Recently I was listening to a news segment entitled “The Family Behind Father’s Day”.From it I learned that although Father’s Day was first celebrated in 1910, it did not become a national holiday until 1972.  Sonora Smart Dodd, who initiated and petitioned for the observance, was already 84 by that time. Her father raised his children on his own after their mother passed away. The family grew into a blended family of 12 children, and Sonora made it her life-long mission to honor him and other fathers for their sacrifices.

Forgiving

Attentive

Teacher

Hopeful

Encourager

Reliable

When reading the words associated with fathers, it reminds me more of how everyone should be able to describe their associates in the workplace.

No matter how many years we have been in the workplace and in life, we can make mistakes. Those mistakes occur in both communication and action.

Forgiving mistakes is the right thing to do and frees you from any repercussions that could affect your other relationships.  It also opens your heart to respond appropriately when reuniting with that person in the future.

The synonyms for attentive are thoughtful, observant, responsive, courteous, and focused.  Thoughtful and Courteous may seem like odd synonyms until you consider that it is thoughtful and courteous to be observant, responsive, and focused in communication and action.

Abraham Harold Maslow was an American psychologist who was best known for creating Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.  He is known for saying that “all life is an education, and everybody is a teacher, and everybody is forever a pupil.”

Have you ever watched an episode of “Undercover Boss”?  If you do, you will see examples of the many burdens people carry into work with them and create for themselves at work by not communicating about work challenges they are having.  This combined with the many challenges in the industry may make one feel hopeless.  Remaining hopeful despite your situation du jour is a light to others around you who may be experiencing similar issues.

An encourager is someone who provides someone with support, confidence, or hope.  One of the best ways for you to do that in the construction industry is to provide supporting backup that points to a more probable. An example may be that an employee or co-worker may be in fear of a layoff because they do not see a next project for them.  You can encourage them by showing them pending bids and encourage them to not be overly concerned.  Encouragement is helping others find balance in their thinking when their thinking may not be the most logical and full of assumptions that may not be the case at all.

“He’s the first one on the jobsite and the last one to leave every day.”  When we hear that from multiple references for a superintendent, we know they have reliability when it comes to owning their jobsite.  Project Managers who lead and stay ahead of their superintendents demonstrate their reliability to the companies for which they work.  Synonyms for reliable include dependable, well-founded, authentic, definitive, attested, valid, and genuine.

There is no perfect earthly father, just like there is not a perfect employer or employee. I encourage you to not look around this Father’s Day at who has the title of father but look at who has the admirable attributes of a father instead. It might even be you.

Happy Father’s Day!

Suzanne Breistol