Be a change agent

by Clair Urbain

At a recent convention, I had the privilege to listen to Jim Harris, a futurist of sorts who has written the book The Learning Paradox.

The premise of his whole talk (and book) is how technology changes the way we do things. Those who adapt will survive; those who prefer to stay comfortable in the way they do things will not fare well. His talk focused on being an agent of change instead of a victim of it.

New technology is showing up on our doorsteps at an ever-faster rate. It’s forcing us to adapt to it faster than ever before.

Harris cites the following timeframes it took us to adopt technology:

This trend to faster technology adoption means we must keep learning long past the day we get our diplomas.

Harris says we must get comfortable with uncertainty. It’s not just needed for success, but also for survival. Ironically, it’s human nature, especially in adults, to shun change.

That’s even more apparent in the construction industry. Our whole reason for being is to change physical surroundings so people — our customers — can be more efficient in how they go about their work, play and personal lives. Yet we cling to ways that consume valuable resources, slow information flow and set up the chances for errors.

Technology being pioneered in the industrial and service sectors will soon spill over into our business where a fax machine is still considered new technology.

As this paperless technology moves onto jobsites, every worker’s life will change. Work crews will have a closer connection with engineers and designers. Suppliers will have a tighter connection with jobsites to assure proper staging and delivery of product. Safety information will be just a touch away on a keypad. Owners will become more integrated in the building process, and expensive change orders will be managed better to reduce costs and rework.

Sounds far-fetched, doesn’t it? Harris also points out that 80 percent of the technology we will use five years from now has yet to be developed. Adopting that new technology will help us build more efficiently and safely.

As new ways of doing things appear on the jobsite, be prepared to embrace them. Be a change agent. It’s key to your future growth as a construction professional and our economy’s continued growth.

Published in the January/February 2001 issue of Contractor Tools and Supplies magazine.

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