It's Time to Tell Your Story!
Storytelling—The solution to our workforce woes?
I've spent two days thinking about what to write for this week's newsletter.
Why not skip a week?
Because this violates my one storytelling rule…
CONSISTENCY
When I say it, people are disappointed. They're seeking a magical formula for all the benefits without the potential embarrassment, liability, and discomfort of putting themselves out there.
Six years ago, I promised myself to tell a story online daily. It was the only way to overcome my fears.
My first work task every day is to draft a story for social. I never plan what I'm going to say in advance. But because I HAVE to do it, I always find something. After years of practice, my brain's wired to seek out great stories and tell them in new and (sometimes) thrilling ways.
What does this have to do with you?
If you're reading this, you have some involvement in the infrastructure or mining industries (the Dirt World). If not, I'm flattered but confused about why you spend time with a jabroni like me?
Workforce development… Of course it was going here.
The construction industry needs 500,000+ workers THIS YEAR to meet demand. And with 30%+ of the workforce speeding toward retirement, we're at the beginning of our workforce woes.
The good news? We can make lemonade with all these workforce lemons. There's an ENORMOUS opportunity on the other side of the storm, but we must all act in unison to make it happen. Enter storytelling...
The Importance of Storytelling
I can list things we can do to attract the next generation—visiting schools, offering more flexible hours, training opportunities, etc.
But our solution starts well before tactics.
It starts with storytelling.
Until now, the Dirt World's handed its story to others. The result? It's not a rosy picture!
- You'll become a construction worker if you don't work hard in school.
- Roadwork is nothing but a pain in my ass.
- Mining is ruining the planet.
Others have picked up the ball and run with it as we've ignored storytelling. They've painted wildly inaccurate pictures that hurt our industry and insult anyone doing the work every day.
Many people write to me saying, "Thank you for finally telling our story."
We're doing our best, but BuildWitt has a 0% chance of growing the Dirt World into the next generations without your help—without YOUR STORY.
How can you tell your story?
Start somewhere… Anywhere! No matter what you do, be consistent!
If you lead a company, maybe it's making social media and storytelling a business priority.
As an individual, maybe it's a commitment like my friend Jason Richmond made to himself in February to post on LinkedIn daily for a month.
Or it could be as simple as clearly explaining what you do and why it's vital to your family and friends.
We would love to hear how you got into the trades, and what you think our industry should do to attract the next generation of talent.
You can send images, video, or text—it won’t take long. Just click here and tell us a little bit about yourself. We can’t wait to hear from you!
The Time is NOW
The workforce challenge we face is our biggest opportunity in decades. But to seize it, we all must do our part, which doesn't only mean hard work, but also doing things differently.
Storytelling isn't the magic bullet, but imagine the impact of millions of people telling stories daily about how impactful the Dirt World is.
We can't afford to hide under our rocks anymore. The risk of remaining on the sidelines is FAR GREATER than any downside to putting yourself out there. As our workforce dwindles, we must take back our story.
If you're still unsure where to start personally or with your business regarding storytelling, write me at aaron@buildwitt.com. I promise I won't sell you anything... The more stories told, the better we all are!
Dirt Talk Podcast
In this week’s Dirt Talk, Jason Schroeder shares his experience implementing Lean practices in the construction industry, promoting transparency, and driving change towards a more respectful and employee-friendly environment. Tune in to hear his insights and advice for the Dirt World.
Vlog
Our trip to Maui, Hawaii, didn't include visits to beaches or resorts... but we did get to see Alpha Inc as they built out some impressive residential subdivisions!
We saw everything from grading and retaining walls to precise underground electrical vaults and concrete work. Plus, you'll see how Alpha utilizes precast concrete blocks to create intricate terraces, manage efficient material use with innovative machinery, and construct perfect sidewalks, curbs, and gutters all at once using advanced GPS technology.
We also went to a local landfill where Alpha Inc. manages materials in an environmentally-conscious way and to a wastewater treatment site that keeps the island running smoothly.
I’ll see you next week!
