About this class: The Five Secrets to Becoming A Profitable Contractor: You and others have successfully built a construction company, but you’re not making as much money as you think you should. You might be going broke and don’t even know it. Don’t be a part of the contractor’s dilemma. This session will share secrets to independence and start growing your company profitably. Sessions include financial basics, financial KPIs, comp rate basics, budgeting, and revenue recognition. 

Who should attend: This program is for office level employees who are moving into higher level roles, transitioning from working in the business to working on the business. This includes general managers, new or soon to be company owners, CEOs, CFOs, and COOs.

Instructor: Aaron Mills

Aaron Mills is the founder and CEO of Daaxit, Inc., a professional financial services company offering fraction CFO services to established contractors. Aaron’s 25 years of financial oversight for several $10-30 million contracting companies gives him a unique perspective into how to scale businesses through a framework he calls Financial Resource Optimization (FRO). His expertise has been nationally recognized for multiple awards, including Crain’s Chicago Business Fast 50, four-time INC’s 5000’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies, and Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) Top 600 Specialty Contractors. Aaron enhances profitability and improves employee revenue output for every contracting company he works with while helping owners discover financial freedom.

Location: ABC Professional Development Center, Madison

The fee is $235 per person

Program Overview
The project coordinator/assistant project manager position is extremely important to the construction process because he/she must understand the industry and their important role in the construction process. As an integral member of the construction team, the project coordinator must be organized, detail-oriented and able to handle project documents, including contracts, progress reports, and closeout documents. 

Who Should Attend
The program is ideal for individuals who work with project managers. It is good for anyone seeking to expand knowledge and skills in project coordination, especially for persons having a few months to a few years of experience in the position. 

All classes are 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
ABC of Wisconsin Professional Development Center
5330 Wall Street, Madison WI

Registration Fee
$1,500 for first registrant;
$1,200 for each additional registrant from the same company

1. March 16: Intro to Project Coordinator
2. March 23: Working with Construction Documents
3. March 30: Communication, Negotiation, & Time Management
4. April 6: Plan & Spec Reading
5. April 13: Construction Law/Breachless Execution
6. April 27: Project Delivery

About this class: This is a high-level overview of the construction industry and the coordinator’s role in the construction process, including the different types of contractors and subcontractors, project life cycle and an intro to plans and specs. It digs deep into project management necessary to deliver projects on time and on budget.

Who should attend: The program is ideal for individuals who work with project managers. It is good for anyone seeking to expand knowledge and skills in project coordination, especially for persons having a few months to a few years of experience in the position.

The fee is $299 per person

Note: This is course 1 of the 6-course Project Coordinator Program, but can be taken as a stand-alone course.

About this Class: This session covers the types of planning documents in construction, including proposals and permits. It covers the stages in the typical project and the importance of developing a proactive process of obtaining, processing, and maintaining these documents. It will break down documentation requirements for an entire project and covers the process of properly closing out a project. 

Who should attend: The program is ideal for individuals who work with project managers. It is good for anyone seeking to expand knowledge and skills in project coordination, especially for persons having a few months to a few years of experience in the position.

The fee is $299 per person

Note: This is course 2 of the 6-course Project Coordinator Program, but can be taken as a stand-alone course.

About this class: Participants learn about the communication model, the power of active listening and having successful meetings. It covers various communication channels and what is appropriate for each. It teaches participants how to negotiate with a purpose and the art of influence. It also covers the value of time and how time is critical for construction projects. 

Who should attend: The program is ideal for individuals who work with project managers. It is good for anyone seeking to expand knowledge and skills in project coordination, especially for persons having a few months to a few years of experience in the position.

The fee is $299 per person

Note: This is course 3 of the 6-course Project Coordinator Program, but can be taken as a stand-alone course.

About this class:  Participants learn the history of plans and common terminology and symbols and why using industry standards are important. Participants will also work through a set of construction plans and specifications, answering specific questions on worksheets. It covers Site Plans, Architectural Floor and Roof Plans, Structural Foundation and Framing Plans, Elevations, Building Sections and Detail Sheets.

Who should attend:  The program is ideal for individuals who work with project managers. It is good for anyone seeking to expand knowledge and skills in project coordination, especially for persons having a few months to a few years of experience in the position.

The fee is $299 per person

Note: This is course 4 of the 6-course Project Coordinator Program, but can be taken as a stand-alone course.

About this class:  In this session, participants are introduced to contract basics and relevant terminology in construction law. They learn about the concept of breachless contracts and how to avoid disputes. We review the common contract along with performance issues, default and termination. Participants also learn about progress billing and the payment process in construction. 

Who should attend:  The program is ideal for individuals who work with project managers. It is good for anyone seeking to expand knowledge and skills in project coordination, especially for persons having a few months to a few years of experience in the position.

The fee is $299 per person

Note: This is course 5 of the 6-course Project Coordinator Program but can be taken as a stand-alone course.

About the class:  Project Delivery examines project set-up through closeout, discovering why projects go wrong, the science of production, common reasons for cost overruns, controlling project budgets, and how to efficiently plan and maintain projects. Participants will get tips for successfully managing the change order process and dive into the concepts of scheduling, costs, and field management to ensure productivity improvement. Basic productivity analysis will be shared for improved project delivery. 

Who Should Attend:  The program is ideal for individuals who work with project managers. It is good for anyone seeking to expand knowledge and skills in project coordination, especially for persons having a few months to a few years of experience in the position.

The fee is $299 per person

Note: This is course 6 of the 6-course Project Coordinator Program, but can be taken as a stand-alone course.

This course is for those who are transitioning to a supervisory/managerial/leadership role in the construction industry. This course provides participants with knowledge they need to understand their new role and to start building their leadership skills.

Who should attend:  This introductory course has been designed for those with proven technical knowledge/skills who are new to or preparing for a role supervising or leading others. 

TOPICS COVERED:

1. Challenges for the New Foreman – Every new position has unique challenges, especially in the construction industry. There are several common issues new leaders must face, including preparing for a new position, building a culture of effective leadership, and the fundamentals of goal setting.

2. Crew Member to Crew Leader – The most effective supervisors are individuals who effectively and efficiently put work in place. Supervisory leadership requires a completely different set of skills and typically comes with new responsibilities. We will discuss how leaders get things done through members of their team.

3. The Working Foreman – What does a successful transition look like? Often the first step is to be a working foreman who still works with the tools or an assistant crew leader, with a small crew. We will discuss what the expectations are for this type of position and ways of progressively increasing the percentage of leadership duties.

4. The New Leader – What are the differences between management, supervision, and leadership? We will discuss the competencies required for all three of these aspects of a crew leader’s position. Also, what are typical construction costs? What can a field leader do to help control costs to meet projected budgets on a project?

The Construction Team focuses primarily on a team leader’s approach to construction leadership. 

Who should attend:  This program is for those who supervise others. This includes crew leaders, foremen, project supervisors, office managers, and construction executives. This leadership course, like the Construction Leader and Construction Foreman programs, covers new material with an emphasis on the team.

TOPICS COVERED 

1. Team Builder – Lessons on leadership often forget to address the need for leaders to build their teams. The initial segment in this series investigates how leaders can tap the unique talents of their people to build better teams. Participants will finish this segment knowing how to be a Team Builder.

2. Team Leader’s Playbook – Leaders need a set of useable skills to get the most from their teams. This segment discusses a number of these skills including problem solving, team decision making, working through conflicts, critical thinking, and communication. All topics are viewed through the lens of the Team Leader.

3. Train and Mentor – Leaders need to train team members and be mentors. Team members need mentors to grow in their careers. Coaching is a part of the mix. Train and Mentor discusses how all these elements of the team relationship need to work together for a winning team.

4. Your Winning Team – Team Leaders never stop learning and improving. The final segment in this series adds several tips on how to continuously improve as a Team Leader. Participants will wrap up their journey in becoming a better team leader by learning valuable lessons in how to get the most from their team, now and in the future.

Great craftspeople can become great crew leaders, foremen, and supervisors, with proper support, guidance, and educational opportunities. The Construction Foreman series provides participants with the knowledge they need to build their supervisory skills. 

Who should attend:  This program is for those with little or no formal supervisory training who supervise others in some capacity. This includes new crew leaders, foreman, and supervisors with anywhere from a few months to a few years’ experience. Company owners, project managers, and experienced supervisors may benefit from this session as well.

TOPICS COVERED 

1. Transition to Foreman – New and existing leaders will discover useful leadership keys and supervisory skills. Find your own leadership style and learn how to use it successfully.

2. Communication for the New Leader – Communication skills are essential for every good leader. Understand the significant communication elements needed to be a highly-effective communicator.

3. Delegation – Find the reasons why good leaders need to also be good delegators. Acquire the skills and knowledge leaders need in delegating tasks to their people.

4. The Foreman Your Crew Wants to Follow – Everyone wants to be on the winning team. Learn what respected leaders do to motivate and build enthusiasm in their teams.

Becoming a great leader will result in better performance for the entire team.  In this five-module program, participants will learn the leadership skills they need to become top performers.

Who should attend:  This is a construction industry leadership program for those who are responsible for supervising others, including crew leaders, foremen, supervisors, project managers and company leaders. Company owners are encouraged to attend. 

TOPICS COVERED 

1. Construction Leader Qualities – What is Leadership? This module focuses on leadership rather than management of construction work groups. 

2. Construction Leaders – Construction leaders are liaisons between their teams and upper management. This module looks at the role of leaders and the six actions they can take to produce superior results.

3. Leadership is Hard – Experienced leaders understand the power of conflict and motivation. This module will look at motivation, demotivation and how to promote employee accountability.

4. The Great Leader – The great leader isolates and identifies the root problems of poor performance. This module also looks at the power of praise to increase team enthusiasm.

Critical Skills® is the important soft skills for key team members who work closely with supervisors and leaders by providing top field personnel with pre-leadership training. This course is jam packed with immediately actionable and relevant content. Critical Skills generates meaningful discussions between supervisors and their crew members, putting everyone on the same page.

Who should attend:  This innovative program is for key field-level employees, supervisors, and employers. Company leaders are welcome to attend to reinforce program concepts.

TOPICS COVERED 

1. Construction Communication Part 1 – What is the Communication Model and what could possibly go wrong? We will focus on the communication cycle between a sender and receiver. We then look at how to overcome communication barriers and discusses the power of active listening.  

2. Construction Communication Part 2 – Communicating ethically and earning respect are at the very core of an effective construction crew. Part 2 outlines the behaviors of a high trust working environment. It also covers how gossip, rumors, and lies destroy trust. This module includes talking to supervisors, filling out essential paperwork, and reading to find information. 

3. Construction Teamwork – Successful construction crews have common characteristics. We will cover the difference between groups and teams. Highlighting team member styles and intergenerational/multicultural teams. We will also spotlights the importance of on-boarding new crew members, which results in peak performing teams.

4. Construction Professionalism & Productivity – No matter the trade, construction is a profession. This ties the traits of construction professionals in with productivity.