793 --> 00:05:44.303 Everyone tries to get along. 00:05:44.483 --> 00:05:46.233 Things seem to be going okay. 00:05:46.788 --> 00:05:50.478 But we're not really achieving anything great together and there's 00:05:50.478 --> 00:05:54.858 usually also a lot of tension that just exists under the surface. 00:05:55.148 --> 00:05:57.378 Tension that gets brushed under the rug every day. 00:05:58.178 --> 00:06:03.578 Kumbaya teams crack as soon as someone starts asking tough questions because they 00:06:03.578 --> 00:06:08.258 just don't know the difference between healthy conflict and destructive conflict. 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:12.580 Kumbaya teams can also crack when their main leader is out of play. 00:06:12.980 --> 00:06:16.920 So I've seen this happen a few times where a CEO has been leading a company for 00:06:16.960 --> 00:06:19.080 decades and thinks everything is great. 00:06:19.480 --> 00:06:23.430 And instead of selling and exiting, they just start another passion project 00:06:23.450 --> 00:06:27.480 or they become a part time founder, part time CEO of another company. 00:06:27.767 --> 00:06:31.077 And then that leadership team on the original company just doesn't 00:06:31.077 --> 00:06:34.437 know how to navigate conflict without their main leader, that 00:06:34.437 --> 00:06:37.377 CEO, and things start falling apart. 00:06:37.537 --> 00:06:41.847 So what seemed like an amazing, well running team was really a kumbaya team 00:06:42.077 --> 00:06:46.327 that could not function without the CEO solving all of their conflicts every day. 00:06:46.717 --> 00:06:49.327 Like, yes, we definitely need a CEO to steership. 00:06:49.367 --> 00:06:53.097 We need a main leader to give us that vision and that guidance. 00:06:53.472 --> 00:06:57.982 But as a leadership team, we should still be able to solve problems without 00:06:58.042 --> 00:07:00.802 that CEO's input all the time, right? 00:07:01.714 --> 00:07:04.674 If you were to take our What Kind of Superhero Are You? 00:07:04.674 --> 00:07:08.844 quiz, you would probably end up scoring a Glide Guardian here. 00:07:09.124 --> 00:07:12.484 So again, that's the team that's doing okay, but not really 00:07:12.484 --> 00:07:13.834 achieving ambitious goals. 00:07:14.171 --> 00:07:19.001 That healthy conflict and tough questions is what catalyzes us for growth. 00:07:19.051 --> 00:07:23.201 It's what equips us to be able to achieve ambitious, awesome goals. 00:07:23.641 --> 00:07:28.041 And by digging deep, we can understand the numbers behind our issues, whether 00:07:28.041 --> 00:07:33.211 it's lost revenue, wasted resources, damaged reputation, whatever it is, 00:07:33.501 --> 00:07:37.891 and then we can understand really why that issue is happening and take steps 00:07:37.891 --> 00:07:40.341 toward effective, strategic solutions. 00:07:41.300 --> 00:07:44.320 Okay, so if you know my content, you know I'm not just going to 00:07:44.320 --> 00:07:46.060 leave you with a strategic concept. 00:07:46.110 --> 00:07:48.570 I'm not just going to tell you, deal with healthy conflict 00:07:48.600 --> 00:07:49.770 and then find the solutions. 00:07:50.080 --> 00:07:53.300 I am going to equip you with the next steps, the real action you need 00:07:53.310 --> 00:07:58.090 to take to implement this idea of digging deep, asking tough questions. 00:07:59.380 --> 00:08:03.290 So, if you've taken our quiz, if you're a Glide Guardian, a Fix It 00:08:03.290 --> 00:08:08.240 Flash, even a Mayhem Maverick, then you're going to start small here. 00:08:08.580 --> 00:08:11.160 When issues come up, you're going to just start asking 00:08:11.160 --> 00:08:13.700 questions in low stake situations. 00:08:14.050 --> 00:08:17.710 This could be doing one on one meetings with your team or even just 00:08:17.710 --> 00:08:21.920 casual conversation when someone pops up into your office, they 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:25.330 reach out to you on Slack or Teams with some kind of small problem. 00:08:25.640 --> 00:08:29.657 You're gonna just start asking the why, And starting to ask 00:08:29.657 --> 00:08:31.087 some follow up questions here. 00:08:31.397 --> 00:08:36.077 The goal here is to just get used to a little bit of discomfort without the high 00:08:36.077 --> 00:08:38.657 pressure of a big decision on the line. 00:08:38.857 --> 00:08:41.307 You want to embrace curiosity. 00:08:41.449 --> 00:08:45.629 If you are a Thunder Trooper, you're a Captain of Excellence, you're doing 00:08:45.659 --> 00:08:46.579 awesome here, you're doing great here. 00:08:46.579 --> 00:08:49.089 Your goal is to continue to embrace curiosity. 00:08:49.309 --> 00:08:52.409 So also if you've started small, you've gotten used to that discomfort. 00:08:52.629 --> 00:08:55.169 Now you're going to embrace curiosity into the next step. 00:08:55.469 --> 00:09:00.639 You're going to start asking why multiple times to peel back all of the layers, 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:02.529 get that dirt from under the rug. 00:09:03.179 --> 00:09:05.109 Here's an example of what this could look like. 00:09:05.559 --> 00:09:08.669 Let's say you have a project that is running behind schedule. 00:09:09.059 --> 00:09:10.069 Instead of asking. 00:09:10.454 --> 00:09:11.444 Why are we behind? 00:09:11.644 --> 00:09:15.974 You're going to ask, why were we not able to anticipate these challenges 00:09:16.034 --> 00:09:17.934 that would delay our schedule? 00:09:18.484 --> 00:09:22.344 Or if you do want to ask why are we behind and just see what that person says, 00:09:22.754 --> 00:09:26.664 then whatever the response is, you're going to follow up with another why. 00:09:26.714 --> 00:09:30.974 So if they say, well, we had an issue with our trucking team getting 00:09:30.974 --> 00:09:33.894 here on time, then you're going to ask, why did we have this issue? 00:09:34.154 --> 00:09:35.904 Is this an issue that happens often? 00:09:36.104 --> 00:09:37.844 Is this like a one time thing? 00:09:38.434 --> 00:09:40.984 We just want to get curious when we start digging deep, 00:09:41.575 --> 00:09:42.355 let's be clear. 00:09:42.595 --> 00:09:46.145 You cannot do this effectively and in a way that isn't going to bruise 00:09:46.205 --> 00:09:50.685 egos or tear people down if you don't have solid communication skills 00:09:50.945 --> 00:09:53.115 and the basics of active listening. 00:09:53.495 --> 00:09:58.685 So if you are, Coming at them aggressively and saying, why are we behind schedule? 00:09:58.905 --> 00:10:00.635 People are just going to want to defend themselves. 00:10:00.645 --> 00:10:02.455 They're not going to give you the real answer. 00:10:02.735 --> 00:10:04.825 They're immediately going to put walls up and then we're 00:10:04.825 --> 00:10:06.265 not solving anything together. 00:10:06.595 --> 00:10:10.205 And if we're not actively listening to their response, then we're not asking the 00:10:10.205 --> 00:10:13.715 right follow up questions and we're still not getting to the heart of the issue. 00:10:14.700 --> 00:10:17.810 There's also no point in doing this if you're not going to be 00:10:17.810 --> 00:10:21.780 persistent in trying to understand the issue and then be persistent in 00:10:21.780 --> 00:10:23.590 following up with a real solution. 00:10:23.950 --> 00:10:27.640 So if we have gone to the point where our team can now navigate some conflict 00:10:27.640 --> 00:10:31.220 together, they're trusting us, they're not defensive, they're being vulnerable 00:10:31.220 --> 00:10:34.630 with their challenges, but then we don't do anything with that, we don't 00:10:34.640 --> 00:10:36.390 take any action toward a solution. 00:10:36.880 --> 00:10:38.310 then they're just going to be confused. 00:10:38.360 --> 00:10:39.980 They're going to be like, why did you even ask me? 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:41.460 Why did you care about my opinion? 00:10:41.510 --> 00:10:41.890 Right? 00:10:42.130 --> 00:10:44.720 So if we're going to start asking why, if we're going to embrace 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:48.100 this curiosity, we've got to be ready to start working toward a 00:10:48.100 --> 00:10:49.920 solution together and taking action. 00:10:51.060 --> 00:10:54.650 Lastly, I don't want you to be afraid of simple solutions here. 00:10:55.190 --> 00:10:59.280 Sometimes there is a quick, simple answer to something. 00:10:59.580 --> 00:11:01.800 Simplicity is the name of the game. 00:11:02.645 --> 00:11:07.595 The point is that we cannot accept that first quick fix solution if 00:11:07.595 --> 00:11:11.345 we're not confident that it actually addresses the root cause of a problem. 00:11:11.610 --> 00:11:15.160 So today, I encourage you to not shy away from discomfort. 00:11:15.210 --> 00:11:18.760 Embrace that curiosity because that's where the key to 00:11:18.760 --> 00:11:20.690 progress and success lies. 00:11:20.730 --> 00:11:24.170 That's how we're going to achieve ambitious, awesome goals together. 00:11:24.747 --> 00:11:25.727 Thank you all for listening. 00:11:26.007 --> 00:11:29.227 And remember that paving the way to excellence means building a team 00:11:29.427 --> 00:11:33.347 that can handle the road ahead and navigate healthy conflict so you 00:11:33.347 --> 00:11:35.077 can achieve those goals together. 00:11:35.577 --> 00:11:38.637 If you feel like you've been fighting fires in your business, or that 00:11:38.647 --> 00:11:42.377 your team isn't asking the tough questions, then I highly recommend 00:11:42.377 --> 00:11:47.197 taking our easy quiz to find out what kind of business hero you are. 00:11:47.447 --> 00:11:50.667 And most importantly, What action you can take to reduce those 00:11:50.677 --> 00:11:52.367 fires in your business ASAP. 00:11:52.717 --> 00:11:55.117 You can do that at construction trailblazers. 00:11:55.487 --> 00:11:55.857 com. 00:11:56.577 --> 00:11:59.977 And if you have your own story to share about asking tough questions, 00:11:59.997 --> 00:12:03.367 then reach out to us at hello at construction trailblazers. 00:12:03.597 --> 00:12:03.957 com. 00:12:04.187 --> 00:12:06.557 You could be our next podcast guest. 00:12:07.007 --> 00:12:09.017 Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next time.