Full Transcript for Developing Others Starts with Developing Yourself | Nick Cullura

thought I was gonna do. 00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:17.040 Uh ended up spending 22 years, four months, and 15 days uh in the army. 00:04:17.199 --> 00:04:18.480 It was it was a good time. 00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:20.319 And I learned a lot there. 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:30.959 Uh, I was enlisted uh for the first six years, did a deployment to Iraq in 2000 and in 2004. 00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:42.160 Uh and while I was there, I had the opportunity to uh complete or compete for a scholarship uh to complete the rest of my school. 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:52.079 So it was called a hip pocket scholarship, and the command in general of the first cavalry division uh who at the time was General Shirelli. 00:04:52.879 --> 00:04:58.959 He had 10 scholarships available, uh, and then only like three of us applied, right? 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:00.240 Uh because it was difficult. 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:02.879 Like I would have to travel around to the different bases. 00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:05.600 Uh so it was very in Iraq when you were doing it? 00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:07.120 Yeah, I was in Iraq, yeah. 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:16.240 Uh so the you know, it was the base that I was at, we had we had uh, you know, a phone. 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:19.839 I'd have to go to another base, you know, for back then like a fax machine. 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:24.079 I'd have to go to another base for uh for the internet, you know. 00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:28.639 So I would hop around and just volunteer to go out on missions so I can complete the paperwork. 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:32.079 So it was a it was it wasn't easy uh to apply. 00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:33.920 So only three of us applied. 00:05:34.079 --> 00:05:36.639 Uh and I got one of those scholarships. 00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:43.199 Uh and then uh when when we when we redeployed, uh I started going to school. 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:44.720 I was still in the military at the time. 00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:48.879 So I finished, you know, while I was in the service, I got my bachelor's degree. 00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:54.720 So that also included part of the deal was I had a commission as an officer in the army. 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:58.720 Uh so I commissioned, uh, you know, got my commission. 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:00.399 That was in 2007. 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:15.120 Uh I was a uh lieutenant, uh brand new uh to the military, deployed uh again, and uh this was part of a 15-month deployment to Iraq with the with the third infantry division. 00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:41.519 Uh and I was there, I was super disappointed because I just graduated and I was in the armor community, so tanks and reconnaissance, and they stuck me in an office in the uh brigade headquarters, uh, which is like would be like me being a uh a uh support staff assistant and coloss headquarters when I want to be like a project engineer out in the equivalent there. 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:43.199 That's a good yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:45.279 Like, oh man, I'm bummed out. 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:46.000 No choice. 00:06:46.160 --> 00:06:48.160 Yeah, and so no, no choice. 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:48.639 Okay. 00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:51.839 Uh, but you know, things dictate what's gonna happen, right? 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:52.800 Life dictates. 00:06:52.959 --> 00:06:57.040 And you know, unfortunately, there was uh an officer that had was killed. 00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:01.600 Uh and that's how I got my first leadership position as an officer. 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:03.360 You know, I mean it's tragic. 00:07:03.600 --> 00:07:07.600 Uh Nate Roddenbusch, he was a lieutenant. 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:09.920 His vehicle was struck by an IED. 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:14.079 Uh there were two other soldiers injured in that as well. 00:07:14.319 --> 00:07:19.680 Uh, and you know, a few days later I went down and took over that platoon, right? 00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:23.439 Not the way I would have wanted to that all that to happen, but it happened. 00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:25.839 So that was like the first leadership challenge I had, really. 00:07:25.920 --> 00:07:29.759 They've real a very, very heavy one in the beginning there. 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:33.199 So uh, you know, I learned a lot there. 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:33.600 Yeah. 00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:38.959 Uh progressed through uh the ranks uh in the military. 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:45.199 You you know progressed through lieutenant to captain to major, lieutenant colonel, colonel. 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:52.639 Uh next, you know, I went off to to be a captain, served on staff, learned a lot there. 00:07:53.920 --> 00:08:01.920 Uh was in charge of uh I was company commander of a couple different companies, uh basic training and then armor and tanks, so reconnaissance. 00:08:02.399 --> 00:08:04.000 What's the size of a of a company? 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:09.120 How many company for me uh was around 70 people. 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:09.600 Okay. 00:08:09.759 --> 00:08:18.000 You know, when I was a when I was in a combat unit, when I was in a training unit, it was upwards of like 140 people. 00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:28.240 Uh and I I'd say like the more challenging one of those two commands was my uh was the one in the training community. 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:39.919 Uh, because I had to deal with that time was like uh programs of instruction, like POIs and things that I'm dealing with now, you know, uh as part of Reeves as the training manager here. 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:42.000 Things that I was never trained to do. 00:08:42.159 --> 00:08:52.559 But what was really different about that was I had a lot of civilians uh that I was in charge of as well, uh, and a lot of uh soldiers who weren't combat soldiers, right? 00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:54.559 So you have to lead them a little differently. 00:08:54.720 --> 00:08:57.440 So that was, you know, that was a challenge for me as well. 00:08:57.679 --> 00:08:58.960 Learned a lot there. 00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:05.279 Uh and then

the the combat unit was was a little easier uh to lead. 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:08.399 You go in there, I know exactly what I'm supposed to do. 00:09:08.480 --> 00:09:14.480 Uh I know uh what the mission is, I know what all the tasks are, and I've trained like that before. 00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:19.519 You know, I've I've you know, I was I've gone through the school and I know exactly what to do. 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:29.279 Uh not that that is easy, uh it's difficult, uh, but uh but did it and was successful there and then you know became a major. 00:09:29.360 --> 00:09:35.279 And now this at that point, I'm around 15, 16 years in the military. 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:39.759 Uh at that point, you kind of know that you're gonna be on staff for a bit. 00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:43.840 And like the place you don't want to be in the military is in a staff position. 00:09:44.159 --> 00:09:45.360 You know, it's boring. 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:45.759 Yeah. 00:09:45.919 --> 00:10:01.919 Uh, you know, and there are junior uh well, there are positions as a major where where you can do some cool stuff uh as like an executive officer of a of a company of a battalion or an operations officer of a battalion. 00:10:02.159 --> 00:10:11.600 Like in our world, that would be like the construction manager uh or like manufacturing or operations manager for us along those same lines, right? 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:12.799 Of responsibility. 00:10:13.039 --> 00:10:25.679 So at that point, the battalion is a few hundred people, you know, four to six hundred people, and you're you know the part of the executive team uh for for that organization. 00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:35.840 Uh so those are cool jobs, but you know, you still want to, you're still getting farther and farther away from from the guys that the that are actually doing all the fun stuff. 00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:38.399 So what was your job when you were a major? 00:10:38.639 --> 00:10:42.559 Uh when I was a major, I was a is that right? 00:10:42.720 --> 00:10:43.679 That's that was the last. 00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:44.399 Yeah, yeah. 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:46.720 So I retired as a major. 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:57.039 I I was I started off as working at a division level, uh, doing plans and operations at the division level as a like an assistant planner. 00:10:57.200 --> 00:11:13.679 So you're the most junior guy, and you're kind of, you know, that's where you're you're really just you know paying your dues at that point as a that's your first as a major, that's like your first look at you know, that middle management type position in the military. 00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:15.759 So you're paying your dues there. 00:11:16.320 --> 00:11:23.759 And uh so as a operations officer there, planning officer there, moved down to the battalion level. 00:11:23.840 --> 00:11:26.320 Uh so I did a year there at the division. 00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:29.600 Now a division is like 15,000 people. 00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:30.000 Wow. 00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:30.720 Oh, geez. 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:32.320 It's like it's gigantic. 00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:34.879 So third infantry division is where I was at. 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:39.840 Uh, that is uh Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield. 00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:52.159 And you're planning that core group that's planning operations for that division is responsible for all of those, uh, all those people and all the training happening, all the plans going on there. 00:11:52.399 --> 00:12:04.720 Uh uh so I did that for a year as an assistant, and then I went down and was the the operations officer for a battalion, a squadron, actually, so reconnaissance, which is what I liked to do. 00:12:04.879 --> 00:12:05.200 Okay. 00:12:05.440 --> 00:12:06.559 Uh, so I did that. 00:12:06.720 --> 00:12:08.480 You do that in the army, it's weird. 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:10.960 Like you have to, you have to make it in one year. 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:12.159 You have to do it in one year. 00:12:12.320 --> 00:12:14.399 You have one year to succeed. 00:12:14.639 --> 00:12:23.200 Uh, and then you know that's really gonna dictate you know what your performance uh evaluation is gonna look like that second year, right? 00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:24.960 So I'd say like, look at this, it's this way. 00:12:25.039 --> 00:12:27.279 It would be like a two-year job, right? 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:29.039 Your first year is where you're going. 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:34.720 So you really have to make your money there, uh, because that's gonna dictate like what that second year looks like. 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:37.600 What did success look like in that position? 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:53.840 Uh so success in that position looked like uh we it looked like being able to train the squadron to do its to do its competent its competency tasks to standard, right? 00:12:54.000 --> 00:13:04.639 So that would be like you have to we have to go out and uh conduct um a gunnery, so we have to knock down all of our targets as a uh as a crew. 00:13:04.879 --> 00:13:13.679 We have to go out and conduct nighttime reconnaissance and achieve certain objectives and do that effectively. 00:13:14.080 --> 00:13:18.639 So not achieving those objectives looked bad on your leadership, yeah. 00:13:19.039 --> 00:13:23.120 Okay, and it affected what you got uh tasked with the next year. 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:24.799 Yeah, yeah, that's how it worked. 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:30.399 So and it would affect your rating for the next year because it's all about like, hey, you got your top 50% of your people, right? 00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:31.919 It's hyper competitive, right? 00:13:32.559 --> 00:13:34.879 So uh you have to be in that top 50%. 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:42.399 If you're not in that top 50% in that first year, you're pretty much not gonna be in that top 50% in that second year. 00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:43.279 Oh, interesting. 00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:54.159 Yeah, if you're in that top 50% in that first

year, you know, you can kind of ease back a little bit and you know, you'll know you're they're not gonna step you down, right? 00:13:54.639 --> 00:13:59.759 But if you're not in that top 50%, you'll you want to work as hard as you can and step back up. 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:07.600 And then maybe you're can still competitive for the next rank or the next position with those guys who are the top 50% each year. 00:14:07.759 --> 00:14:08.480 Okay, right. 00:14:08.639 --> 00:14:11.279 So it's you know, it's up or out in the military. 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:12.639 That's what it's all about. 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:16.399 You know, so it's a different kind of it's a different kind of feel. 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:20.320 For here it's making money and there it's uh here it's making money. 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:23.600 Here it's a little it's a little more career focused. 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:28.559 You still definitely care about the organization, but man, you're really watching out for yourself there, right? 00:14:28.639 --> 00:14:31.039 Because you have to get stuff done quickly. 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:38.399 Uh so yeah, success at the squadron looks like, hey, can I go knock down targets and can I do things at night? 00:14:38.639 --> 00:14:43.200 I have to be able to do things at night in the dark with no lights on at all, right? 00:14:43.279 --> 00:14:49.360 I'm looking through uh night vision goggles and we're all maneuvering and we're all sequencing correctly. 00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:56.000 Uh, and at the battalion level, you're sequencing all this stuff, you know, simultaneously, right? 00:14:56.399 --> 00:14:57.759 So it's fun. 00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:01.759 Uh so that's as a squadron operation officer, we did that. 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:03.440 Um we did great. 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:08.799 Uh and uh then I moved over to become a executive officer. 00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:11.919 Now in the unit that I was in, an executive officer. 00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:15.919 Now I went over to another battalion at the time, which was a tank company. 00:15:16.240 --> 00:15:24.080 And uh, you know, it's the executive officer really focuses in the way that the third infantry brigades ran. 00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:30.320 Their organization was as a uh as the maintenance, the main maintenance officers. 00:15:30.559 --> 00:15:35.279 You're really responsible for the maintenance of the fleet, you know. 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:47.840 So we had off the top of my head, I want to say uh 21 tanks uh and 15 uh 15 Bradley fighting vehicles, you know. 00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:57.360 So the Abrams is the tank, the big one with the giant cannon, and then the Bradley fighting vehicles, whether in that unit the infantry would use to maneuver on the battlefield and fight. 00:15:57.440 --> 00:15:59.600 Uh, and then all the other support equipment that goes with it. 00:15:59.679 --> 00:16:05.519 So hundreds of pieces of equipment, wield equipment, and then all the other pieces of equipment that go with that. 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:14.559 So I was responsible for really overseeing the maintenance and care uh of that equipment, you know, making sure it was all accounted for. 00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:25.759 If it wasn't accounted for, doing investigations as to why that stuff wasn't there, purchasing or putting up putting requests in to purchase uh that equipment, right? 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:27.679 And the and the restock. 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:32.639 So, and then I transitioned back to the division headquarters. 00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:36.320 Uh, and here's where it really starts to relate into what I'm doing now. 00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:45.600 Uh, so I went back to the division headquarters uh at that point, stabilized for my kids because I got four kids and I had some that were in high school at that time. 00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:47.919 So I stuck around Fort Stewart. 00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:54.399 Uh, my family and I, we decided that would be the the end of the run for the military. 00:16:54.559 --> 00:17:02.320 Uh, and I went back to the division headquarters and became the training officer for the division uh at that point in time. 00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:07.279 So there's 15,000 people again in in the division. 00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:14.079 Uh you know, I had a team of, I had a counterpart who really ran the show. 00:17:14.160 --> 00:17:17.519 He was a civilian, but me and him kind of got there at the same time. 00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:31.279 And now you gotta understand, like in these big military divisions, uh, the senior headquarters, the the civilian staff, they really they're the ones that kind of keep things going because the military is going in and out. 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:33.359 We flow in and out every year or two. 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:34.319 Uh right. 00:17:34.480 --> 00:17:41.759 So the guy who runs operations for the brigade, or I'm sorry, for the division, every year was a different person. 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:45.440 So there was a his a civilian equivalent under him. 00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:46.720 Interesting, yeah. 00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:52.559 And he, that gentleman, he was there for uh decades, right? 00:17:52.799 --> 00:17:56.720 I didn't even realize there were civilian offices, honestly. 00:17:56.960 --> 00:17:57.839 Yeah, it makes sense. 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:01.039 It does because you're you're moving positions so often. 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:02.559 You need some stability. 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:03.039 Yeah. 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:03.680 Yeah. 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:08.160 So, and then I had a civilian equivalent as well, the civilian partner. 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:12.720 Uh, me and him started at the same time, but he and he had just retired a couple years before. 00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:14.880 So I had a great work and relationship with him. 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:23.599 We when I was first on the division staff, he retired and he came back and he was uh on the staff at that point in a

different position. 00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:29.519 Uh so he and I, our team was around 10 people, mostly civilian, you know. 00:18:29.680 --> 00:18:34.799 Uh and you know, we ran the training for the division. 00:18:34.880 --> 00:18:41.279 Uh, everything from our the guys that were third infantry and needed to go out to the field. 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:45.599 Uh, we helped them coordinate their ammunition, we helped them coordinate their land. 00:18:46.079 --> 00:18:58.960 Uh, we helped get their plans in front of the general so the general could approve what their training would look like for the next year, uh, or tell them you know what he wanted them to do and made sure they stayed on track. 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:15.119 Uh and you know also one of those things that I did there uh was we ran the uh I forget what they called it, but it's essentially like the intern program for the army. 00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:15.519 Okay. 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:24.000 So we have West Point cadets uh and and and other cadets from across the country during their summer. 00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:34.400 Uh they can if if if they want to, they can come and you know go to a division, take part in uh battalion operations just to kind of see what it's like. 00:19:34.480 --> 00:19:47.119 So they can have have an understanding of where they want to, where they want to be, number one, when they graduate, uh as far as duty station goes, and then have a feel for is what branch do I want to be in? 00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:48.480 Do I want to be in aviation? 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:49.839 Do I want to be in logistics? 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:54.400 Do I want to be in on tanks or do I want to be in infantry or do I want to be a lawyer? 00:19:54.640 --> 00:19:55.119 All right. 00:19:55.440 --> 00:20:01.039 So my team, we coordinated that program uh for the third infantry division. 00:20:01.279 --> 00:20:07.920 So that all kind of related, that all kind of relates to to what I'm doing now for for you guys here at Reeves. 00:20:08.880 --> 00:20:13.759 Uh and then as you're transitioning out of the army, they take care of you. 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:25.519 And there's they have one whole year as you as you when you tell them you're gonna either retire or just get out, uh, you have to give you one year to make that transition. 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:34.559 Now you're still working at stuff during that time, but there's a transition program that they have you go through, and um it's called Soldier for Life. 00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:42.240 And the first uh part of that program is one week long, and it's really at that one year mark from you being out. 00:20:42.640 --> 00:21:03.359 So at the end of that week, it just so happened that uh there was a job fair going on on base at the officers' club there, and they said, Hey, last thing you need to do to get the box check saying you completed this weeklong course is to go to the job fair uh and sign in. 00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:04.640 So I went and

I signed in. 00:21:04.720 --> 00:21:05.920 Like I'm still in uniform. 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:13.039 Like, you know, I was wasn't anticipating going to this thing, uh, but I was excited to make the transition. 00:21:13.119 --> 00:21:19.039 So I was talking to the people at the different booths uh that were selling their companies. 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:26.480 I just so happened to run into Reeves and Darcy overview was there, right? 00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:34.480 And you know, Reeves isn't necessarily going to the military base and looking for uh people to work on the HR team. 00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:37.359 Like no, we no, no, no. 00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:44.079 We we were Darcy and I, when I we hired Darcy, who is also retired colonel from the Army. 00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:50.799 And so I as my myself as a veteran, I know veterans and we just talked about Quig. 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:54.240 Um, veterans are a great fit in our industry. 00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:57.039 So we were looking for operation folks, right? 00:21:57.279 --> 00:22:05.200 I'm looking for folks that run run uh Equipment to maybe future project engineers, project managers. 00:22:05.359 --> 00:22:08.640 And uh Dar I remember Darcy called me up that day. 00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:10.640 She goes, I found your training guy. 00:22:11.839 --> 00:22:12.480 Yeah. 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:21.920 So I ran into Darcy and uh, you know, just networked with her, you know, did what the military kind of said told me to do during that week. 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:24.079 I'm like, okay, I'm gonna sign up for LinkedIn. 00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:24.559 Yeah. 00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:27.920 I tagged her in LinkedIn and started talking to her that way. 00:22:28.160 --> 00:22:32.880 And like I started following the Reeves page, but really just started networking with her. 00:22:33.359 --> 00:22:40.960 Uh and the coastal team is very active with their, you know, with their um with their recruitment. 00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:43.599 And they go to a lot of these job fairs that are local. 00:22:43.680 --> 00:22:50.000 So I'd see her around as I went to different job fairs here in the southeast Georgia. 00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:53.279 And, you know, just say hi to her each time. 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:58.640 And maybe I was a month out, two months out from retirement. 00:22:58.880 --> 00:23:04.400 And she's, you know, I saw her again, and that's when she said, Hey, we have this position open, and I think you'd be a good fit. 00:23:04.559 --> 00:23:06.880 Would you want to, you know, interview? 00:23:07.680 --> 00:23:12.960 So a couple weeks later, I went and interviewed with Andrew, uh, met Todd and Zach and those guys there. 00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:22.799 They were here for the coastal safety week presentations, and you know, ended up, you know, making a decent fit for you guys. 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:23.680 So nice. 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:25.279 Now I end up on a podcast. 00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:26.160 That's all I'm saying. 00:23:29.039 --> 00:23:30.640 Yeah, that's awesome how that works out. 00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:39.599 But how was the transition from uh you know military life to a civilian company? 00:23:39.839 --> 00:23:43.680 Uh it's bizarre, you know, especially doing it that quick. 00:23:43.920 --> 00:23:51.839 Uh so you guys had a need for uh a training manager, you know, at that time. 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:54.720 And it's something that that Andrew had identified. 00:23:55.039 --> 00:24:04.400 And you know, he was telling me about everything that needed to happen uh during the during the interview, and my mind is still in military mode. 00:24:04.480 --> 00:24:07.119 And of course, he's there's a lot of stuff that he that he wanted. 00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:14.319 And I'm thinking, you know, okay, well, again, going back to you have to get everything done within that first year, right? 00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:20.240 To assure that you're ensure that you're going to be successful and still be around that next year. 00:24:20.480 --> 00:24:25.279 And I'm like, okay, well, so within the first 90 days, I can have all he's like, no, no, no, no, no. 00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:25.759 Hold on. 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:27.200 You came in pretty intense. 00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:27.599 Yeah. 00:24:27.759 --> 00:24:28.079 Yeah. 00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:29.200 Yeah. 00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:38.799 Well, I thought it was I, you know, as he's telling me our team once in, he's just telling me, like, hey, this is what we're kind of looking at, and he's thinking strategic, you know, and I'm thinking tactical. 00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:39.119 Yeah. 00:24:39.279 --> 00:24:39.519 Right. 00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:41.920 And I don't think I need to get it done this quickly. 00:24:42.079 --> 00:24:49.440 Because in the military, again, like, you know, your boss is going to tell you you want all this stuff, and he because he's under the same pressure you are, right? 00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:50.400 In the military. 00:24:50.640 --> 00:24:55.440 So coming out, and you guys have just a longer vision uh than we do in the military. 00:24:56.319 --> 00:24:56.559 Yeah. 00:24:56.799 --> 00:24:59.680 Well, in your entire career at this point, is all military. 00:24:59.759 --> 00:25:01.519 I mean, it's 22 years in military. 00:25:01.599 --> 00:25:04.640 So you can't expect you to think any differently. 00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:05.119 Yeah. 00:25:05.279 --> 00:25:08.319 So so it it was it was bizarre, you know. 00:25:08.400 --> 00:25:10.000 Uh, but it it was it was good. 00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:22.559 And it was great being with a a military-friendly company, uh, you know, and Andrew was it was part of the Coast Guard for for years, 10 years, uh, Darcy being a you know a retired colonel. 00:25:22.720 --> 00:25:28.480 And so I knew people understood uh what I was going through and they coached me through those things as well. 00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:42.799 So how has your definition of success changed from you

know training folks to accomplish a mission military type task to you know uh completing construction? 00:25:43.599 --> 00:25:46.960 How has my uh definition of success changed? 00:25:47.119 --> 00:25:47.440 Yeah. 00:25:47.599 --> 00:25:53.039 Uh I'd say it's just that there's there's just a longer lead, right? 00:25:53.599 --> 00:26:12.720 So it's I guess it you know for me personally, I guess it's become a little more, I need to be more people focused and you know, people and think about the development of the people within this position, and like that's success. 00:26:12.880 --> 00:26:19.839 Like our internship program uh is meaningful to me because I get to spend time with these interns, right? 00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:24.319 Which you just wrapped up, and I get to kind of see them succeed. 00:26:24.400 --> 00:26:26.880 Now, so that's good, like that's rewarding. 00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:28.160 So that's success to me. 00:26:28.240 --> 00:26:37.839 I get to see that on the back end, and I get to I get to influence leaders and say, hey, like let's make sure that we're hiring these people. 00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:41.039 Like, here's here's some numbers that we're kind of looking at. 00:26:41.200 --> 00:26:43.279 Here's people that I think are are good. 00:26:43.440 --> 00:26:45.599 So I get to do that on on the back end. 00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:51.359 Where when I'm running the program for the military, it's like let's just get them here and then get them out. 00:26:51.519 --> 00:26:57.279 I guess success is more personal and developmental versus in the military. 00:26:57.359 --> 00:27:01.759 It's you're just I was me personally, I was thinking just get the task done. 00:27:02.400 --> 00:27:02.640 Right. 00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:10.000 So that's been growth for me too as a leader and as a person since I since I've been with this company. 00:27:10.319 --> 00:27:10.720 Yeah. 00:27:11.359 --> 00:27:12.240 That makes sense. 00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:14.960 Well, you mentioned it earlier, it's like up and out. 00:27:15.039 --> 00:27:20.960 So you having a plethora of people coming through, regardless of I guess how successful you are in the military. 00:27:21.039 --> 00:27:28.000 And here we're trying, we're focusing on more like intentionality and a high conversion rate, right? 00:27:28.079 --> 00:27:33.599 So it's very personal and you want every you want to make good choices and then have everybody succeed through a program. 00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:37.680 So I could totally see what you're what you're saying and how that has to change. 00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:45.839 Yeah, I think intentional is a great word uh for the way I kind of approach things, you know, nowadays versus just a few years ago. 00:27:46.079 --> 00:27:46.400 Yeah. 00:27:46.720 --> 00:27:47.680 Makes total sense. 00:27:48.960 --> 00:27:58.319 So was there you were saying that in those previous roles you had within the military, they weren't super exciting, right? 00:27:58.480 --> 00:28:01.119

Like whenever you got put in an office and whatever. 00:28:01.200 --> 00:28:03.599 So you were wanting to do task-based stuff. 00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:12.240 So when was there a turning point where you became more interested in that training aspect of it? 00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:21.279 Or maybe it was all just based on family decision at that moving to that division office. 00:28:22.160 --> 00:28:23.440 Does that make sense? 00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:32.799 Uh so in the military, you you all you do is train. 00:28:33.200 --> 00:28:33.359 Right. 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:36.480 We we want our military to only train. 00:28:36.880 --> 00:28:39.759 You know, we don't want them to actually do their job, right? 00:28:40.240 --> 00:28:42.400 So it's always training in the military. 00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:52.400 Uh but when did I start thinking of it as maybe more of a developmental aspect for for people? 00:28:53.759 --> 00:29:25.039 Uh I'd say for me, it was honestly was like after the military and being able to it's it's there's this reflective piece of of growth where it's like, okay, I can I'm looking back on it, and you can see where mistakes are made, uh, and you know, and the the piece of that, you know, where I would have where I made mistakes in the military, and I can reflect back on and say, okay, where did I where should I grow? 00:29:25.200 --> 00:29:27.359 Is I was more focused on training. 00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:29.599 I was focused on the training. 00:29:29.920 --> 00:29:31.920 Can you knock that target down? 00:29:32.240 --> 00:29:35.200 And if not, why can't you knock that target down? 00:29:35.359 --> 00:29:36.319 Just knock it down. 00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:39.519 Yeah, it's more execution of an operation, right? 00:29:39.680 --> 00:29:41.519 That's what that training's focused on. 00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:41.839 Yeah. 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:45.359 And it wasn't on soft skills or any of that stuff. 00:29:45.599 --> 00:29:46.000 I see. 00:29:46.319 --> 00:30:00.640 And it was, I mean, even in when I was in the Coast Guard, it was you know, shipboard firefighting or dewatering or HELO-ops or whatever we were doing, it was all about executing the mission right then. 00:30:00.720 --> 00:30:07.119 And did you execute it in a timely manner and the right way and stuff like that? 00:30:07.279 --> 00:30:09.519 Where our trainings are a little bit different. 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:15.440 It's in corporate world, it's yeah, or are we doing how are we communicating, right? 00:30:15.759 --> 00:30:16.720 How are you feeling? 00:30:17.039 --> 00:30:20.319 Well, the military doesn't really give how you feel, right? 00:30:20.400 --> 00:30:22.640 You just care about if you get it done, right? 00:30:22.720 --> 00:30:25.039 Yeah, that's yeah, and that was his mindset. 00:30:25.119 --> 00:30:30.960 And yeah, I had to coach Nick on some of that, but man, he's been a great addition to our team. 00:30:31.200 --> 00:30:31.680 Agreed. 00:30:31.839 --> 00:30:35.279 Yeah,

because you know, we're we're training people here to keep them around. 00:30:35.440 --> 00:30:35.599 Right. 00:30:35.839 --> 00:30:47.680 We want to we want to develop people, uh, so you know, Brad can do go off and do his next great thing, and Seth can go off and do his next great thing, uh maybe somewhere else, you know. 00:30:47.839 --> 00:30:50.400 Uh, but we need a backfill, right? 00:30:50.720 --> 00:30:58.079 So, you know, we're we're you know, thinking about really building the bench for for Reeves, Delta. 00:30:58.319 --> 00:31:00.079 That's that kind of changed my mindset. 00:31:00.160 --> 00:31:05.119 And how do we develop people to continue to have a successful company? 00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:06.240 Because that's what it's about. 00:31:06.799 --> 00:31:22.240 It's about uh bringing people in that we believe have potential and then fostering that potential, developing them so they can be the best person they can be, so they can be a future leader of the company and keep this place going for all of us, right? 00:31:22.480 --> 00:31:23.039 Yeah. 00:31:23.279 --> 00:31:28.079 How how have you gone about developing training program a training program here? 00:31:29.200 --> 00:31:48.079 Uh so the expert in development and training within Reeves is Andrew, you know, so a lot of it's just I've taken some of his ideas, a lot of his ideas, and just reboxed them and put some fancier things on them and just call them my ideas. 00:31:49.200 --> 00:31:53.759 And I'm fine with that because I'm just like I told you guys the the other day, right? 00:31:53.920 --> 00:32:02.720 Uh I empower the folks that work in our group to do their job and I don't get in their way and he res ideas by me. 00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:04.480 I'm like, damn, that's a good idea, dude. 00:32:04.640 --> 00:32:05.680 Go ahead and run with it. 00:32:05.759 --> 00:32:05.920 Right. 00:32:06.240 --> 00:32:08.240 So why didn't I think of that? 00:32:08.480 --> 00:32:09.359 Um that's all right. 00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:13.839 I've seen the training program get better since you've been on board for sure. 00:32:14.079 --> 00:32:16.480 And that's the thing, it's not about recreating the wheel. 00:32:16.559 --> 00:32:17.680 You know, I hate that. 00:32:17.839 --> 00:32:23.680 Like I'd rather just take you know people's good ideas who are smarter than me and tweak them. 00:32:23.839 --> 00:32:27.839 Uh so maybe it's getting it's getting after what they want. 00:32:28.079 --> 00:32:33.039 Because a lot of times, like you're too close to a project and you can't see what isn't working. 00:32:33.279 --> 00:32:39.839 Uh, so I think it was good having me come in and you know, Andrew saying, Hey, we got these programs that were running. 00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:43.599 Andrew was at that point was, I don't know how you're doing it, you're doing it by yourself. 00:32:43.759 --> 00:32:50.319 You were running the age as HR director, and your HR business partners were helping you with the training. 00:32:50.480 --> 00:32:52.799 Uh, but that's a heavy lift for all of you. 00:32:52.960 --> 00:32:53.440 Yeah. 00:32:53.599 --> 00:33:00.480 Uh so but you guys were doing it well and seeing the need there to come in and you know. 00:33:00.960 --> 00:33:06.160 That's why it's gotten better because we got somebody that pays attention to to the training, right? 00:33:06.240 --> 00:33:10.960 And when you pay attention to training, you measure what you need to get better, and it's gotten better. 00:33:11.039 --> 00:33:11.920 So yeah. 00:33:12.160 --> 00:33:15.200 And colos, like they have great programs too. 00:33:15.359 --> 00:33:21.200 So it was really just understanding, get an understanding of first what the needs were for all of you. 00:33:21.279 --> 00:33:27.200 And that's what I spent the first couple months out there doing, just getting around and talking to all of you, getting out to the field and talking to the guys. 00:33:27.440 --> 00:33:30.240 You always wish you can do that stuff more, right? 00:33:30.400 --> 00:33:41.599 But it was, you know, really getting an understanding of what those needs were, what was already available to us, uh, and then sh and then you know, just building the path, right? 00:33:41.839 --> 00:33:42.160 Yeah. 00:33:42.319 --> 00:33:55.920 Uh so you know, it's the way I kind of look at it in my mind, if we go back and if I if I talk through what we're doing now, you know, we have if I talk through like and start small, right? 00:33:56.000 --> 00:33:59.200 And I'll talk like hey, we have individual leadership programs. 00:33:59.279 --> 00:34:18.639 And you know, my world right now is fairly focused on the leadership skills and leadership development, you know, and we have uh we have training specialists across the company that work with our QC team and they focus on the tactical stuff, right, or the technical stuff of operating the equipment. 00:34:18.719 --> 00:34:21.679 So that's not my sphere right now, you know. 00:34:21.840 --> 00:34:35.119 Uh but you know, on the leadership side, it's like, hey, we we we leverage uh consultants like Dale Carnegie, uh like uh Firestarter, right? 00:34:35.840 --> 00:34:49.119 Uh and you know, if I just take Dale Carnegie, we have leadership uh training that's in four parts that Dale Carnegie Reps and the Colosse team have put together, right? 00:34:49.280 --> 00:34:54.320 So that's like the base leadership skills, communications things. 00:34:54.639 --> 00:34:55.840 So we start there. 00:34:56.719 --> 00:35:08.159 Uh we had we run crucial conversations, and that's for everybody as well, which is another crucial conversations for accountability, which I'm certified to train, and we we use we leverage that as well. 00:35:08.320 --> 00:35:16.239 Uh and any other consultants that uh our our VPs of operations want or regional managers want, we we leverage them. 00:35:16.400 --> 00:35:23.840 So that's like the starter for everybody that's you know, forming an above, really, because

that those programs are looking at salaried employees. 00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:28.079 Uh, and then we transition into our high potential teams, right? 00:35:28.159 --> 00:35:30.480 And like who are who are those future leaders? 00:35:30.639 --> 00:35:39.679 Uh, and then our uh VPs of operations, presidents, they're they're they're looking at a certain cohort, right? 00:35:39.760 --> 00:35:46.239 And then we train them even even to in greater depth for leadership development, right? 00:35:46.320 --> 00:35:48.320 And we call that the leadership development program. 00:35:48.800 --> 00:35:50.719 So that's the the LDP. 00:35:51.280 --> 00:35:54.000 Uh, and that's we're on our second cohort of that. 00:35:54.159 --> 00:35:55.360 Andrew started that. 00:35:55.679 --> 00:35:58.159 That's generally 15, 20 people. 00:35:58.800 --> 00:36:15.840 Uh, and then that's right now the way I've designed it is we have, or in my mind, as I've talked to the VPs and understand what the team wants, we have the Dale Carnegie type training, and then we have the LDP training, and then we have the colosh training. 00:36:15.920 --> 00:36:18.480 So it's kind of gated to get there along the way. 00:36:19.039 --> 00:36:23.519 You know, so LDP, now it's that's not hard and true for everything, right? 00:36:23.599 --> 00:36:24.159 Yeah, sure. 00:36:24.320 --> 00:36:38.079 Uh so like we have guys that come in that are already been with the company for for you know over a decade that they're already beyond the LDP portion, but we can just put them right into the coloss training wheelhouse, right? 00:36:38.400 --> 00:36:41.039 Uh, but like there is a progression there. 00:36:41.519 --> 00:36:49.039 So as we're bringing on board a new people, or as we got people that have been here for three or four years, just hey, here's how we get there, right? 00:36:49.440 --> 00:37:02.480 And you know, my next step is really messaging that out to the rest of the team, like, hey, here's how, here's what that glide path looks like for training and for success, and how to get into those training programs that you want down the road. 00:37:02.880 --> 00:37:03.199 Yeah. 00:37:03.920 --> 00:37:07.280 I love how structured it is, and I love how there's something for everyone. 00:37:07.440 --> 00:37:21.440 You know, no matter what stage you are in your career, there is a you know, and I did forget to mention we do run since we've been here, and I don't know if they were doing it before Andrew, but we have the uh frontline supervisor academy. 00:37:21.519 --> 00:37:21.840 Oh, yeah. 00:37:22.000 --> 00:37:28.559 And that is focused solely on developing the foreman because we understand like that's where that's where all the work really happens. 00:37:28.639 --> 00:37:36.480 They're the guys that are out there making money without without the foreman uh doing their doing what they do and being awesome leaders. 00:37:36.639 --> 00:37:38.480 Like, man, we ain't making any money around here. 00:37:38.719 -->

00:37:38.960 That's right. 00:37:39.360 --> 00:37:54.159 Yeah, and the frontline academy started when uh Colin and I got together and we're coming up with uh different ways, okay, how can we emphasize our frontline new uh frontline guys and emphasize the importance of safety? 00:37:54.320 --> 00:38:04.079 Yeah, and then we came at a three-prong approach of it's uh leadership, um the safety portion, and then local operations. 00:38:04.239 --> 00:38:07.199 What they need to concentrate on local operations. 00:38:07.599 --> 00:38:09.440 So that is idea. 00:38:09.599 --> 00:38:18.079 I mean, ideally, I in my mindset when we created it, and Nick has made it better, taking my idea. 00:38:18.159 --> 00:38:22.559 He just takes my little crazy idea I have and he makes it an artwork out of it. 00:38:22.719 --> 00:38:30.000 But um is you know that lead guy or that new foreman, right? 00:38:30.239 --> 00:38:41.679 And also, I think we still need to get our other front guys in there because it's a great opportunity for them to come together collectively as a community because they find out hey, we all have the same issues. 00:38:42.000 --> 00:38:46.960 How do we maybe I Nick can show me a better way to do it and I'll do it that way. 00:38:47.119 --> 00:38:54.320 So that's a little bit different than what the Colosse has a new one, uh new frontline academy. 00:38:54.559 --> 00:38:55.599 They I don't know what they call it. 00:38:55.920 --> 00:39:00.159 Explore is it yeah, no, it's uh shoot, I forgot the name. 00:39:00.320 --> 00:39:01.840 They're gonna hate us because we forget the name. 00:39:02.079 --> 00:39:04.880 Well, it's new in our defense, yeah. 00:39:05.119 --> 00:39:05.760 Yeah. 00:39:06.400 --> 00:39:08.559 Um, but it's different from them. 00:39:08.639 --> 00:39:11.519 That that's like you go to that class once and you're done, right? 00:39:11.599 --> 00:39:13.119 Ours is year after year. 00:39:13.599 --> 00:39:25.519 We want to get this become the frontline academy where we get the true frontline supervisors there, and they still get a leadership training, safety training, and whatever technical operational training they have. 00:39:25.760 --> 00:39:39.360 Now, the other part to this, and and you mentioned that, and Nick's gonna Nick and I have been talking about it, and Darcy's heavily involved with it down here in the state of Georgia is that um apprenticeship program. 00:39:39.840 --> 00:39:46.400 So you have heavy equipment operator, it's in the high schools, um, where they had the simulators. 00:39:46.639 --> 00:40:02.719 Well, we just structured a true apprenticeship program where we have apprentice on heavy equipment, either dozer or excavator, but that's the next part, and that's where we really need to concentrate our training efforts. 00:40:02.800 --> 00:40:05.280 And Nick's gonna be tackling that next. 00:40:05.599 --> 00:40:08.800 I'm kind of the crazy idea he's gonna make some artwork out of it. 00:40:08.880 --> 00:40:09.760 So that's

a lot. 00:40:09.840 --> 00:40:13.119 Yeah, so we'll have we have frontline supervisor academy. 00:40:13.599 --> 00:40:16.960 Uh you've got the Dell Carnegie Leadership Steps for Success. 00:40:17.119 --> 00:40:18.000 There's four of those. 00:40:18.159 --> 00:40:27.199 Then you got the Leadership Development Program, LDP for high potential, and then you got COLAS Academy, which are four or five classes that COAS puts on. 00:40:27.440 --> 00:40:28.480 Navigate, that's what it's called. 00:40:28.639 --> 00:40:29.039 Navigate. 00:40:29.440 --> 00:40:36.639 Navigates the the COAS uh frontline or foreman training that they put together. 00:40:36.960 --> 00:40:50.239 So you're meeting with supervisors and deciding leaders, you're you're meeting with managers and leaders across the organization deciding who fits in each one of those buckets and you're you're scheduling all of it and and yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:40:51.119 --> 00:40:58.960 And at the same time, you're specifically uh certified to lead like crucial conversations and I think we'll talk about yeah. 00:40:59.599 --> 00:41:18.960 Certified for so since I've been part of of Reeves, uh big because you know Andrew uh has this background in in leader development uh and he has an understanding and he's been through the training for uh Dell or not Del Carnegie, it's the Clifton Strengths uh through Gallup, right? 00:41:19.280 --> 00:41:26.800 And uh crucial conversations, like you know, he's he encouraged me uh to go and get certified for those. 00:41:26.880 --> 00:41:28.239 And that helps the company, right? 00:41:28.320 --> 00:41:30.400 So I can be a strengths coach. 00:41:30.639 --> 00:41:37.039 Uh I can run the the uh the crucial conversations training for the company, right? 00:41:37.199 --> 00:41:40.559 Uh so then that eliminates having to bring anybody in, you know. 00:41:40.719 --> 00:41:49.519 So as far as crucial conversations goes, it's uh it's a uh two-day session, it can be a two or one day session. 00:41:49.840 --> 00:41:55.199 And you know, it's all about how are we talking to each other, how are how are we how do we communicate effectively? 00:41:55.599 --> 00:41:55.760 Right. 00:41:55.840 --> 00:42:11.360 And the accountability one, the commit the accountability class is specifically about uh how do I talk to somebody who's maybe underperforming and get them back to figure out what's going on and talk communicate to them so they can effectively get back on track, right? 00:42:11.920 --> 00:42:16.480 Uh so so that's that's fun. 00:42:16.639 --> 00:42:17.920 It's a good session to teach. 00:42:18.079 --> 00:42:24.880 And then the Clifton Strengths, uh, we've integrated, you know, we've integrated that into the LDP. 00:42:24.960 --> 00:42:28.079 I think that's probably where we've found the most success with it. 00:42:28.320 --> 00:42:28.559 Yeah. 00:42:28.719 --> 00:42:40.159 Uh we also have, so I'm certified, Andrew's a certified coach, and we have two HR business partners, Darcy and Taylor, who are also uh Clifton Strengths certified coaches. 00:42:40.320 --> 00:42:55.519 Now, in their divisions, Darcy and Taylor, they work with different regional leaders uh if they want to leverage the Clifton Strengths, whether it's for team build-in or individual development, uh, and they help there. 00:42:55.760 --> 00:43:00.000 But the four of us, we've integrated it into our leadership development program. 00:43:00.079 --> 00:43:07.199 So it's you know, we start off with the assessment, and then we have every quarter there's touch points with we assigned coaches, right? 00:43:07.280 --> 00:43:11.039 So there's there's 21 uh participants. 00:43:11.119 --> 00:43:13.360 So there was each coach had seven people. 00:43:13.440 --> 00:43:16.880 Uh Darcy and Taylor and I were the primary coaches for that. 00:43:17.039 --> 00:43:24.719 Uh, so we each had uh seven, you know, individuals, employees that we coached. 00:43:24.960 --> 00:43:30.400 And uh talking with them quarterly, talking about their strengths and helping them to develop that way. 00:43:30.480 --> 00:43:37.360 So it's not just, hey, you're gonna take this assessment and awesome, you know, you know how you know what your strengths are, go off and do great things. 00:43:37.599 --> 00:43:42.880 It's a like, let's talk about your here's the assessment, you know, here's your strengths. 00:43:43.039 --> 00:43:46.239 How do you want to leverage them now that you understand what this stuff means? 00:43:46.400 --> 00:43:46.639 Yeah. 00:43:46.719 --> 00:43:56.079 Uh, and then what are some short term goals that you want to focus on that and you want to focus those strengths on uh to achieve you know those tasks. 00:43:56.320 --> 00:43:56.480 Yeah. 00:43:57.119 --> 00:43:58.079 Clifton strengths. 00:43:58.159 --> 00:43:59.760 I mean, what is Clifton strengths? 00:44:00.159 --> 00:44:13.119 Uh so Clifton the Cliff Clifton Strengths Assessment is a an assessment uh and it's 34 um 34 strengths, right? 00:44:13.440 --> 00:44:20.960 And really what it does is it helps people figure out uh exactly that, what they're good at, what their strengths are. 00:44:21.199 --> 00:44:33.840 And we spend we spend a lot of time, whether we're coaching uh teams, like I I coach soccer, I've coached other youth sports, I've been on teams before. 00:44:34.000 --> 00:44:40.320 Uh, and then as leaders, we focus so much on primarily on improving people's weaknesses, right? 00:44:40.480 --> 00:44:44.000 And we don't focus on leveraging people's strengths. 00:44:44.239 --> 00:45:07.840 Uh so Don Clifton, who is the gentleman who designed all this and put a lot of thought and science behind uh these programs, was he was in World War II, and uh he was dealing with, you know, he came out of there and there were people struggling with with getting back, you know, the those vets, you know, transitioning back into civilian life. 00:45:08.079 --> 00:45:22.239 And he had a uh, you know, he had this thought as they these people

were seeking help, and they you know, the medical industry, they kept looking at the people those people's faults. 00:45:22.639 --> 00:45:32.559 Well, you know, he took the the opposite the the opposite approach and said, Okay, well, how about we try to fix these people by you know identifying what their strengths are and helping them out there? 00:45:32.880 --> 00:45:33.280 Right. 00:45:33.760 --> 00:45:37.280 Uh so that's kind of where it came from. 00:45:37.599 --> 00:45:43.360 Uh and you know, that's honestly how we're kind of leveraging it through through the company as well, right? 00:45:44.719 --> 00:45:45.119 Yeah. 00:45:45.920 --> 00:45:51.199 Do you remember taking the assessment your first time? 00:45:52.239 --> 00:45:52.800 I do. 00:45:53.119 --> 00:45:53.440 Yeah. 00:45:53.920 --> 00:45:57.199 Was there anything that surprised you or you think it was pretty accurate? 00:45:57.519 --> 00:45:58.000 I don't know. 00:45:58.079 --> 00:45:58.960 I was surprised. 00:45:59.119 --> 00:46:05.360 So there's this one called WU, and you know, it's W O O. 00:46:05.760 --> 00:46:08.960 And it just sounds it's just sounds like a funny word, right? 00:46:09.119 --> 00:46:12.000 Uh, but it's an acronym, it's for winning people over. 00:46:12.480 --> 00:46:15.199 Um, so that that's what that one is about. 00:46:15.360 --> 00:46:15.760 All right. 00:46:16.079 --> 00:46:21.039 So that's that's one of those that that I thought, you know, that stuck out to me. 00:46:21.280 --> 00:46:24.000 My my first one, my is that in your top five? 00:46:24.159 --> 00:46:25.119 Is Wu in your top five? 00:46:25.280 --> 00:46:27.039 Yeah, woo's my woo's my number four. 00:46:27.119 --> 00:46:32.000 So I'm achiever, significance, harmony, woo, competition. 00:46:32.159 --> 00:46:32.719 And okay. 00:46:32.880 --> 00:46:46.079 But uh, you know, the achiever piece didn't really surprise me, but when I look at like significance and harmony and woo, which are my two, three, and four, like that surprised me because I hadn't thought about this stuff like this. 00:46:46.239 --> 00:46:49.599 Again, you know, I'm there's ways the military wanted me to think. 00:46:49.760 --> 00:46:50.000 Yeah. 00:46:50.400 --> 00:46:55.119 And it's, you know, I was like super bummed out that I wasn't a strategic thinker. 00:46:55.360 --> 00:46:56.800 But come on, man. 00:46:56.880 --> 00:47:00.239 I've been doing this strategic thinking stuff with the school for all this, you know. 00:47:00.480 --> 00:47:02.800 I mean, really, like you go to too much thinking. 00:47:02.880 --> 00:47:03.920 Yeah, too funny. 00:47:04.159 --> 00:47:10.480 So, like, you know, what it, you know, so that's I guess like that's was that's was one of those things that did surprise me. 00:47:10.559 --> 00:47:23.599 I'm like, man, I spent so much time going to school thinking about how to plan tactics to the operational level of missions and then tying mission or operational level into strategic level of operations. 00:47:23.840 --> 00:47:28.880 There's like the levels of uh operations within the military community. 00:47:29.119 --> 00:47:32.480 And uh, you know, I thought like I was good at that. 00:47:32.719 --> 00:47:34.800 And not that I was bad at that, right? 00:47:35.360 --> 00:47:43.920 Uh, but then I started thinking about it and learning more about this, and it's like, okay, well, I was good at that, but I was burning a lot of calories being good at that. 00:47:44.400 --> 00:47:48.000 Could it be that you you could naturally lead better with the top five. 00:47:48.559 --> 00:47:48.719 Yeah. 00:47:49.039 --> 00:47:56.000 And then I realized, well, as I got deeper into it, and Andrew explained more to me, it's like, hey, well, it doesn't mean that you're not good at that. 00:47:56.159 --> 00:48:01.119 It's you know, it's that you are good at that, you're just leveraging different strengths to get there. 00:48:02.639 --> 00:48:10.719 So, you know, if like I look at like my top 10, you know, achiever is you know, I'm just I like to get tasks done. 00:48:11.360 --> 00:48:11.679 Right. 00:48:11.840 --> 00:48:16.239 Uh, so that that helps with the strategic piece, right? 00:48:16.320 --> 00:48:21.920 Again, I'm staying with the theme that I was bummed out that I wasn't strategic thinking like Brad is, right? 00:48:22.400 --> 00:48:26.239 Uh Activator, that helps me get things going, right? 00:48:26.639 --> 00:48:29.519 Uh I can I can start the task there. 00:48:29.760 --> 00:48:33.280 Uh, and then uh arranger, right? 00:48:33.440 --> 00:48:35.760 I can I that's the operational piece. 00:48:35.840 --> 00:48:39.760 I like to figure out how the pieces all kind of work, right? 00:48:39.920 --> 00:48:44.159 And then uh, you know, and and that's just how the whole thing works. 00:48:45.039 --> 00:48:45.119 Right. 00:48:45.280 --> 00:48:48.960 I was leveraging those, those three at least, right? 00:48:49.119 --> 00:48:49.360 Yeah. 00:48:49.519 --> 00:48:56.559 Uh, to do all that strategic thinking that an operational level thinking that that I was asked to do, you know, in the military. 00:48:56.800 --> 00:48:56.960 Yeah. 00:48:57.199 --> 00:49:02.400 You know, it wasn't like, you know, analytical or context or in election. 00:49:02.480 --> 00:49:04.800 I'm like, man, dude, in elections like 34? 00:49:04.960 --> 00:49:07.280 Like, what's does that mean I'm I'm knucklehead? 00:49:07.360 --> 00:49:08.079 What's going on here? 00:49:08.239 --> 00:49:11.360 What's what's uh six through ten on your strengths? 00:49:11.920 --> 00:49:12.800 Six through ten? 00:49:13.199 --> 00:49:13.840 Yeah. 00:49:15.199 --> 00:49:17.840 Uh I gotta put it in order real quick. 00:49:18.079 --> 00:49:20.000 For reference, real quick, while you're looking that up. 00:49:20.159 --> 00:49:25.280 So that you did say there's 34 strengths, those are all the same regard through the entire assessment. 00:49:25.360 --> 00:49:31.519 So whoever takes it, it's not like making up new strengths, it's

just ranking them from one to 34. 00:49:32.079 --> 00:49:40.559 It assigns you in order one through 10 is basically what you're looking at whenever we're doing a coaching session. 00:49:40.960 --> 00:49:42.400 To strengthen your top 10. 00:49:42.559 --> 00:49:43.920 It's yeah, exactly. 00:49:44.079 --> 00:49:53.039 So I I I will add to it that I've taken an assessment more than once, and my top three were always the same. 00:49:53.599 --> 00:49:59.199 Now, four and five, they could have, which are like responsibility and achiever, they were in my top ten. 00:49:59.519 --> 00:49:59.679 Yeah. 00:49:59.920 --> 00:50:01.360 And that whole thing, yeah. 00:50:01.519 --> 00:50:06.159 So they they bounce around a little bit depend upon what you have going on in your life at that time. 00:50:07.119 --> 00:50:07.280 Yeah. 00:50:07.360 --> 00:50:18.000 So it's and it's like a crazy low percentage, like insanely low that anybody would ever have the same top five in the same order. 00:50:18.239 --> 00:50:18.719 Correct. 00:50:18.960 --> 00:50:46.239 And they all, depending on what your top five and top ten is, in that order is like your specific DNA of how you use them, and each strength can look differently, different depending on your other top five to ten, because you're leveraging them differently than maybe somebody else with and it's you're like you it's a unique identifier, just kind of like your your fingerprint. 00:50:46.400 --> 00:50:50.079 Now, they also there's like 180 questions on the test, right? 00:50:50.239 --> 00:50:51.840 And and it's pretty quick, right? 00:50:51.920 --> 00:50:53.760 Yeah, they want your initial gut reaction. 00:50:53.840 --> 00:50:55.679 If you don't answer it, it goes on to the next question. 00:50:55.840 --> 00:50:56.960 Yeah, you only have like two minutes. 00:50:57.360 --> 00:50:59.280 Yeah, so that's why it's designed that way. 00:50:59.360 --> 00:51:02.400 They want your initial because that's your correct reaction. 00:51:03.119 --> 00:51:15.840 And they gallup has said, or uh Clifton Strengths has said that they only need like 80 questions answered, and the rest of it is their fine-tuning to get you. 00:51:16.000 --> 00:51:19.360 But the 80 will definitely get you what your strengths are. 00:51:19.519 --> 00:51:20.159 Yeah. 00:51:20.480 --> 00:51:21.599 Did you find them, Nick? 00:51:21.760 --> 00:51:22.079 I did. 00:51:22.239 --> 00:51:28.400 So my six through ten are a ranger, activator, discipline, self-assurance, and learner. 00:51:28.639 --> 00:51:34.719 So, you know, that other one, so strategic, you know, going back to like I was bummed out that I wasn't a strategic thinker, it's number 14. 00:51:34.880 --> 00:51:36.320 So it's still pretty high up for me. 00:51:36.480 --> 00:51:48.639 So with, you know, when I know now, like when I look at this, I can say, okay, well, you know, maybe I wasn't leveraging all those strengths that are in the domain of the strategic thinking. 00:51:48.800 --> 00:52:04.559 Uh, but to get there, I was leveraging achiever, you know, getting I like to to complete tasks, the arranger piece, which I spoke to, uh, the activator, the art of actually making things starting the the project, right? 00:52:04.719 --> 00:52:09.039 And then that strategic piece falls there uh, you know, at 14 for me. 00:52:09.119 --> 00:52:10.639 So I'm leveraging those things. 00:52:10.719 --> 00:52:18.800 It's just, you know, I was surprised that, you know, that wasn't the domain of that I that I kind of fall within. 00:52:18.960 --> 00:52:26.960 No, so like the the four domains you have are executing, you know, influencing relationship building and strategic thinking. 00:52:27.280 --> 00:52:30.960 So I lead with influencing, right? 00:52:31.360 --> 00:52:39.199 So, you know, influencing it helps people take charge, it helps them speak up, uh, and helps make sure other people are are heard. 00:52:39.599 --> 00:52:39.760 Right. 00:52:39.840 --> 00:52:42.239 So that's kind of where I'm at, right? 00:52:42.400 --> 00:52:54.559 And then like if I look at, you know, if I look at you, uh, Brad, you know, you you lead with strategic thinking, right? 00:52:55.760 --> 00:52:57.679 Uh so allegedly. 00:52:57.840 --> 00:52:58.000 Yeah. 00:52:59.599 --> 00:53:02.639 But you is number 32. 00:53:03.360 --> 00:53:04.159 Imagine that. 00:53:04.480 --> 00:53:08.480 You absorb and you analyze information to help make better decisions. 00:53:09.119 --> 00:53:12.159 Uh and Seth, you lead with executing. 00:53:12.320 --> 00:53:12.480 Yeah. 00:53:12.639 --> 00:53:12.880 Right. 00:53:12.960 --> 00:53:14.239 So you like to get things done. 00:53:14.320 --> 00:53:16.239 You want to make things happen, right? 00:53:16.639 --> 00:53:17.679 At all costs. 00:53:18.000 --> 00:53:18.639 Yeah. 00:53:18.960 --> 00:53:20.079 You know, it's true. 00:53:20.400 --> 00:53:27.599 Now, from what I know of the three of us now, like I'd say like that's that's pretty like if we sat us in a room, it's like, okay, yeah, that makes sense. 00:53:27.760 --> 00:53:28.000 Right. 00:53:28.800 --> 00:53:33.440 I didn't throw yours out there, Andrew, but I mean, would you kind of Yeah, I I agree with that. 00:53:33.599 --> 00:53:42.079 And actually looking at uh as we've been implementing this five years ago, most of us are the doers, right? 00:53:42.239 --> 00:53:44.239 They they we execute well. 00:53:45.440 --> 00:53:53.920 Uh it's mostly execution and relationship building, then it's what I've seen across most common in the construction industry. 00:53:54.480 --> 00:54:01.280 Now, in my previous company, when I first learned about this, um, we would have project teams, so they would collect, right? 00:54:01.519 --> 00:54:06.079 They would do like I would have people meetings and they would talk about certain individuals. 00:54:06.239 --> 00:54:18.800 Hey, I want so-and-so on my project, I want this person to be the project engineer, charge of the schedule, the money, the and I want this person to

be the business manager on this$50 million project, right? 00:54:19.039 --> 00:54:28.159 And then when we started using strengths, it was amazing to watch the folks to start looking at placing people where their strengths were. 00:54:28.400 --> 00:54:29.039 Oh, interesting. 00:54:29.280 --> 00:54:32.800 Yeah, so they were putting project teams together based on people's strengths. 00:54:33.280 --> 00:54:33.840 Yeah, you're right. 00:54:34.000 --> 00:54:46.960 It was the the themes of relationship building and execution are you know the highest in the construction industry, those two themes. 00:54:47.440 --> 00:54:54.639 So, like for me, influencing, uh, if you and especially like when you look at the where woo falls for me, right? 00:54:54.719 --> 00:55:02.719 I like I don't like you know the woo portion, now that I understand it, I get it, right? 00:55:03.039 --> 00:55:07.360 Like I like going around, like I like walking into a room and kind of meeting people. 00:55:07.519 --> 00:55:10.239 You know, I don't want to have a long, drawn-out conversation with everybody. 00:55:10.400 --> 00:55:13.599 I don't want to shake everybody's hand, say hello, make a good impression. 00:55:13.840 --> 00:55:18.400 Uh in the construction industry, you guys have it's small, right? 00:55:18.480 --> 00:55:22.000 So like there are these deep relationships that you guys have, you know. 00:55:22.239 --> 00:55:29.280 So that that tells me, like, hey, I need to do a better job of coming to where you guys are at because you want the relationship. 00:55:29.360 --> 00:55:32.719 The people in in our in our industry want that relationship. 00:55:32.960 --> 00:55:36.559 And I'm I'm not so you know, it doesn't mean that I can't have those. 00:55:36.719 --> 00:55:40.800 It just means I don't want as many of those deep relationships as as you guys want. 00:55:40.960 --> 00:55:49.840 Like it's it would be like somebody who is an introvert, you know, and ask them to be an extrovert, you know, and that would be exhausting for that person. 00:55:50.239 --> 00:55:59.360 And I'm not an introvert, you know, but I don't like there's I my strength isn't doesn't reside in building of the relationships. 00:55:59.440 --> 00:56:03.039 Yeah, it resides in the starting of the relationships, right? 00:56:03.119 --> 00:56:08.079 So that tells me like I need to make sure I'm going out there and talking to you guys because you value those things. 00:56:08.239 --> 00:56:08.719 Yeah, right. 00:56:08.800 --> 00:56:10.320 And that's still difficult for me, right? 00:56:10.400 --> 00:56:14.639 I need to get out there and I need to go to the different regions and set up time on Brad's calendar. 00:56:14.719 --> 00:56:18.639 I need to go and set time up on Todd's calendar and the regional managers. 00:56:18.719 --> 00:56:25.280 Go talk with Dallas, go talk with with Scott and get on there, or not Scott anymore, but um Paul. 00:56:25.519 --> 00:56:27.760 Paul, you know, uh, but still Scott too. 00:56:27.840 --> 00:56:29.119 It, you know, uh all of you. 00:56:29.199 --> 00:56:31.199 The point is I need to go and make that time. 00:56:31.360 --> 00:56:32.320 That's what I need to do. 00:56:32.480 --> 00:56:35.440 Where a lot of them naturally would just go and do those things. 00:56:35.679 --> 00:56:36.239 Yeah. 00:56:36.480 --> 00:56:37.039 Yeah. 00:56:37.280 --> 00:56:39.760 Well, it's super helpful that you know that about yourself. 00:56:40.239 --> 00:56:41.360 That's what that's where this comes. 00:56:42.079 --> 00:56:43.599 Yeah, that's what the value of this is. 00:56:44.000 --> 00:56:44.159 Right? 00:56:44.239 --> 00:56:45.920 It's like, uh, you know. 00:56:46.400 --> 00:56:53.599 So that's like I told, you know, I was talking to, you know, we just closed out our internship program today. 00:56:53.760 --> 00:56:58.159 And you know, what I left them with is making sure that they know themselves, right? 00:56:58.400 --> 00:57:06.719 Uh, because it took me, I spent 22 years in a career field where, you know, not that this wasn't valued, it's just we didn't approach it this way. 00:57:07.039 --> 00:57:07.519 All right. 00:57:07.679 --> 00:57:21.920 And uh, so I never took any of these disc assessments or the Clifton strengths or any of the other assessments out there that are heavily used in you know, any type of industry uh to to help with development. 00:57:22.000 --> 00:57:22.239 Yeah. 00:57:22.400 --> 00:57:24.400 We just didn't you we didn't leverage those. 00:57:24.559 --> 00:57:24.960 Yeah. 00:57:25.199 --> 00:57:29.519 So coming here and doing this, it's like, okay, yeah, that makes sense. 00:57:29.760 --> 00:57:31.760 And I should start leveraging those strengths. 00:57:32.000 --> 00:57:33.360 I really like the Clifton strengths. 00:57:33.519 --> 00:57:38.480 I've taken the other ones, uh, and not that any of them are any better than the other. 00:57:38.639 --> 00:57:39.760 I just prefer this one. 00:57:39.840 --> 00:57:43.840 I think it's just a little more in-depth, uh, and it just resonates with me a little more. 00:57:44.079 --> 00:57:44.639 Yeah, yeah. 00:57:44.800 --> 00:57:46.960 I've liked to look at it so far. 00:57:47.519 --> 00:57:58.000 Um, I think a lot of the you know, Ford those self-assessments are for training and development, but also help you with self-awareness and everything. 00:57:58.079 --> 00:58:06.159 So, in your opinion, what's uh important about self-awareness for people in their personal life and career? 00:58:08.639 --> 00:58:17.280 Uh it just helps them see where their blind spots are, right? 00:58:17.760 --> 00:58:23.280 Uh to see where maybe they they understand where where they need help. 00:58:23.760 --> 00:58:24.079 Right. 00:58:24.480 --> 00:58:38.320 And again, you know, the the strength piece, it's like, hey, I know where my what I this confirms what I think about myself, or it just helps me understand uh a a little better uh you know about what my strengths are. 00:58:38.559 -->

00:58:46.880 Uh so yeah, I think I think it could almost it can almost be like a confidence booster in that aspect. 00:58:47.039 --> 00:58:47.280 Yeah. 00:58:47.519 --> 00:58:58.480 And then you the blind spot thing, I think you were kind of nailing it on the head as far as seeing ways that you can show up for somebody else. 00:58:58.639 --> 00:59:10.000 It's not easy for you, but if you really need to get something done and want to work on that relationship or whatever, you are aware of how you can do it, I guess. 00:59:10.239 --> 00:59:11.280 Yeah, yeah. 00:59:11.679 --> 00:59:14.480 Uh that probably good for your personal life too. 00:59:14.559 --> 00:59:16.559 I mean, it'd go really far with your spouse. 00:59:16.800 --> 00:59:17.679 Oh man, kids. 00:59:17.920 --> 00:59:19.840 So I introduced strengths to my spouse. 00:59:20.079 --> 00:59:20.559 Oh, you did? 00:59:20.719 --> 00:59:21.360 Oh, yeah. 00:59:21.599 --> 00:59:24.800 And she's like, Oh, this makes so much sense. 00:59:24.960 --> 00:59:26.159 And she all about you. 00:59:26.239 --> 00:59:26.719 She was reading. 00:59:27.119 --> 00:59:29.920 Not just me, but her, her own self, right? 00:59:30.239 --> 00:59:33.039 And she's got maximizer in her top five. 00:59:33.360 --> 00:59:36.159 She goes, This is this the maximizer on me coming out. 00:59:36.239 --> 00:59:55.280 And I'm like, Yeah, but sure it's yeah, and you know, I know you know some of some of our uh coaches, they've they've given their whole family after like you know they've bought into it and they and they get it, and they've their kids and their spouses have all taken it. 00:59:55.440 --> 01:00:07.280 So how is how do you coach like our employees to use it to build teams or stronger teams, like use it within their team? 01:00:07.920 --> 01:00:23.039 So there is you can build team matrixes uh within uh the Clifton program, uh, and it'll help kind of see where you know if if I'm if I struggle with strategic thinking, well, Brad's good with strategic thinking. 01:00:23.119 --> 01:00:28.239 And maybe Brad isn't as great with like winning people over, but I can I can do that for him. 01:00:28.559 --> 01:00:44.400 If there's a project that requires uh strategic thinking and also I need to communicate it out to the public, well, maybe like we'll be a good team, we put our we put our heads together, and you know, we can, you know, as a leader, I can say, well, those two guys put them on that project and and do it. 01:00:45.920 --> 01:00:48.719 Yeah, yeah, that's 100% correct right there. 01:00:48.960 --> 01:00:49.519 Yeah. 01:00:49.760 --> 01:00:55.360 Uh and I'd say the team, the team portion of it is great. 01:00:55.679 --> 01:01:11.280 The developmental portion of it is great, you know, because you can take somebody who you know has a lot of potential, uh, and you want to kick them out to that next level and and have them take the assessment, leverage a coach, uh, or you're that coach for them. 01:01:11.440 --> 01:01:16.639 Uh,

and uh you can it just makes you more or helps them be more self-aware. 01:01:16.719 --> 01:01:21.119 It helps you become more aware of what your employee strengths are. 01:01:21.440 --> 01:01:30.559 But I think the overall the the most important thing about any of these assessments uh is is that you figure out who you are. 01:01:31.119 --> 01:01:31.440 Right. 01:01:31.599 --> 01:01:34.639 That's the that's the the moneymaker for all of it. 01:01:34.800 --> 01:01:36.320 That's where really it's at, right? 01:01:36.400 --> 01:01:37.360 Yeah, yeah. 01:01:37.679 --> 01:01:45.599 Have we seen instances where somebody's working in a role where it's drastically different from their strengths profile? 01:01:47.440 --> 01:01:49.679 Maybe not a great fit for it. 01:01:50.559 --> 01:01:54.800 I haven't uh come across that yet, but I'm sure it's out there. 01:01:55.119 --> 01:01:55.599 Oh, yeah. 01:01:56.559 --> 01:01:58.000 I would imagine it's gotta be. 01:01:59.199 --> 01:02:05.519 The other thing I was gonna add on is um we've done strengths for like team building activities. 01:02:05.679 --> 01:02:05.840 Yeah. 01:02:06.000 --> 01:02:15.360 And it is eye-opening for like our accounting group, they or the HR group, and they all see where their strengths are. 01:02:15.519 --> 01:02:20.400 And now you understand, you know, your top five are basically how you who you are. 01:02:21.199 --> 01:02:32.480 And you you see somebody as deliberative in their top five, that means it's gonna take them a little bit to make a decision, and you're like, why isn't John giving that damn decision yet? 01:02:32.800 --> 01:02:34.960 Oh, wait a minute, he's got deliberative there, right? 01:02:35.119 --> 01:02:40.559 So he's gonna he's gonna look at the data, he's gonna analyze it, and he's gonna question himself. 01:02:40.719 --> 01:02:42.159 Am I making the right decision? 01:02:42.559 --> 01:02:58.960 So I think any person or leader could have any a combination of strengths, but they just need to offset their weaknesses with someone else on their team that has has a has a strength that complements them. 01:02:59.119 --> 01:02:59.440 Yep. 01:02:59.599 --> 01:02:59.840 Yeah. 01:03:00.000 --> 01:03:05.760 I think that you can be in a in a leadership role with any one of these. 01:03:05.920 --> 01:03:06.719 What are the four? 01:03:07.119 --> 01:03:13.039 Strategic thinking, relationship building, relationship building, influencing, executing. 01:03:14.079 --> 01:03:19.920 So you could have you could have any one of those in any role as long as you had the right people around you. 01:03:20.320 --> 01:03:20.559 Right. 01:03:21.280 --> 01:03:21.679 Yeah. 01:03:24.320 --> 01:03:29.199 What's um all right, so I wanted to ask a few questions about Clifton strengths. 01:03:29.280 --> 01:03:33.440 What's like the number one myth about Clifton Strengths? 01:03:37.760 --> 01:03:39.119 You can't cheat it. 01:03:39.440 --> 01:03:40.079 Oh yeah. 01:03:40.400 --> 01:03:45.440 People try to

cheat the test all the time and make it think it's gonna do one thing. 01:03:46.480 --> 01:03:53.599 And like I said, it only needs 80 of the 180 questions to get nailed it, nail you down, right? 01:03:54.000 --> 01:03:59.039 That goes back to you saying you've taken it multiple times and your top ten's basically the same. 01:03:59.199 --> 01:04:02.239 It's just maybe reorganized based on what you're doing. 01:04:02.559 --> 01:04:03.039 I have to. 01:04:03.119 --> 01:04:07.920 I've taken it more than once, and the top ten were pretty similar. 01:04:08.159 --> 01:04:08.480 Really? 01:04:08.639 --> 01:04:09.119 Oh yeah. 01:04:09.920 --> 01:04:13.280 I think maybe even it's you know. 01:04:16.159 --> 01:04:16.480 No. 01:04:17.280 --> 01:04:18.800 It's never mind. 01:04:18.880 --> 01:04:20.559 It's decided to point. 01:04:22.800 --> 01:04:24.000 I like that. 01:04:25.039 --> 01:04:29.679 What's uh what strength is misunderstood the most? 01:04:30.480 --> 01:04:32.320 I think that depends upon the person, right? 01:04:32.400 --> 01:04:38.960 Like for me, I was trying to figure out why it was harmony in my top five, right? 01:04:39.039 --> 01:04:43.039 And I was like, man, why why? 01:04:43.199 --> 01:04:46.159 Because whether you you hate people, I don't hate people. 01:04:47.519 --> 01:04:48.239 That sounds weak to you. 01:04:48.400 --> 01:04:49.119 Yeah, it sounds weak. 01:04:49.920 --> 01:04:50.320 Exactly. 01:04:50.960 --> 01:04:53.440 Empathy is 33 out of 34, right? 01:04:53.519 --> 01:04:57.519 And so I'm a Gen Xer, rip some dirt on it, you're fine, move on, right? 01:04:57.679 --> 01:04:59.360 But um, I got harmony. 01:04:59.440 --> 01:05:06.719 Well, I I do like people to want to collaborate together and as a team and move forward, right? 01:05:06.960 --> 01:05:07.599 Oh, yeah. 01:05:08.159 --> 01:05:09.920 But I don't like to dwell on it. 01:05:10.000 --> 01:05:13.599 And one of my favorite sayings is like, don't be don't be the dead horse, right? 01:05:14.000 --> 01:05:16.559 Okay, you said what you had said, this is what we're gonna do. 01:05:16.719 --> 01:05:17.840 Let's go, let's go. 01:05:18.000 --> 01:05:24.559 That's where my other two strikes like to kick in responsibility achiever kick harmony right in the rear end. 01:05:24.639 --> 01:05:36.239 So yeah, I think harmony and yeah, the the empathy one, that's really misunderstood, especially uh within our industry, especially you know, uh amongst men. 01:05:36.559 --> 01:05:41.360 Uh, and just because like we score low on the empathy one doesn't mean you don't have empathy. 01:05:41.440 --> 01:05:43.920 I think that's like that that myth there, right? 01:05:44.079 --> 01:05:49.920 You know, this you know, even you know a lot of it is what you learn. 01:05:50.079 --> 01:06:03.039 You know, this I'd say there that there are certain points in your life where you are going to where that are going to affect you, especially if When you're young, you know, maybe you're in college. 01:06:03.519 --> 01:06:12.079 Uh, and you know, if I just use my own example, like being in the military and enlist and being in the military military since I was 21, right? 01:06:12.480 --> 01:06:19.760 You know, those formative years there, that really impacted uh my my strengths, right? 01:06:19.840 --> 01:06:24.639 Because that's how I learned a certain skill, I learned certain values at that point in time. 01:06:24.800 --> 01:06:29.679 Uh like it's these aren't things we're I don't think we're ever really born with. 01:06:29.840 --> 01:06:39.840 These are things that we learn, and there's things that will happen throughout our lives that will change, not drastically, but it will change uh the way some of these things sit. 01:06:40.559 --> 01:06:40.880 Right. 01:06:41.039 --> 01:06:45.360 And yeah, the empathy is definitely one of those that's misunderstood. 01:06:45.440 --> 01:06:55.039 Uh the harmony uh as well, and just how these things you manifest in our lives uh is you know misunderstood as well. 01:06:56.719 --> 01:07:03.360 What are habits that people can put in place to maximize their use of their strengths? 01:07:06.239 --> 01:07:13.199 Uh I think uh we the HR team has it listed in their signature line on their emails. 01:07:13.519 --> 01:07:23.440 And I think if you have it your strengths right there in front of you every day, uh helps other people understand and also generates conversation. 01:07:23.519 --> 01:07:28.480 Someone might ask, hey, what's what what are these words right here mean? 01:07:28.639 --> 01:07:29.039 Relating. 01:07:29.360 --> 01:07:33.280 So I I've got it right there on my uh iPad case. 01:07:33.440 --> 01:07:39.039 You know, I've got my five strengths right there, and I see a lot of people kind of like look over, what's that? 01:07:40.079 --> 01:07:41.440 But it just keeps it flowing. 01:07:42.880 --> 01:07:44.480 Yeah, yeah, I keep on looking at harmony. 01:07:46.800 --> 01:07:47.440 Yeah. 01:07:47.760 --> 01:07:48.320 That's it. 01:07:48.400 --> 01:08:10.480 You know, I I do the same thing when I'm coaching, and you know, I don't need to I don't expect when you know 90 days later when I go back to somebody for a coaching session that they remember exactly the definitions of all of their of of what their strengths are or what strength complements this strength, you know. 01:08:10.880 --> 01:08:14.960 Uh I just say, hey, like have you put your strengths somewhere where you see them every day? 01:08:15.760 --> 01:08:16.079 Right. 01:08:16.239 --> 01:08:16.720 Mm-hmm. 01:08:17.039 --> 01:08:24.800 The cool thing is uh Gallup has a a um app and in the app is an AI AI tool. 01:08:25.119 --> 01:08:36.000 And you can ask the like, I'm and I was like, hey, I'm lacking better terms, I'm gonna say, hey chat, I'm getting ready to give this talk on this topic. 01:08:36.239 --> 01:08:41.039 What strengths can I utilize the leverage right now to help me get through this? 01:08:41.359 --> 01:08:43.199 And it would come

up with a little plan for you. 01:08:43.359 --> 01:08:43.920 Boom. 01:08:44.399 --> 01:08:47.359 Use your these certain your top five strengths. 01:08:47.520 --> 01:08:49.119 Here's why, and this is what you need to do. 01:08:50.399 --> 01:08:53.199 Mine would say get someone else to do it for you. 01:08:54.159 --> 01:08:55.119 A presentation. 01:08:55.359 --> 01:08:55.760 Yeah. 01:08:56.079 --> 01:08:56.720 Yeah. 01:08:57.039 --> 01:08:58.319 No, that's that's pretty good. 01:08:58.399 --> 01:08:58.720 I got you. 01:08:59.039 --> 01:09:00.319 I actually signed up for the emails. 01:09:00.560 --> 01:09:01.119 Oh, did you? 01:09:01.199 --> 01:09:01.439 Yeah. 01:09:01.680 --> 01:09:02.000 Good. 01:09:02.159 --> 01:09:07.920 So every every so often, maybe once a week, Gallup will send you an email on Oh, really? 01:09:08.319 --> 01:09:08.720 A tip. 01:09:10.000 --> 01:09:10.479 Yep. 01:09:10.720 --> 01:09:11.359 That's cool. 01:09:11.760 --> 01:09:14.399 Yeah, they got some really cool coaching sessions in there. 01:09:14.880 --> 01:09:21.920 And as well as our uh Kool Us online training platforms have some really cool trainings in there as well. 01:09:22.159 --> 01:09:24.479 So Okay, nice. 01:09:25.600 --> 01:09:29.439 Um yeah, any any last thoughts on Clifton Strengths? 01:09:29.600 --> 01:09:32.000 You feel like that's a good representation of it? 01:09:32.319 --> 01:09:49.920 Yeah, you know, I I was listening to, you know, a podcast recently, and it was there was a consultant talk, leadership consultant that was being interviewed, and you know, he uses Clifton strengths in his business. 01:09:50.079 --> 01:09:55.359 And so this isn't an original thought, you know, but he told the story about Michael Jordan. 01:09:55.840 --> 01:10:02.479 Uh now, you know, when you think about Michael Jordan, you guys are a little younger than me, but you guys all remember his career, right? 01:10:03.279 --> 01:10:11.600 Uh, so at a certain point in his career, Michael Jordan decided he didn't want to play basketball anymore and he wanted to play baseball, right? 01:10:11.760 --> 01:10:15.680 And he was uh, you know, a good baseball player. 01:10:16.079 --> 01:10:19.520 He was for a minor league uh team, right? 01:10:20.000 --> 01:10:25.600 Uh, but that's the best way you can kind of visualize like leveraging your strengths, right? 01:10:25.680 --> 01:10:30.159 You're either going to be when he focuses on his strengths, he is the greatest ever. 01:10:30.399 --> 01:10:30.960 Mm-hmm. 01:10:31.680 --> 01:10:38.800 When he focuses on trying to leverage those things that are not his strengths, right? 01:10:39.279 --> 01:10:41.199 Uh he's a good minor league. 01:10:41.359 --> 01:10:43.199 He's good, he's decent. 01:10:44.880 --> 01:10:57.039 So I think that's like the best example of leveraging your strength set that I can that I can think of and I have a visual of because I have I can see the Michael Jordan jumping up and with the the with the dunk. 01:10:57.119 --> 01:10:58.399 Everybody knows that, right? 01:10:58.640 --> 01:11:03.840 And then I still have the visual of when I was a kid and seeing Michael Jordan as the White Sox, right? 01:11:04.079 --> 01:11:05.520 And yeah, playing baseball. 01:11:05.760 --> 01:11:07.840 And it's like, uh, it's strange. 01:11:08.319 --> 01:11:09.680 Yeah, super strange. 01:11:09.760 --> 01:11:10.399 Yeah. 01:11:11.760 --> 01:11:12.479 That's funny. 01:11:12.640 --> 01:11:15.199 That's a good example, though, for sure. 01:11:15.760 --> 01:11:21.359 Um, all right, so for the podcast, the last guest leaves a question for the next guest. 01:11:21.600 --> 01:11:27.279 So the question left for you is if you were king for a day, what would you change? 01:11:28.239 --> 01:11:30.720 In the world or in this room? 01:11:32.239 --> 01:11:34.880 Yeah, in this room, just the four of us. 01:11:36.720 --> 01:11:40.640 Uh I think he meant it within Reeves. 01:11:40.800 --> 01:11:41.359 Within Reeves? 01:11:41.600 --> 01:11:42.479 Probably at work. 01:11:42.720 --> 01:11:43.439 Yeah, at work. 01:11:43.840 --> 01:11:46.640 Uh that's a tough one. 01:11:46.800 --> 01:11:49.760 Who was the last the last guest didn't work for the company, did he? 01:11:50.159 --> 01:11:50.720 Or Shay. 01:11:51.039 --> 01:11:51.199 Mr. 01:11:51.279 --> 01:11:51.520 Quig. 01:11:51.760 --> 01:11:52.239 Oh, wasn't it? 01:11:53.039 --> 01:11:53.600 That's Quig. 01:11:54.560 --> 01:11:56.079 He actually said if you were a monarch. 01:11:56.319 --> 01:11:57.359 It was cue ball. 01:11:57.600 --> 01:11:58.000 Yeah. 01:11:58.319 --> 01:11:58.960 Yeah. 01:11:59.920 --> 01:12:03.119 Uh if I could, if I was king, I could change one thing. 01:12:03.359 --> 01:12:04.079 Mm-hmm. 01:12:06.159 --> 01:12:09.279 Uh easy now. 01:12:09.520 --> 01:12:10.239 Yeah, you can. 01:12:11.039 --> 01:12:13.600 I'm trying to like think of something realistic. 01:12:13.760 --> 01:12:20.560 Uh, but my world is so much different than your world at the operating level, right? 01:12:21.039 --> 01:12:30.319 Uh, so things that I think should change are kind of I think kind of insignificant to what the real world operations are for you guys. 01:12:30.479 --> 01:12:57.039 But if I could change one thing, uh, I would want to, I wish right now we had a a good team that could focus on, and I know we're we're working towards it, but I wish we had right now uh trainers that could go down there and were unified and organized uh and could go and train our uh onboard, our uh our laborers and and operators, and we had that available to us right now. 01:12:57.359 --> 01:13:00.960 There are other companies out there that have that type of function. 01:13:01.199 --> 01:13:09.039 It costs a lot of money, uh, but they have they have the team to do it, they have the equipment to do it, they have the facilities to do it. 01:13:09.279 --> 01:13:26.239 I mean, I went to uh a session out in uh Oregon with an with a construction company, they have a gigantic dome out there that they train their laborers in, you know, and that's how they like you're not getting on the piece of equipment until you pass their certifications. 01:13:26.319 --> 01:13:34.960 It's they go from simulator, uh, they go from classroom to simulator to piece of equipment in this controlled environment dome. 01:13:35.119 --> 01:13:39.359 Like if I could change one thing, like that would be something that we have like that's a good answer. 01:13:39.600 --> 01:13:47.439 Because like I do really wish that we had that we're showing love, more love to to those guys at the labor and operator level. 01:13:48.000 --> 01:13:49.439 Sorry, that will cost you guys money. 01:13:49.680 --> 01:13:52.560 Yeah, so I mean, like it's a fantasy land for me. 01:13:52.720 --> 01:13:57.199 Yeah, well, uh, but it doesn't seem like it should be that unrealistic. 01:13:57.359 --> 01:13:58.880 You know, we can get there, we're gonna get there. 01:13:59.039 --> 01:14:00.000 Yeah, we're getting there. 01:14:00.159 --> 01:14:02.960 I think in the next year or so you'll we'll see more of that. 01:14:03.359 --> 01:14:04.239 Yeah, it's great. 01:14:04.399 --> 01:14:06.319 Yeah, you got the right person in that seat. 01:14:06.399 --> 01:14:07.039 Yep. 01:14:07.439 --> 01:14:08.000 It's great. 01:14:08.239 --> 01:14:09.680 I got the job description written. 01:14:09.760 --> 01:14:10.720 We're heading there. 01:14:10.800 --> 01:14:12.479 So perfect. 01:14:12.640 --> 01:14:13.439 Good answer. 01:14:13.600 --> 01:14:15.279 Well, this has been a long time in the making. 01:14:15.520 --> 01:14:18.079 I'm glad we can finally make it work to get you on. 01:14:18.319 --> 01:14:19.600 So thanks for joining. 01:14:19.760 --> 01:14:22.319 Thanks for your service to the country. 01:14:22.640 --> 01:14:26.560 Well, I'd say thank you uh to both of you for doing this. 01:14:26.720 --> 01:14:31.199 Uh, and then, you know, we just closed out the intern program today. 01:14:31.359 --> 01:14:36.479 Uh, and what I really appreciate about Reeves is that you know, we have the leaders that take their time. 01:14:36.640 --> 01:14:47.119 We had uh all of the available uh VPs, the division level uh leaders, directors here supporting the learning and development program. 01:14:47.199 --> 01:14:54.079 And you guys take all your time, you any time that you can, uh especially for the the major events to make sure that you're there. 01:14:54.239 --> 01:14:55.680 So thank you too. 01:14:55.920 --> 01:14:57.119 Absolutely. 01:14:59.840 --> 01:15:18.000 If y'all enjoyed the episode, please rate our show and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, and check out Delta on all social media platforms at Delta Companies and our website at Delta COS looks like deltacos dot com. 01:15:18.319 --> 01:15:20.960 Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next week.