Wimps can’t survive the construction industry. And if you happen to be a woman, your competitors will assume they will get the best of you until you prove yourself. And if you play defense, they will.
But if you play offense, you will concentrate on smart business strategies that will allow you and your company to compete, and if you surround yourself with the most talented, uplifting people you can find, they will enable you to achieve success.
Unlike many construction business owners, I didn’t grow up in this industry. Rather, I left a corporate position as an electrical engineer, because I was fascinated by the idea of building structures that would still be standing 100 years from now. My company, Cleveland-based Pinnacle Construction & Development Group, is now 13 years old, and we’ve had the good fortune to build for NASA, the National Park Service and for the U.S. military.
The business strategies that helped me most—and contributed to Pinnacle’s growth—have little to do with gender. But, they do have a great deal to do with personal relationships.
As a business owner who happens to be a woman, I have three tips to share:
- Ask a lot of questions.
- Give back to your community, and champion the causes that matter to you.
- Love what you do, and have some fun while doing it.
Ask Questions
Many construction companies are run by people who once worked in the field and transitioned into management. Like others in this business, I am surrounded by tradesmen (yes, men) who have spent their lives mastering a particular skill. I do not possess their knowledge and never will. Realizing that I was frequently the only woman in the room, I often hesitated before asking questions. Would it make me seem uninformed or ignorant? Would it make me further stand out in a way that would signal I didn’t belong?
Lynlee Altman of Pinnacle Construction & Development GroupAfter holding back at first, I let the questions fly. Why was asphalt selected over concrete for this project? Why do you primer the wall before the ceiling goes up?
Once I overcame the fear of asking questions, I realized that, when people love what they do, they also love to teach. Now, asking questions is ingrained in the Pinnacle way of conducting business. We have cross-training sessions within the company with opportunities for team members to learn from each other. We discuss best practices at company-wide meetings to promote efficiencies. We conduct post-mortem analysis of jobs to ask ourselves not only what we did right, but also what we could have done better.
I do not aspire to be the best earthwork foreman or the best concrete finisher. I do, however, aspire to find the best workers and add them to our team. I cannot find the best in each trade if I do not ask questions. Asking questions is also beneficial to the entire team: I learn about the jobsite decisions and gain confidence in the direction the team is heading. The experts analyze each decision further and educate the rest of the team in the process. The best leaders and the best companies never stop asking questions. That is what leads to innovation.
Give Back, and Be an Advocate
I have met many brilliant women running construction companies, but the industry is still largely dominated by men. So, how does a woman in construction deal with the old boys’ club? By joining it, of course.
The more deeply a person becomes involved in a professional community, the more that person can benefit from the strengths of others. I have found several professional organizations with goals and visions that align with my own.
One of them, Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), is dedicated to “transforming the lives of the entrepreneurs who transform the world.” Through EO, I learn from other leaders in the business community, benchmark with other business owners and push myself to be a better leader within my company. I have experienced so many benefits from EO that I’ve now become involved in the organization’s mentorship program to help other entrepreneurs build stronger companies.
On a national level, I became involved in advocacy on behalf of small businesses. Working with the National Association of Small Disadvantaged Businesses (NASDB), I learned how important it is for small businesses to sit at the table when legislation is formulated. If you aren’t at the table, you’re on the menu.
The late Hank T. Wilfong Jr., founder of NASDB and my mentor until his death earlier this year, pushed everyone in the organization to advocate for small business. I remember when I saw a new legislative proposal that outraged me because of the detrimental effect it would have had on small business. I commented to Hank that somebody should stop it from going into effect. Hank’s retort: “Who is this somebody you keep talking about? I don’t know somebody. I’ve never met him. But I do know Lynlee Altman. Maybe she should do something about it.”
Thank you, Hank.
Love What You Do; Do What You Love
Owning a company can mean long hours and a great deal of stress. It also can be incredibly rewarding. It has been said that entrepreneurs live on tomorrow’s possibilities. We enjoy creatively finding solutions to questions that surround us. The more difficult the question, the more we embrace the challenge. Instead of constantly focusing on the profit, we should focus on the journey.
In my experience, attitude is just as important as execution. At Pinnacle, we work hard, but we also incorporate fun activities into our daily routine. We have competitions at each job location, and each crew picks a theme song. During the holidays, we build gingerbread houses that incorporate sustainable design features. Our corporate gatherings have been held at bowling alleys, trampoline parks and toboggan runs.
These things help build team spirit, and that translates into a healthier work environment. At the end of the day, my journey as a business owner isn’t about being a woman in a male-dominated industry. It’s about building relationships that are just as enduring as the bricks-and-mortar places that stand throughout generations.
