PCL Construction

Mike Olsson

PCL Construction is proud of the leaders it has developed in the construction industry. Our approach to leadership development is robust, partly because we’re employee-owned, partly due to our 117-year history, and partly because of our focused attention to developing great leaders within our own PCL College of Construction. But I believe the biggest factor is that we pay particular attention to the foundation as great builders.

Our college offers various behavioral and technical courses, and our Leadership Academy offers employees in-depth leadership programs. Employees at all levels can enroll in our nine-month E3 leadership development program. As employees climb PCL’s corporate ladder, our flagship Leadership Course and other future executive-focused high-potential leadership development programs also become available. Other courses, like our High Performance Field Leaders program or Accelerated Superintendent Development Program, are specific to career streams.

No matter which course participants take, they all have common core elements. These include 360 feedback, personal development plans, conceptual frameworks, capstone projects and journaling. Most importantly, they include exercises that help people clarify their values, vision and purpose. These are the foundation of leadership.

As a leader, working on your personal values, vision and purpose is not a “one-and-done” situation. Working with our leaders to really dig in and find the personal stories that help them truly define their values, vision and purpose is time well spent. Uncovering concrete examples of those values from life experience brings personal drivers into clear focus, even if they haven’t been put into words before.

But it doesn’t stop there. As you gain clarity on who you are, what’s important to you and where you find purpose, you must learn how to communicate it to yourself and others.

Articulating values and purpose is important both for leaders and those around them. At PCL, we use the power of the metaphor! Our company is full of mountain guides, lighthouses, bridges, batteries, farmers, plows, spark plugs, gardeners, handrails — the list goes on! What matters is clarity, which is best achieved through word pictures. And then, ‘publishing it in your life’ will add fuel to the leadership fire.

"As a leader, working on your personal values, vision and purpose is not a “one-and-done” situation. Working with our leaders to really dig in and find the personal stories that help them truly define their values, vision and purpose is time well spent."

This is all about paying close attention to what one SAYS and what one DOES. The relationship between behaviors and values is critical and foundational. The “says” and “do’s” are actions that bring our values to life. When participants realize this, the skill-building components of our leadership programs become more focused and impactful. Over time, clarity on values and focused attention to behaviors will help with decision-making — for yourself, your team and your entire organization. When values are clearly understood at all company levels, big, daunting decisions can be made efficiently and with little friction.

At PCL, we’ll continue going to great lengths to develop technical and leadership skills for our people. Along the way, we’ll always spend time visiting and revisiting individual values and behaviors. We believe we’re creating opportunities for PCLers to be the best versions of themselves. We know great people make great PCLers, so we’re not worried about where the fruits of these efforts land — on our projects, in our offices, at home or in the community. If we can benefit from any of those areas, we’ve accomplished our mission!