Course Overview:  The Working with Construction Documents course covers documentation throughout the construction process. Participants will learn about the different types of documents encountered in the various stages of the construction process, from planning to closeout. Students will learn to read  documents and to place an importance on developing a proactive approach to obtaining, processing and maintaining these documents.

Who should attend: Construction documents rule the construction process from start to finish. This course is for those who are on the project management team and encounter documents, including project supervisors, project coordinators, assistant project managers and perhaps even new and future project managers. This program is also suitable for associate and supplier member employees who want to gain a better understanding of the industry. Note: This is a basic course and is not designed for experienced project managers. Working with Construction Documents is one of five courses in the Project Coordinator Program.

Format: ABC of Wisconsin uses the GoToWebinar format for online classes. Construction Documentation online series consists of 90-minute to 2-hour live online modules that provides participants with the knowledge they need to build their project coordination skills.  Once a person has registered and is approved, an automated invitation will be sent. Click on the link at the appropriate time and follow the prompts.

Workbooks: Before each module starts, a PDF of the workbook will be sent to download. The workbook is a tool participants can use as part of the program.  It includes exercises and activities that can be shared with employers and team members.

The fee is $189 per seat.

Online Schedule:

1. Documentation Stages – Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT/11:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT. Participants will understand how to read and work with various construction documents.  This session will review project stages and identify documents within each stage, starting with planning. Participants will learn methods of managing documents and how to work with others in the delivery and management teams to improvement document flow methods.

2. Planning Documents – Thursday, April 15, 2021, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT/11:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT. This module will review the CSI MasterFormat® outline. Participants will review different contract documents and will identify components of contract documents including SOW and cost breakdowns. Participants will also differentiate between general and special conditions.

3. Project Documents – Tuesday, April 20, 2021, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT/11:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT. This session will review how to generate and maintain daily logs and reports. Participants will identify the important of shop drawings in the construction process and will review various submittal documents in the context of the submittal process.

4. Project Closeout – Thursday, April 22, 2021, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT/11:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT. Participants will review change orders, back-charge forms, as-built drawing, punch lists and other documents related to the closeout process.

Note: This is course 2 of the 5-course Project Coordinator Program, but can be taken as a stand-alone course.

Begins Monday, May 17

Session overview:  The Construction Team course focuses on the team approach to construction or, essentially, getting the most out of teams. This includes learning how to tap into talents, developing trust, avoiding and resolving conflict, mentoring and continuous personal leadership development.

Who should attend: This program is for individuals who are beginning to manage teams or who are going to be taking more of a leadership role in the company. This could include anyone who manages or works closely with teams and want to improve upon the soft skills of leadership.

Format: This program will be using the online GoToWebinar platform and consists of five, 1 ½ – 2-hour live online sessions that provide participants with knowledge they need to build their leadership skills with an emphasis on their team. Participants will receive an invitation to join the sessions after completing the registration. The program includes a downloadable, interactive workbook.

The fee is $189 per seat.

Session details:

1. Team Builder – Mon. May 17, 2021, 5:00pm – 7:00 pm CDT.  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. Building Team Trust – Tue. May 18, 2021, 5:00pm – 7:00 pm CDT.  Obtaining trust from the team is paramount to being an effective team leader. Find out why trusted leaders are more successful. Participants learn how to build trust with their teams and use that trust to achieve positive results.

3. Team Leader’s Toolbox – Wed. May 19, 2021, 5:00pm – 7:00 pm CDT.  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.

4. Team Mentor – Mon. May 24, 2021, 5:00pm – 7:00 pm CDT.  Leaders need to be mentors. team members need mentors to grow in their careers. Coaching is a part of the mix. The Team Mentor segment discusses how all these elements of the team relationship need to work together for a winning team.

5. Your Winning Team – Wed. May 26, 2021, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm CDT.  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.

Begins April 5

Program overview: Critical Skills® focuses on soft skills in areas of communication and trust, teamwork and productivity. It also addresses the importance of professionalism and working with diverse groups of people. Sessions are packed with immediately-actionable and relevant content.

Who should attend:  This program was developed for newer supervisors or top field personnel poised to become supervisors as a form of pre-leadership training. It is designed to enhance and develop a number of vital soft skills.

Format: ABC of Wisconsin uses the GoToWebinar platform for online classes. The four, 90-minute to two-hour sessions. Each of the sessions are presented using a fast-paced, fairly direct approach.  Critical Skills® is known to generate meaningful discussions between supervisors and team members.

Workbooks: Before each session begins, a PDF of the workbook is sent for download. The workbook is a tool participants can use in the program. It includes exercises and activities that can be shared with employers and team members.

Session details:

1. Construction Communication Part 1 — Mon., April 5, 2021 5:00pm – 7:00pm CDT/ 6:00pm – 8:00pm EDT.  What is the Communication Model and what could possibly go wrong? This session focuses on the communication cycle between a sender and receiver. It also covers active listening.

2. Construction Communication Part 2 — Wed., April 7, 2021, 5:00pm – 7:00pm CDT/6:00pm – 8:00pm EDT.  Communicating ethically and earning respect are at the very core of an effective construction crew. This session outlines the behaviors of a high-trust working environment. It also covers how gossip, rumors, and lies destroy trust.

3. Construction Teamwork — Mon. April 12, 2021, 5:00pm – 7:00pm CDT/6:00pm – 8:00 pm EDT.  This session covers the difference between groups and teams. It highlights team member styles and intergenerational/multicultural teams. It also spotlights the importance of onboarding new crew members.

4. Construction Professionalism & Productivity — Wed. April 14, 5:00 pm – 7:00pm CDT/6:00pm – 8:00pm EDT.  No matter the trade, construction is a profession. This session ties the traits of construction professionals in with productivity.

Begins Tuesday, April 6

Program Overview:  This program provides individuals with little or no formal supervisory training with useful supervisory, decision-making and communication skills. It will also provide attendees with insight on good delegating and how to deal with difficult individuals.

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 a few years of experience. Company owners, project managers, and experienced supervisors may find the program valuable as well.

Format: ABC of Wisconsin uses the GoToWebinar platform for online classes. The Construction Foreman online series consists of six, 90-minute to 2-hour online sessions.  Once a person has registered and is approved, an invitation will be sent. Participants simply click on the link at the appropriate time and follow the prompts. Reminder emails will be sent regularly.

The fee is $189 per seat.

Workbooks: Before each module starts, a PDF of the workbook will be sent to download. The workbook is a tool participants can use as part of the program.  It includes exercises and activities that can be shared with employers and team members.

Session details:

1. Transition to Foreman — Tuesday, April 6, 2021, 1:00 pm-3:00 pm CDT/2:00 pm-4:00 pm EDT. 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. Decision Making — Thursday, April 8, 2021, 1:00 pm-3:00 pm CDT/2:00 pm-4:00 pm EDT. Leaders will realize how important decisions are made every day. Find out how to make good decisions in a logical and effective manner.

3. Communication for the New Leader — Tuesday April 13, 2021, 1:00 pm-3:00 pm/2:00 pm-4:00 pm EDT. Communication skills are essential for every good leader. Understand the significant communication elements needed to be a highly effective-communicator.

4. Delegation — Thursday, April15, 2021, 1:00pm-3:00 pm CDT/2:00 pm-4:00 pm EDT. Find the reasons why good leaders also need to be good delegators. Acquire the skills and knowledge leaders need in delegating tasks to work teams.

5. Leading the Difficult Worker — Tuesday April 20, 2021, 1:00pm-3:00 pm CDT/2:00 pm-4:00 pm EDT. Skills to lead difficult people are needed by all leaders. Recognize a difficult worker and discover tips on how to manage difficult situations.

6. The Foreman Your Crew Wants to Follow — Thursday, April 22, 2021, 1:00 pm-3:00 pm CDT/2:00 pm-4:00 pm EDT. This session will provide participants with insight on how to lead individuals.  Learn what respected leaders do to motivate and build enthusiasm in their teams.  

Course Overview: The Communication, Negotiation & Time Management course covers communicating to understand and to be understood—verbal, nonverbal, written, e-mail, and phone skills. Participants will learn to listen, understand the art of influence, and participate in results-oriented meetings. It will also cover time management methods and techniques to immediately apply to the job.

Who should attend: Communication, negotiation and time management are all keys to achieving outstanding results so this course is beneficial to anyone on the project management team. This includes, project supervisors, project coordinators, assistant project managers and newer project managers. This course is also suitable for field personnel who would like to move into project management along with others who want to gain a better understanding of the industry. *Communication, Negotiation & Time Management is offered as either stand-alone training or for those who are in the Project Coordinator Program.

Format:  ABC of Wisconsin uses the GoToWebinar format for online classes. The Communication, Negotiation, & Time Management online series consists of 90-minute to 2-hour live online modules that provides participants with the knowledge they need to build their project coordination skills.  Once a person has registered and is approved, an automated invitation will be sent. Click on the link at the appropriate time and follow the prompts.

Workbooks: Before each session starts, a PDF of the workbook will be sent to download. The workbook is a tool participants can use as part of the program.  It includes exercises and activities that can be shared with employers and team members.

The fee is $189 per seat.

Session details:

1. Communication Model/Active listening — Tuesday, April 27, 2021, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT/11:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT. This session reviews the communication model and looks at the many ways a message can get lost in the communication cycle between a sender and receiver. It then looks at how to overcome communication barriers and discusses the power of active listening.

2. Communication Channels/Meetings — Thursday, April 29, 2021, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT/11:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT.  Communicating ethically and earning respect are at the very core of an effective construction company. This session outlines the behaviors of a high trust working environment.  It also covers different communication styles and channels. Meetings can be a waste of time or they can move a project forward. Participants will learn how to plan and participate in effective meetings, including taking meeting minutes or notes. They will also understand the importance of doing follow-up on action items generated by meetings.

3. Negotiating with Purpose — Tuesday, May 4, 2021, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT/11:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT.  The ability to negotiate effectively is a major component of communication. We negotiate for schedules, time, and resources every day, often without realizing it. This session will lay out win-win negotiation basics and will demonstrate how these principles apply to both the home and work environments.

4. The Value of Time — Thursday, May 6, 2021,10:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT/11:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT. Time management is fiction. No one can actually manage time, but we can manage what we do with the time we have. This session will discuss both workspace and workflow management. Participants will understand how to effectively prioritize tasks and how to communicate those priorities to other work team members.

Note: This is course 3 of the 5-course Project Coordinator Program, but can be taken as a stand-alone course.

Course Overview: Contract language can sometimes be confusing to the uninitiated. Construction Law/Breachless Execution provides a new way for construction professionals to look at the contracts and other legal documents used daily.  Examining real-life construction disputes, participants will gain an understanding of the basics behind being “breachless” and operating consistently with their construction contracts to protect their companies from litigation.

Who should attend: This course is for individuals who are on the project management team. This includes, project supervisors, project coordinators, assistant project managers and newer project managers. Construction Law/Breachless Execution is also suitable for field personnel who would like to move into project management along with others who want to gain a better understanding of the industry. Construction Law/Breachless Execution is offered as either stand-alone training or for those who are in the Project Coordinator Program.

Format:  ABC of Wisconsin uses the GoToWebinar format for online classes. The online series consists of 90-minute to 2-hour live online sessions that provides participants with the knowledge they need to build their project coordination skills.  Once a person has registered and is approved, an automated invitation will be sent. Click on the link at the appropriate time and follow the prompts.

Workbooks: Before each module starts, a PDF of the workbook will be sent to download. The workbook is a tool participants can use as part of the program.  It includes exercises and activities that can be shared with employers and team members.

The fee is $189 per seat.

Session details:

1. Contracts and Terminology – Tuesday, May 11, 2021, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT/11:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT. Project Coordinators are often working with contract language.  This session will discuss the concepts of breachless execution. Participants will learn commonly used terms and concepts, including contracts, contract breach, and indemnification.

2. Contracts, Issues, and Resolution – Thursday, May 13, 2021, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT/11:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT. Participants will learn about contract modifications including the importance of written change orders, and construction change directives. This session will also review AIA A201 forms and their use.

3. Progress Billing and Payment Process – Tuesday, May 18, 2021, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT/11:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT. Participants will learn about scheduled values, how to properly execute pay applications, and when to use certificate of payments. The instructor will review lien and bond waivers. Subcontractor payment issues and non-payment remedies will be discussed.

4. Performance Issues, Default, and Termination – Thursday, May 20, 2021, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT/11:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT. Participants will learn the three kinds of terminations, termination procedures and post-default actions.

Note: This is course 4 of the 5-course Project Coordinator Program but can be taken as a stand-alone course.

Sessions are held Mon/Wed from April 26 – May 10 from 1:00-3:00 pm CST

Program Overview:
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. Note: This program complements the Construction Foreman series. The topics are different.

Format
This program will be using GoToWebinar for it’s five two-hour live online modules. Participants will receive an invitation to join the sessions after completing the registration. The program includes a downloadable, interactive workbook. The fee is $169 per seat.

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.

Online Schedule

1. Construction Leader Qualities
   Monday, April 26 – 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. CST
   What is Leadership? This module focuses on leadership rather than management of
   construction work groups.
2.  Construction Leaders
   Wednesday, April 28 – 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. CST
   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. Team Leaders
   Monday, May 3 – 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. CST
   Successful team leaders build effective teams through an understanding of
   performance styles.
4. Leadership is Hard
   Wednesday, May 5 – 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. CST
   Experienced leaders understand the power of conflict and motivation. This module will
   look at motivation, demotivation and how to promote employee accountability.
5. The Great Leader
   Monday, May 10 – 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. CST
   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.
   

Course Overview: This course focuses on project delivery, from the initial estimate to closeout. Students will learn the basics of estimating, discovering why projects go wrong, examining the science of production and examining common reasons for cost overruns. It will also teach about control project budgets, and how to efficiently plan and maintain projects.

Who Should Attend:  This course is for those who help manage the delivery of construction projects. This would include project superintendents, project coordinators, assistant project managers and newer project managers and estimators. This program is also suitable for field personnel who would like to move into project coordination or management. The course is not designed for experienced project managers.

Format:  ABC of Wisconsin uses the GoToWebinar format for online classes. The Construction Project Delivery sessions consist of 90-minute to 2-hour live online sessions that provides participants with the knowledge they need to build their project coordination skills. Once a person has registered and is approved, an automated invitation will be sent. Click on the link at the appropriate time and follow the prompts.

Workbooks: Before each session starts, a PDF of the workbook will be sent to download. The workbook is a tool participants can use as part of the program.  It includes exercises and activities that can be shared with employers and team members.

Session details:

1. Introduction to Construction Planning and Scheduling – Tuesday, May 25, 2021, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT. 11:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT. Introduction to basic construction planning and scheduling, which includes learning commonly-used construction scheduling methods.

2. Project Setup through Closeout – Thursday, May 29, 2021, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT. 11:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT. Discover typical construction project workflows; the contractor-subcontractor relationship, including proper communication; learn typical checklist items used in setting up projects; get tips on managing the change order process.

3. Production, Leadership and Project Delivery – Tuesday, June 1, 2021, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT. 11:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT. Explore the supervisor’s role in successful project delivery; learn the definition of productivity and how to benchmark productivity and look at the relationships between leadership, project delivery and productivity.

4. Delivering a Profitable Project – Thursday, June 3, 2021, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT. 11:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT. Examine a project’s cost basis while looking at it from a supervisor’s and a project manager’s viewpoint; learn the primary costs in a typical project and their origins in the estimate; discuss drivers which have direct impact on the typical project and their origins in the estimate and discuss drivers which have direct impact on the project’s cost.

5. Improving Project Delivery – Tuesday, June 8, 2021, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm CDT. 11:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT. Covers use of scheduling, costs, and field management; covers how the supervisor’ management and leadership skills become key in productivity improvement.