How Are Partnerships in Construction Being Redefined?

Speaker A: I need people who can have their head on a swivel and their feet on the ground. Right. So they're grounded in the outcome that we're searching for. They're grounded in our, uh, values. They're grounded in all of the compliance and governance and fund financial things that we have to do as businesses. But their head is here. They are seeing everything. Right. And that is, I think that is a superintendent. And that mindset needs to translate everywhere.

Speaker B: Welcome to the Power of Construction, recorded live at Groundbreak. I'm your host, Sasha Reed.

Speaker C: And I'm Chris Langiza.

Speaker B: And today we are very excited to have us. Join us on stage, Anita Nelson. Thank you for joining us today.

Speaker A: Thank you for having me. I'm happy to be here with you in Texas in person.

Speaker B: Yes. We actually met in person for the first time last night.

Speaker A: That's right.

Speaker B: We've known each other over zoom for at least a good five years.

Speaker A: That's right.

Speaker B: I think we've done like six or seven webinars or panels or something. Uh, but we've never actually met in person.

Speaker A: That's right.

Speaker B: Well, we're excited to have you here today. Um, you have a great new title you just recently started. Tell us a little bit about your role at Skanska and this new role that you're taking on.

Speaker A: Sure. So, um, I was Skanska's chief Strategy Officer until August of this year, since 2019. And that was all about looking to the future. Our data strategy, how we partner with our customers and like every good idea. When you have a really good idea, sometimes they, they make it your responsibility. And so most recently, I've taken on operational oversight over our two national, um, businesses. So our Skanska Advanced Technology Operating Unit, which services our semiconductor and data center customers across all of our local geographies, uh, for consistent experience and a lot of value. And also our Skanska Integrated Solutions Organization, which is our program management, project management and consulting arm. Again, a national P and L. So, um, it's called Regional Executive Officer, but I'm doing everything everywhere all at once, it seems.

Speaker B: This is why I was like, you know what, I'm just going to let Anita explain it because the title, your last title was like, she's boss, like Strategy Officer. And this new title is like, I know it's big, but it just sounds different than the other one.

Speaker A: I kind of like it. It's a little more quiet, a little more subtle. No, no, no. Less stressful, but it's good. No, definitely not less stressful. Not at all.

Speaker B: Well, we, we challenged Anita a little bit in having her here today because we wanted to have a conversation around the relationship between the general contractor and the owner. And from our side we are seeing some pretty major evolutions in what that relationship looks like. I mean, let's be honest, we've been talking about that relationship being evolved by technology for a very long time. But I think we're now really starting to see the relationship and the exchange between the owner and the general contractor really take shape. And the work that you've been doing is very much front and center in that. So we wanted to have a conversation from the general contractor's perspective as to what is evolving and what is taking shape and what is changing. And you mentioned in the intro a little bit about hyperscale, um, data centers and a lot of the work that you're doing, which is probably one of the fastest growing parts of the sectors of the industry. But we wanted to start talking of that shift going away from a transactional relationship into really a partner based approach. So what is it from your perspective you believe that owners expect from contractors today that maybe they weren't 10 years ago?

Speaker A: I think unprecedented pace requires unprecedented solutions. M so our customers don't want us to answer questions. They want us to solve problems and solve them potentially before you know, the customer even anticipates it. So for a contractor that means we're engaged earlier, hopefully we're engaged over the campus whether uh, it's a fab or a data center. So we've done it before and we know what to anticipate or when you've got a first of its kind product. We know where the trip ups might, might be. We build in capacity to iterate, but also go to customers with what we think might happen because sometimes they're figuring it out as they go as well. Right. Like we are all on the edge of so much technology and so much change that we're experiencing it together. And so again, I think it's a solutions oriented approach. That's not what we've done for many years, but I think that's where that partnership comes in. Right. We're not just sort of answering a contractual obligation. We're sitting with you understanding what's keeping you up at night and anticipating what's going to keep you up tomorrow night and solving for that.

Speaker C: And are you seeing that translate, uh, across different, you know, markets or project types or is it really dedicated to those high tech, high paced industries?

Speaker A: It's everywhere. I think our commercial customers, Skanska builds for itself. So we have a commercial development unit similar. They're looking for a partnership, um, healthcare, higher education in particular, with the challenges healthcare and higher education are facing. M. They want partners, they want solutions, they want strategy. Not just in the boardroom, but on the job site, in the trailer, iterating with them on how best to deliver the best outcome for their customers, whether it's a student, a patient, a data center customer. It's. It's everywhere.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker C: And if you were to, like, give some advice to an owner, like, how to have that conversation with their general contractor. Right. I'm sure there's a pitch that you give when you're kind of selling Skanska. Right. But, like, what. What should they be asking? Like, what should they be looking for, uh, in that conversation with their contractors and their partners?

Speaker A: I think it's a lot of transparency. So what we want to hear from customers is, you know, what. What's going on? Right. It's. It's less responding to your scope. Right. We can do that. We've all been doing that. We've been doing that for hundreds of years. Hundreds of years. Hundred years. But the. The true connection is when we're sitting, having a cup of coffee after an OAC meeting and we're iterating on what's next and helping you solve it when we're both at the whiteboard together. Right. So I would say both for, you know, my. My contracting peers and. And, you know, our customer base. It's about breaking down whatever that transactional. That's a great way to describe it. A transactional wall might have been M. And just having a transparent conversation. Right. I hate to say it, but leaning in and be a little vulnerable and saying, I'm a little nervous about this. Right. I'm under this pressure. Right. We have customers that are under pressure to accelerate delivery of a product. And so if they come to us and say, we. We don't know how this can be done, can you help us? We can say, we're not sure, but let's iterate. Let's get in a room. Let's try to solve this issue together.

Speaker B: Why do you think that hasn't been the norm? Why do you think it's always been very almost protective and we'll jump through the hoops. You put the hoops in front of us, we'll jump through them. That's been the attitude of how we chase work. Why do you think that's been the norm?

Speaker A: I think it's been the norm because it worked. Right. Um, there's this concept of success, uh, inertia. Right. So if it's working, why are we going to do anything different? But with the pace that's required right now, with the cost of labor, with the supply chain challenges, with the. Please, more electricians. Let's make more electricians. Uh, with all of those challenges, not to mention everything going on in the world.

Speaker B: Yes.

Speaker A: We don't have time for everyone to kind of, you know, send the email, wait for the invite, have the teams call, schedule the in person. Like we need to get it done. Yeah. So it's like there's no time for the wall. So the wall's gone in most cases, I think.

Speaker C: Mhm. So what you're saying is what we've always done might not be the way path forward.

Speaker A: That's right. What got us here might not get us there. Feel like you teed that up Nice.

Speaker B: Yeah, wise words. So let's shift this a little bit because I think we want to start talking about the outcomes. Um, this was ah, actually a bit a conversation Chris and I have been in a lot lately, which is we talk about, you know, measuring what are the KPIs, how, how are we measuring the progress we're making? What does performance look like? And we've always talked about like productivity as a thing of measurement, but really we should be thinking about the outcomes. Because if we look at what and clearly define and agree on the outcomes with their owner, that means that there's a way to redefine how that work is getting done to get to the outcome. So we're curious about, with your transition into this new role, how do you see those outcomes maybe aligning a little bit better with the owner, especially in your role in the relationship that you're building.

Speaker A: I think when you know you can measure outcomes by time quality, the performance of a building budget is always uh, a nice outcome, especially if it's under budget. We've shared savings. These are all excellent wins for all of us. But to me it's if we're under the gun, energizing a building and you're talking to me about the next building, then I'm saving you time because you're not having to go back out and you know, reiterate and reinvent the wheel on how to procure.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker A: And you know, my boss is pretty happy with me. Right. Everybody wins because we're all continuing. Right. And there's uh, a. The customer outcomes are being met on all fronts. Our customer, the customer's customer and beyond. So I think you Know, I would say our most successful projects are projects that happen again. Right. With that same customer. And if the trusted relationship is an excellent outcome. And again, you're making one call, maybe two, not 10.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Not a whole process, not 90 days and a lot of wasted time. And my pre construction team saying, okay, is this a, uh, you know, is this a cost check or is this real? Right. Like, it reduces uncertainty and we're in the certainty business. So again, I think most of these things tie back to certainty. But I like to think of it as, I know we've had a successful endeavor or successful project when there's another one, and when we don't get the next one or we don't get the call, then we have to go back and say, what can we do better for this customer? Or what broke down here?

Speaker C: And I think one of the things bringing the two topics together, that trust, that collaboration, and getting to those outcomes. One thing that I, uh, uh, have heard and love to hear your perspective on this is like, sometimes the outcome for the owner isn't necessarily to have it be cheaper. Right. But it's maybe for it to be faster. Right. And so what kind of questions are you asking your clients when you're going into that job, when they're having you price the next one, like, to help suss out, hey, what is the real outcome? We're trying to dive here. Are we focused on speed? Are we focused on quality? Are we focused on cost? I know everybody wants all three, but like, sometimes, like, one's more important to them than the other, especially in some of these markets.

Speaker A: Sometimes I think the best route is to say what matters most. Do you want this by December 31st? Do you want this to hit 250 million or less? Do you want this to be a beacon of, uh, you know, quality and housekeeping and all the things, or do you want all three? Right. And then my job is to make sure that we're saying what's possible within a reasonable. Yes, yes, but, but I think the cutting out, the kind of corporate speak of, of marketing and bd, I'm, what, six weeks out of having oversight over marketing and bd, and I'm like getting the fluff out of there and saying what matters to you. I'm doing my job. If I know what matters to you and I don't have to ask. Going back to my, my, my sales teams, they, they know what's up. But I think what's really important is again, having the wall down so I can look you in the eye. And say, you know what, what matters to you? What matters to your business, what matters to your success? Right. As an individual, too. Right. That always helps.

Speaker C: I mean, it's always nice to be able to look somebody straight in the eye and be like, okay, how do I make you look good?

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker C: Right. And to know that you have the relationship with them, to be able for them to be honest with you and not give you the, like, tap dance around answer, but be like, no, get me this thing by December 31st and we'll all look great.

Speaker A: And that comes from, uh, you know, a transparent relationship that comes from holding people accountable, being reliable. Like when we talk about our national customers and what we're trying to do in this vertical now, it's about being a reliable, agile, you know, accountable partner so that if you say, hey, I need you in this state in two months ready to stand this thing up. And by the way, it's a first of its kind. And you might have to do some, you know, crazy innovative, uh, structural challenge to me. Like, if it's wild.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: We might say, hey, listen, like, if you want this to be a rocket science endeavor, terrific. You're going to need to reevaluate your time frame.

Speaker B: Yep.

Speaker A: Right. But if you want this done right, let's get in a room, let's figure it out. Let's. Let's make sure that timeframe is achievable. Um, but because they know you're not gonna, uh, renege on that commitment.

Speaker B: I saw you searching for the word.

Speaker A: Yeah, I'm trying to. Yeah, I'm trying to.

Speaker B: I saw that.

Speaker A: Trying to be a class act up here. My New Jersey roots might shine through. But. But quite, quite frankly, you have to be able to be honest with people to do that. And when you've been reliable on a campus, or you've been reliable, uh, on a hospital, you know, for years and years, doing different editions, and when they're going to go do something new or something innovative, they're going to call you.

Speaker B: Yep.

Speaker A: Right. And then you can have that conversation. It's like, chris, how can I make you look good?

Speaker C: Uh, I don't know.

Speaker A: I mean, the bow tie does it.

Speaker C: Nobody's figured it out yet, but we're going to keep trying. I have a question, though. Like, when you're having those conversations with the owner and you're talking about building a rocket to the moon or whatever it might be, how often do you say no?

Speaker A: Often I'm accountable to a board and shareholders. Uh, so I have to be able to say no. Right. We can't do everything everywhere. There's a finite amount of resources, there's a finite amount of power, water, people, time, money. Well, I don't know about money. Lately it seems like we've seen that pretty easily.

Speaker C: Right.

Speaker A: In the tech sector, it's really. You guys, tell me where it's all coming from. But I. I truly believe that we have to be honest about what's possible. We get pushed. You know, I feel like I'm. I'm walking a. A tightrope sometimes between what our own companies expect of us to deliver. Right. Like, we're all. Unless your name's on the. The door.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: We're all, you know, beholden to a board of some kind. Right. Or boss of some kind.

Speaker B: Of.

Speaker A: And the best outcome is when I'm like, all right, how can I make you look good? Part of me making you look good is me being honest about, like, what's going to fail here.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker A: Right. Or if. Yeah. If you want to hire the contractor that's going to tell you. Yes. When nobody can do this. Have fun with your claims management. Here's how we're going to do it. Right. And typically that goes over pretty well. Unless they're truly, like, I need somebody to say, yes, I don't have an option. And that's not the part I should write.

Speaker C: I was going to say they're probably not the right. Right partner.

Speaker A: Like, sometimes the most important thing is knowing. You know, I've said this for years, knowing a room that you shouldn't be in. Right. Like, you're sitting at a table and you're like, this doesn't feel right. You've got to. You got to walk away. That is very hard to do when you're in a tough market like we are right now. But I, I stand by the. You know, we've. We've seen the kind of. The pitfalls of doing that.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: The. Yes. The yes and way.

Speaker B: Yes.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: Yeah. Um, I don't think we can continue doing that. I just don't think the market can bear it, especially with, uh, increased risk. I just don't think we can. So what you're talking about, that relationship, the trust with the owner. It seems like in order for Skanska to show up consistently and to be able to make that guarantee, there needs to be operational shifts within the business. So you talk a lot about the scenario planning that you all do, trying to anticipate some of the market changes that are going to exist or persist, aligning all of those markets to it, um, defining clear trigger points and planned responses to if and when those potential shifts take place, like interest rates, new legislation, I mean this, this year, it's been very, uh, it's a good case in point of what we've been experiencing. And from the owner side, I think the goal is that their portfolio is very data rich, where they have the project information kind of advocating for itself. So what have you done or what is Skanska done internally to shift that operating model so that you can deliver on those guarantees? And how has your operating model changed or evolved, if at all?

Speaker A: I mean we are regionally divided business, not divided, but, you know, organized business. And we created this national pnl. And so a big part of that is I've got people in national roles now that have to collaborate with folks in Georgia and Texas and Ohio and Oregon and New York. Um, and that, I mean if you've worked at a construction company where you have different groups that are measured on different incentives and different performance standards, even if they're all this living the same values and connected on that, it's really tough. And so a big part of it is actually doubling down on operationalizing those values so we can get playbooks developed for a customer. We can make sure that our super in Atlanta and our super in Phoenix are singing the same song on how to manage the job, how to handle the logistics. Because in many cases we're building the same building m a different location. But what really brings people together is how we can connect sort of deeper. Right? This is a culture conversation. So internally a lot of it is aligning on those values. One of ours is care for life. And so safety, utmost importance. Again, unprecedented pace, unprecedented solutions. Safety is at the top of that list. So we've got a, uh, safety lead over these accounts that's looking everywhere and seeing what's happening and evolving our playbook to reflect. You know, hey, we're using different, uh, cored trees in Phoenix and that's actually helping us and saving us from slips and trips. We're going to make that happen everywhere. And we're doing that very quickly, right? We're connecting people, whether it's through digital channels or regular calls or just honestly I've been on sites in different places and said, hey, you talk to Joe over here and Jane over there, you're all solving the same problem. Get on a call or um, better yet, a couple of you get on a plane and go visit this job and see how they're doing it, right? And so everyone understanding that ultimately that's going to result in a happier customer because we're more consistent and they love that. But also a safer project, right? A safer portfolio of projects. And that's huge for us. Mhm. Um, and when I find that when you tie things to getting people home to their families, um, getting people home safely, living healthily, that's a key thing. But you could say the same about transparency, which is another one of our values. Similarly.

Speaker C: And when you talk about some of those safety instances, you talk about identifying the issues. Hey, we're seeing this across a couple different regions. Get on a plane, go see how they're fixing it over here. Are you taking advantage of, uh, the data, the technology that's helping you identify where those things are happening, or is it just by you being on job sites and seeing things? What are you doing to make sure that you can spread that knowledge across the regions, across different projects, across different divisions, if you will?

Speaker A: This is where the human integration with, with AI is so, so important. Um, we've launched a Safety Sidekick. That Safety Sidekick is based on 2,000 pages. That's right. Okay, 2,000 pages of vetted.

Speaker C: There's someone out there that knows there's,

Speaker A: there's probably a dozen people out there know, Team Skanska representing. But the, the, this is based on thousands of pages of, ah, vetted best practices from across our business. So at the very start, you can tap into that safety sidekick, right? Uh, Tony, who's our national lead for scans, ah, and advanced technology Safety. Tony's like my human sidekick. Right? So, hey, Tony, what are you seeing here? Right? And we make sure those best practices get into the sidekick because our unit's seeing that. But someone in New York on a totally separate project, you know, uh, for the Port Authority in New York, New Jersey, might look that up and see it and say, wait, this could apply here. This can help me there. Our clean room housekeeping, for example, applies in hospitals. It applies in life sciences, applies in data centers. So it's not. We don't want to isolate this expertise so we can leverage our AI to put it in people's hands. But when you have that human integration of people talking about it and pointing you in that direction, or me asking the question or pointing someone to. If we don't have a solution, check, check that Safety Sidekick. See what, see what comes up. Right? And I think that's where we can harness sort of the anecdotal human expertise and the institutional knowledge.

Speaker C: And how is, how's the adoption of that going? Like, how are people taking to Going to the Sidekick for safety. For safety, yeah.

Speaker A: Very, very good. I don't have the numbers and I would misquote them, but it's been our most successful tool launched from our data program.

Speaker C: And do you think that's because it's tied to worker well, being you're trying to protect somebody's life or do you think it's just, hey, it's just useful and easier than what we had to do before?

Speaker A: Yes, yes. But also safety is a highly, uh, structured reporting environment.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker A: And so in an ideal world, the next thing right now that Sidekick is helping you be more informed. Right. So it's AI informed sooner, soon, ish. It'll be AI assisted where it's not just going to give you some solutions. It's going to help you write the right report for what's happening or write the right structure for how you want to operate something on your job. Right. So it's going to help you move better, faster. So it's a combination of, you know, the, I would say holistic human interest in safety. It's expediting expertise in helping solve problems, but also it's going to make your job easier. So there's kind of a triple whammy, if you will.

Speaker C: And I love this example because you had a real world person and Tony, right. Who you said he's your human sidekick, but Tony's probably the one also that's feeding the AI all this information, Right. Making sure that as you discover new use cases, new ways to solve problems, new ways to, you know, avoid risks on the job site, those are getting fed into the sidekick so that those folks who are using it have a level of confidence that they know, hey, Tony's vetted this.

Speaker A: Yep.

Speaker C: It's been fed into this. It's my trust, Tony.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker C: Right. And so I know that the information I'm getting back is something that I can work from because we all know Tony and I assume everybody likes Tony, but you know, he's a good guy. Most. Yeah. So you know, like they're like willing to, to trust it and now you're building trust in that sidekick because there's a human that was behind it.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: Ah, it's interesting because I think it was maybe a year ago this time you and I were talking about what you all were doing with AI and at that time you told me, oh, we've started capturing the knowledge of some of our, um, retiring superintendents. And you know, I was in a board meeting and they were talking about AI, but they really had no concrete understanding of what that looked like. And, and so I said, hey, we're testing this. Just recording the knowledge of AI. So you've gone in one year from we're testing how to apply this to actually launching and leading with Sidekick, a product that allows you to do this. I want to transition the conversation, um, with the time that we have left to look at this from maybe a workforce standpoint. So when we look at digital transformations, um, this is, this is from the future state of construction report that Procore published back in April. But about 70% of digital transformations fail. And that number is consistent. It's not just construction, just so you all know, that is almost consistent with every industry. But if we look at what's happening on the job sites today, you have about five generations under one roof. I'm sure you guys have about. Yeah, about that. Um, you said that when you look at the work that you're doing and how you're working within the business is that there's a, the, this vertical needs people who thrive in ambiguity to some degree and are really in love with problem solving. Um, so when you think about that being what is required, is that something that is a net new requirement because of the next generation coming in? Is this something they're driving because they have certain non negotiables. What's kind of driving this? Being in love with the problem.

Speaker A: I think that in the field this is, you know, the bread and butter of the personalities that have always been, you know, driving work in the field. As you get into the project management ranks, um, there's a lot more process, tradition. We're going to do this, you know, differently and I think that's where success, inertia comes in. And you know, this is an industry where, hey, it's working. Where we've been doing it this way for 20 years.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Unless there's a, you know, a provocative need to evolve or someone tells me I have to do it. But even if you're told you have to do it, you kind of don't, you know. Yes. Let's be real. If you're working with the project executive, you know this, but. Right. Uh, but I think that what has shifted or what has sort of, I, uh, think lit a fire under this a bit is this pace. Right. Because some of those things, they don't, they won't work in this environment. And um, we've had people really kind of um, ask what is that the secret sauce there? Uh, and to me it's like I need people who can have their head on A swivel and their feet on the ground. Right. So they're grounded in the outcome that we're searching for. They're grounded in our values. They're grounded in all of the compliance and governance and fund financial things that we have to do as businesses. But their head is here. They are seeing everything. Right. And that is, I think that is a superintendent. And that mindset needs to translate everywhere, right?

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker A: For sure.

Speaker C: I love this because this might be the first time I've heard someone describe that the field, the superintendents are the ones that are more willing to change than maybe some of the project management and the backup house. And that's interesting to me because for me, my personal experience was they were some of the hardest to change. Right. Because they were really, really rooted in their ways and definitely had that success.

Speaker A: Still a thing. Still a thing. Culturally, culturally. But if they see a better solution to something and it's working, they're m all in. Right. But ah, this is not a tell me business, this is a show me business.

Speaker B: Yep.

Speaker A: So you can't tell someone in the field that a digital solution is better or this new way of working is better, or you know, you've got to communicate differently. Right. But when you show them it works. Right.

Speaker C: Love, uh, that.

Speaker B: So before we do the rapid fire questions, that's Chris's phase, I have one more question for you. If we look back from. Look, let's look into the future 2040. And if we look back from 2040, what do you think will seem obvious about the owner contractor relationship that today feels maybe a little bit radical.

Speaker A: We're on the same page, right? We're. I uh, you know, I say this too about that like contractor, architect relationship. Right. Everything because it's contract, you see. You know, you think about it as adversarial.

Speaker C: Mhm.

Speaker A: Right. But marriage is a contract. Right. So it's a partnership. It's something that we have the same goals in mind. Right. We want our communities to be better. We want, you know, I want shop off to open up more quickly. So I need that data. Right. I need information happening. Right. We all have our own interests, but the same outcome. Right. Better, faster, more efficient, safer, healthier. Right?

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: We're all good for the same thing.

Speaker C: Yeah. So it's all about us being truly aligned and not so adversarial. And we need to change our name and we shouldn't be called contractors anymore. I don't know.

Speaker B: Partners.

Speaker A: Partners we call. I don't like the term subcontractor. They're trade partners.

Speaker B: Yep.

Speaker A: Yeah, it's a partnership. We're all in this together. Yes. There's a contract because, you know, risk management, but uh, here we are.

Speaker B: Yep.

Speaker C: And do you think, you know, second kind of follow up question on the future is like, do you think some of the things that are happening with like the AI driven decision making and some of the work that you're doing with like sidekicks are like how far away before our teams are like fully enabled and fully, you know, kind of supported by those things? Is it five years, is it longer, is it shorter?

Speaker A: Right now we're fully informed. Not fully informed, but we're increasingly informed. I think the assistant level is uh, emerging. Right. So when like you're given prompts to point you in the right direction, the prompts are coming at you. You're not just, you're not the one thrown in the prompts and then that's emerging. That's mhm. 12 months. I mean you guys told us today, it's tomorrow.

Speaker B: Yep.

Speaker C: Right over there.

Speaker A: And then go to the Helix. Yeah. And then I think really it's a three to five year window on like that true agentic. You know, we're really. Things are happening in the background, right? Things are just going on so that we're, we're focused on what is most important. Right. And that's great, but we have to get everyone, uh, you have to bring everyone along, right? So whether it's your superintendent or whether it's your office leader, whether it's your owner, everybody's gotta be on board because we don't want to fall into 70% on some of these things. So everyone has to trust what's going on in the background. If we don't trust what's going on in the background 100%, that's a whole. That erodes those partnerships, that erodes performance. All the outcomes won't be there.

Speaker C: And that's why you need Tony.

Speaker A: Tony's my guy. Tony, he's gonna love that.

Speaker B: If only Tony.

Speaker C: I don't know who Tony is, but

Speaker A: I feel like he's a radio guy. You should have him.

Speaker C: He's got, he's got that voice. Oh, I love that. I love that. Well, for Tony, we need more Tonys, right? Because they need, they are the people that the field trusts. And when they build things and they put their name behind it, right? And they say, hey, I vetted this. Others will trust it because they trust that person. It's that, that human AI, human, uh, technology symbiosis that we need to see more of, uh, in our industry, for sure.

Speaker A: And electricians.

Speaker C: And electricians. Electricians.

Speaker A: Everyone's not on that.

Speaker C: 600, 000 I heard was the number that we need, so.

Speaker A: So really probably more than that, then.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker A: 1x1 and a conservative.

Speaker C: I'm going to try and convince my daughter to become an electrician. That's my new plan.

Speaker A: It's the way to go.

Speaker B: To me, that was my dream as

Speaker A: a little good business.

Speaker C: I love it. All right, should we get to the rapid fire questions?

Speaker A: Oh, boy.

Speaker C: All right, so these are for rapid fire. Real quick, short answers, couple words. Don't worry. There's no trick questions here.

Speaker A: Okay.

Speaker C: Do you have a favorite book, uh, that you recommend to people?

Speaker A: I am reading Strong Ground by Brene Brown. It's so good and so relevant to this moment.

Speaker C: Love that. Uh, what's your go to source for gaining maybe a different or more informed perspective?

Speaker A: The last person who openly disagreed with me.

Speaker C: Mmm.

Speaker B: Love that.

Speaker C: We're gonna let that sit there for one second. Whoever it was, everybody, not.

Speaker A: Not a specific individual. But today it might have been somebody. Yesterday, somebody else.

Speaker C: I mean, we had a few disagreements last night, so we're gonna keep going with this.

Speaker A: We'll talk about it tonight.

Speaker C: We'll talk about it. We'll hash it out. We'll build that trust.

Speaker A: Terrific.

Speaker C: If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Speaker A: Say yes. Get on the plane. Take the job.

Speaker C: Love it. What's one trend or innovation you think will shape the future of construction?

Speaker A: Vulnerability.

Speaker C: Ooh, that's a new one.

Speaker B: Oh, uh, it's so good, though. Thank you for saying it out loud.

Speaker C: All right, and if the construction industry had a tagline, what would it be?

Speaker A: To quote Elle woods from Legally Blonde. What? Like, it's hard. That's what I think. That's. I was thinking about this.

Speaker C: All right, I think we have to end on that. There's nothing else to say, uh, after that one.

Speaker B: Oh, Anita, thank you so much for sitting down with us. Thank you for coming to your first ground break. We're so glad you could join us.

Speaker C: Uh, uh, uh, thank you so much for being here.

Speaker A: Thank you guys.

Speaker B: Appreciate it so much. And thank you all for watching. And if anything you heard here today really resonated with you, please, like, subscribe, subscribe and share. And we'll keep bringing you the stories of leaders who are harnessing the power of construction.