FEATURED ON THIS EPISODE

INTERIOR DESIGNER’S GUIDE TO CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THE EPISODE:

HOW TO FIND AN ALLY ON EACH PROJECT

HOW TO START BUILDIGN RAPPORT WITH YOUR TEAM

HOW BUILDING RAPPORT STRENGTHENS YOUR SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE

---

It’s hard being the only girl on the jobsite. I know. I’ve been there. It can rock your confidence whether you’re new or seasoned.

But there is always someone rooting for you on a project site.

You are going to come into contact with the contractor, the glass shower door installer, the tile installer, plumber, electricians, flooring guy – there’s alot of guys you’ll come into contact with, and at least one of them will be rooting for you.

How?

They’ll greet you with a Hello, or respond to you in a positive way. You may not think that’s someone rooting for you, but it really is.

That means that there is an ability to establish an relationship with them on equal footing.

You know the difference when someone isn’t rooting for you. You know how it feels when someone doesn’t want you there. 

When they are willing to ask professional questions, ask you to explain something to them so they don’t screw it up. That’s called collaboration. That’s calling rooting for each other.

I like to take full advantage of this. Not in a negative way – I dive right it. I try to establish rapport. Whether that’s chit chat over the weekend about what they did, you need to find commonalities between yourself and the trades. 

These guys root for me because we have something in common – even if it’s football which is what I have in common with them.

If you don’t like the small talk, another way to connect is to ask them about what they’re doing. The thing about our industry is it is always changing. Maybe the plumber did it one way on another project and this plumbers doing it a different way. Ask about it. Let them know you’re interested.

Everybody has a first day of any job that they do.

We have a lot of first days because every project is different. 

The more repor you gather from your team members, that builds your skills so that every ‘new project’ is less scary.

Because you will apply to what you know, things will look familiar and you’ll have an understanding of where you’re going next and how to get there.

So the rapport you build with a team member, and if you’re lucky, multiple team members on a project, will not only improve your skills, ability and expertise going forward but it makes your days a little bit brighter.

And the best part is, if you really do establish that relationship, they will have your back. And where they’re rooting for you, it needs to be mirrored back that you’re rooting for them as well. 

Finding that someone who is rooting for you really isn’t that hard now that you know to look. And this does seem simple, but I promise you there are massive benefits to building these rapport.