The Competitive Contractor

Episode 30: Webinar - Addressing culture related tension in the construction industry | The Competitive Contractor Podcast

We bring you the recording of a webinar that discusses a topic that is at the centre of many conversations and an area many industry professionals voted for industry leaders and executives to address first. This is the recording of the second online event in the "Transforming Australia's construction industry - a group up approach" series. The panel consists of leaders who have walked the talk. They have initiated the change in their organisations, taking a ground-up approach. We also have panellists whose work have shaped how the industry approaches the culture topic. Panel Chair: Matthew Mackey Panel Guests: Alison Miram (CEO, Roberts Co) Marc Kenney (CEO, Mettle) Kevin Porter (Anthropologist, Industry Observer) Closing remarks: Jon Davies (CEO, Australian Constructors Association) The Transforming Australia's Construction Industry - a ground-up approach series and the Competitive Contractor podcast is brought to you by Shivendra & Co - www.shivendra.com.

Episode 29: Cameron Coleman - Smart and steady wins | The Competitive Contractor Podcast

Episode 29 of the Competitive Contractor Podcast focuses on Smart and steady wins. It's an episode that shows what you and your organisation can achieve through steady effort over time. A very timely discussion as at times I feel the industry doesn’t value the impact of continuous improvement, transformation and investment in innovation. BAU activities get prioritised over long term initiatives and short term results get over resourced over visionary game-changing ideas. But have you imagined what today would look like for ideas imagined 13 years ago? What would a vision that was embedded as part of an organisation BAU and supported through yield for your organisation today? In this inspirational episode, Cameron Coleman, the CEO of Wagners tells us how the Wagners team began working on today’s opportunities 13 years ago. He shares how the vision of the Wagner family materialized and how they are continuing to improve it through automation and globalisation. You don't have to go to Silicon Valley and its surrounds and follow Elon Musk and Garrett Camp. We have them in our surrounds too. The Competitive Contractor Podcast is brought to you by Shivendra & Co. Find out how you can work with us to grow your business.

Episode 28: Dr. Shashank Shah - Decision making in crisis | Construction needs a WIN-WIN mindset

Recently there has been a lot of dialogue and discussion on industry culture. Some have raised the issue of trust, some raised the issue of shifting responsibility and blame while some have referenced the term succeed at all cost. I needed to explore this further. Why is this the case? Is profitability the main agenda in the industry, pushing off all other social responsibilities of businesses? And do businesses that value partnerships, relationships and have their horizons set on their legacy through their people, actually succeed? In my search for guidance, I reached out Dr. Shashank Shah, who is the author of the book “Win-Win Corporations”. In discussions, he mentioned his research on Larsen and Toubro, and other companies and how their approach has made them strong and successful corporations. I explore this further in this episode of The Competitive Contractor Podcast. Dr. Shashank Shah is an international researcher and stakeholder management strategist with 150+ national and international publications to his credit. He has been a visiting scholar at Harvard Business School and Copenhagen Business School; fellow and project director at Harvard University South Asia Institute; postdoctoral fellow at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning; editor-in-chief of Harvard University Postdoctoral Editors Association; and consulting editor with the Business India Group. A TEDx and Talks at Google speaker, he has addressed 150+ prominent platforms across academia, industry and civil society. He was a recipient of the President of India and Governor’s Gold Medals, and of the AIMS International Outstanding Doctoral Management Student Award. A national bestselling author, he has authored three books: 'Soulful Corporations', ‘Win-Win Corporations’ and 'The Tata Group'. He was listed among the 'Top 200 Most Influential Global Thought Leaders' to be followed in 2021 by peopleHum. The Competitive Contractor Podcast is brought to you by Shivendra & Co. Find out how you can work with us to become a competitive contractor.

Episode 27: Tannis Liviniuk - Introducing Technology in Construction Companies | The Competitive Contractor Podcast

Episode 27 of the Competitive Contractor Podcast discusses the introduction of technology in construction companies. Enabled by technology, the construction industry is edging closer to the meeting point of theory and practice. At the same time we are gliding rapidly from a place with limited technology tools to a ConTech marketplace with too many choices. The industry is becoming smarter and it will continue to do so – the time has come. Where do construction companies and contractors start from? What should they keep in mind? Do leaders of construction companies need to be tech-savvy? This is what I discuss with Tannis Liviniuk, CEO of Trillium Advisory Group. Having begun her career in the field, she spent over 10 years wearing out steel-toed boots while accumulating a wealth of hands-on experience in the intricacies of construction project delivery. Tannis is an active industry advancement advocate. She has been a guest lecturer at the University of Houston and for the Construction Industry Institute (CII) at the University of Texas at Austin. Tannis speaks at industry conferences globally on topics of industry innovation, Advanced Work Packaging, 4D/5D Planning, and advancing opportunities for women in construction. She has a Master’s degree in Business Administration and is certified in project management by Stanford University's Center for Professional Development. The Competitive Contractor Podcast is brought to you by Shivendra & Co.

Episode 26: Scott Fraser - Importance of working on the business | The Competitive Contractor Podcast

Episode 26 of the Competitive Contractor Podcast discusses why ‘working on the business’ is as important as working in it. Construction business owners have big dreams that begin with small steps, which at the start are big decisions and investments. As time progress, some make it big, and some don’t. What are the secrets of those who have made it big? What did they do early on and what are they doing now? Let’s hear from Scott Fraser, GM Construction of Brefni. Scott has spent 25 years in the construction industry and has ridden the timeline of shifts the industry has seen. Brefni is more than a business as I see it. As you would find out in this podcast, Brefni is about making the right choices, having high ambitions and about focusing on contribution to the industry and community. Scott also shares how Brefni made it to the big league - being recognised as the Top 10 innovative companies in Australia in the property, construction and transport sector. The Competitive Contractor Podcast is brought to you by Shivendra & Co.