Cartwright, founder of Olathe, Kansas-based management, business, and HR consulting firm The Company Culture Doctors, will be speaking at the Associated General Contractors, or AGC, of Alaska annual convention, scheduled for November 6 through 9 at the Hotel Captain Cook. He will demonstrate how to tap into attendees’ leadership and team-building strengths to achieve better results.

“If you want to move mountains, first you must move people. Then those people will move the mountains,” Cartwright says.

His focus goes deeper than improving workplace productivity: His motivation is to help create healthy workplaces where employees feel safe enough to let others on their team know when they’re struggling.

The construction industry is, by its nature, a dangerous industry to work in, he explains. The potential for injuries and even death is real. But on top of that, there’s a psychological risk inherent in the tough “get it done” mentality pervasive industry wide.

“Even though it’s the most dangerous industry, our people are five times more likely to die by suicide—five times. And they’re sixteen times more likely to die by drug overdose. That shows there is a real need to connect,” he says.

Connection, he says, is the key not just to relationships but to positive work outcomes, safer workplaces, job sites, and more.

“When we are all on the same page and we really have this camaraderie that’s a natural development—a natural result of that connection—then the best results always come,” he says. “When we try to focus on the results and leave the ‘people’ part of it out, that’s where the danger is.”

That “people” part is important, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdown and feelings of isolation changed what people perceive as important in some fundamental ways, Cartwright says. Worldwide, he says, family, community and financial security top the list of things people value. In the United States, belonging—that is, a feeling of being happy or comfortable as part of a particular group and having a good relationship with the other members of the group because they welcome you and accept you—became a top value.

Creating a space where employees feel like they belong, he says, is crucial, especially in regard to promoting employee wellness. Being tough enough to talk and strong enough to listen are important when it comes to mental wellbeing.

“[For an employee who feels they belong], if I am struggling in that area, then it’s OK for me to ask for help or to seek help. It’s not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. Normalizing that is a strong point for me,” Cartwright says. “That’s going to improve the industry across the board.”

Motivating a team boils down to building bonds

By Rindi White

Cartwright, founder of Olathe, Kansas-based management, business, and HR consulting firm The Company Culture Doctors, will be speaking at the Associated General Contractors, or AGC, of Alaska annual convention, scheduled for November 6 through 9 at the Hotel Captain Cook. He will demonstrate how to tap into attendees’ leadership and team-building strengths to achieve better results.

“If you want to move mountains, first you must move people. Then those people will move the mountains,” Cartwright says.

His focus goes deeper than improving workplace productivity: His motivation is to help create healthy workplaces where employees feel safe enough to let others on their team know when they’re struggling.

The construction industry is, by its nature, a dangerous industry to work in, he explains. The potential for injuries and even death is real. But on top of that, there’s a psychological risk inherent in the tough “get it done” mentality pervasive industry wide.

“Even though it’s the most dangerous industry, our people are five times more likely to die by suicide—five times. And they’re sixteen times more likely to die by drug overdose. That shows there is a real need to connect,” he says.

Connection, he says, is the key not just to relationships but to positive work outcomes, safer workplaces, job sites, and more.

“When we are all on the same page and we really have this camaraderie that’s a natural development—a natural result of that connection—then the best results always come,” he says. “When we try to focus on the results and leave the ‘people’ part of it out, that’s where the danger is.”

That “people” part is important, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdown and feelings of isolation changed what people perceive as important in some fundamental ways, Cartwright says. Worldwide, he says, family, community and financial security top the list of things people value. In the United States, belonging—that is, a feeling of being happy or comfortable as part of a particular group and having a good relationship with the other members of the group because they welcome you and accept you—became a top value.

Creating a space where employees feel like they belong, he says, is crucial, especially in regard to promoting employee wellness. Being tough enough to talk and strong enough to listen are important when it comes to mental wellbeing.

“[For an employee who feels they belong], if I am struggling in that area, then it’s OK for me to ask for help or to seek help. It’s not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. Normalizing that is a strong point for me,” Cartwright says. “That’s going to improve the industry across the board.”