Social Value Meets Construction at Chicago Build
Chicago Build, one of the largest construction industry conferences in the Midwest, drew more than 30,000 attendees and 300-plus exhibitors to McCormick Place on October 22 and 23. Among its more than 400 industry speakers were Lakeside Alliance’s Kelly Powers Baria of Powers & Sons Construction Co. and Ernest Brown of Brown & Momen. Kelly and Ernest shared their insights and experience on a panel called “Implementing Social Value in Construction” — so read on to hear their advice for building a more inclusive, sustainable and healthy industry.
Engaging the next generation
Ernest shared an anecdote from his youth, when renowned Black architect Kenneth Groggs came to speak to his architectural and drafting class at Dunbar Vocational School. “We were 17. Many of us knew what an architect was but not how to become one. When someone asked, ‘What kind of car do you drive?’ He pointed to a long black Mercedes Benz convertible, and everybody said, ‘That’s what I want to do!’”
Groggs chose three students from the class, including Ernest, to work for his firm at C.F. Murphy downtown. Now, Ernest pays it forward, “As adults, we started going into schools and telling kids about these trades, because they are waiting to hear from us. That led me to go back to Dunbar, and we have taken three students to work in our office through the summer for the last seven years.”
Considering all of the possibilities
Kelly seconded the importance of showing young people the range of careers in construction, saying, “Kids can’t dream and be what they can’t see. If you don’t know someone who is an architect or a civil engineer, you’re never going to dream that’s something you can be.”
She also emphasized the need to help young people think more broadly about how they can fit into the industry: “There’s a lot of focus on reaching out for people to get into the trades, but there isn’t always the same focus on high school students who want to be exposed to the industry but don’t want to swing a hammer. They need to see people who look like them in a variety of roles. You could be an accountant, in marketing and PR, or an attorney – there are lots of ways to tie yourself to the construction industry.”
Meeting and exceeding goals for diversity, equity and inclusion
When Lakeside Alliance was first awarded the Obama Presidential Center project, the team set out to transform how construction is done in Chicago and be a model for future projects across the nation. Kelly spoke about how the team has been intentional when working with subcontractors, explaining, “We’re offering a space at the prime level for everyone, with their name at the top of the contract and their signature at the bottom. In construction, somebody has to give you your first opportunity. As you all know, hardly anyone will give you the same credit if you say, ‘Well, I was a subcontractor to the firm who did it.’ We want to maximize the diversity of the workforce on the project so that it’s built by tradespeople representative of the City of Chicago. [This work] requires intentionality from the beginning.”
Ernest said a lot of the credit goes to the former president and first lady. “The Obamas have done a great thing locating it on the South Side. The workforce reflects the City of Chicago. If we want to get rid of poverty, we have to put people to work. It’s going to change the South Side.”
Supporting mental health
Kelly emphasized that owners and managers must normalize the conversation around mental health. “I think in different cultures and for a lot of different reasons, we don’t talk about when we’re struggling from an emotional place. It is important to know that there is a safe place to go and that we are that safe space when they come to us. If you have a stomach ache or your throat hurts, you go to the doctor. If your heart and soul hurts, it’s the same thing. There is nothing different about talking to someone when that part of yourself is hurting.”
Awareness around mental health won’t be solved only in the workplace, but as Kelly said, “In our individual spheres of influence, we can take away the stigma and let people know that ‘I can listen.’”
Winning the contract while making sure you’re set up for success
Ernest told a cautionary tale for small companies working on large projects. “Sometimes the worst thing you can do is give someone a contract without the technical assistance to be successful, helping with the financing and quick pay…Don’t just bid on it, be intentional about what you need to be successful.”
Implementing social impact in your business
One of the most powerful outcomes of implementing strong values in your business is that they get passed down to future generations. Kelly shared a guiding phrase from her grandfather, Mamon Powers Sr., that he instilled in the family business: “Lift as you climb.” She added, “What can you do to make a change? It may feel daunting, but it’s all about doing what you can do to lift others and make a difference in the lives of others we have influence over. We can, all together, accomplish a lot more.”