Why Learning and Development is Critical for your Organization

How can we build wealth within the industry that we are in? Investor and director of construction Justin Smith likes to emphasize the term live-live balance over work-life balance. With busy projects, rising costs, and industry curveballs, he encourages us to be mindful of how we spend our time in and outside of work. Justin Smith is the director of construction at Greystar and principal at Relequity Enterprises LLC. He is passionate about multifamily architecture, engineering, and construction and runs a popular segment on LinkedIn called #ConstructionTipTuesday.

What is fractional leadership? Is it a growing fad or already part of mainstream business concepts? How is the Great Resignation going to affect your industry? Find the answers to all of these questions and more on this episode of The AEC Disruptors with host Christopher Riddell and Guest Beau Billington. Beau Billington is the Founder & CEO of strategic recruiting firm The Free Agent and host of Finding that Next Gear and the Free Agent Podcast. Beau's wealth of experience across industries has allowed his business to "be the connective tissue between high-value leaders and the companies that need them for extraordinary journeys."

The rapid growth of technology products and solutions coupled with the disruption of the pandemic have created a perfect storm for rethinking how people within organizations learn and ultimately spread and share the knowledge they learn and create. In some respects, it is the lifeblood of success for design firms. Suzanne Miks is leading the way in design technology learning innovation. With almost 20 years of experience in the industry, she is a passionate advocate for learning and development and has seen first hand how it can make or break an organization.

We're a half-century old in episode years. That's a unit of measurement, right? Over the past few years, disruption as a concept has moved from strategic thinking to mission critical for organizations, and we have been honored to cover it all over the course of 50 episodes. Listeners, thank you for joining in to hear about the 10-day hospital, the rise and fall of Katerra, sustainability, leadership and company culture, digital twins, and so much more. Here is to 50 more jam-packed episodes and beyond.  

With the onus of engagement being mostly on employers to encourage engagement, what responsibility falls to the individual? How much should a manager rely on direct reports to speak up and keep track of their own engagement? Find the answers to these questions and much more during our second jam-packed episode with Debbie Phillips. Join host Christopher Riddell with guest Debbie Phillips as they discuss employee engagement, even more management books to read, the 'Genius Zone', and much more. Debbie Phillips, Ph.D., CPM is the President of The Quadrillion. She is an entrepreneur and real estate professional with over 30 years of industry experience. Debbie has a multi-faceted career managing diverse real estate assets, including developing world-class leadership development programs and talent management strategies.

What does it mean to ensure employee retention? How can you best encourage and embrace change within your company? Join hosts Christopher Riddell and Jackson Sensat with guest Debbie Phillips as they discuss burnout, accepting room for improvement, the importance of accountability, and how best to delegate initiatives. Debbie Phillips, Ph.D., CPM is the President of The Quadrillion. She is an entrepreneur and real estate professional with over 30 years of industry experience. Debbie has a multi-faceted career managing diverse real estate assets, including developing world-class leadership development programs and talent management strategies.

When it comes to adopting new innovations, the industry is hesitant. How can we change that? Join hosts Christopher Riddell and Jackson Sensat with guest Satpal Kaur as they discuss the current difficulties in designing with sustainability, how we can start changing industry mindsets, the necessity in embracing new technologies, and more. Satpal Kaur is an innovative designer and building systems thought leader with over a decade of experience implementing cutting edge technologies. She uses a holistic approach in integrating clients to actively become part of the sustainable revolution pursuing comfortable and healthy living environments at zero additional construction costs in NYC. Her expertise has branded her as a high performance building Activist with a 40 Under 40 Award by Building Design+Construction.

Join hosts Christopher Riddell and Jackson Sensat with guest Ed Newton as they discuss the rewards and conflicts inherent in the construction industry, distinguishing your company in the growing world, what the leadership of a general contractor should look like, and more. Ed Newton is the President/Executive-in-Charge at Newton Group Ltd. He has over 25 years of experience uniquely encompassing a wide range of projects from conventional Industrial, Commercial, Institutional (ICI) construction to innovative parking structures; prefabricated buildings; precast concrete bridges; and solar power design and installations.

Sure, we use devices and software, but are they also using us? Join hosts Christopher Riddell and Jackson Sensat and guest Randall Wilson as they discuss the hidden world of finding out how customers interact with interface, the psychology behind user design experience, and the creative minds that are behind “making things work.” Randall Wilson II is the Co-Founder of the HUE Design Summit and a LEGO Master. He has additional experience as a Creative Director, Design Lead, and Freelance Graphic Designer. He currently lives in Chicago, Illinois.

What's next for the sustainability of homes, commercial buildings and structures of all kinds? Join hosts Christopher Riddell and Jackson Sensat and guest Sam Ruben as they discuss using 3D printing to manufacture homes, how to approach collaboration “with humility,” and what kind of construction processes we can expect to see in the near future. Sam Ruben is the Chief Sustainability Officer/Co-Founder of Mighty Buildings. He has served in roles from strategic re-branding, sustainability coaching, and financial modeling to website redevelopment, online dashboard creation, sustainable building assessments, and everything in between. He is passionate that today’s organizations consider sustainability as a core aspect, not merely as a moral principle but as an avenue towards an improved bottom line and increased brand value.