The owner of our company conducts quarterly meetings with the entire Cahaba Media staff where he and each of the managers have an opportunity to give everyone in the company an update on each area of the business.

In one of our recent quarterly meetings (in the fall of 2011), he had a special surprise for us. During the first part of the meeting, he presented us with a video of Nick Saban, the University of Alabama’s football coach, giving a speech to a group of 1,000 8- to 13-year-old boys attending Coach Saban’s football camp in June 2011. My boss said this speech by Coach Saban could just as well have been given to a group of business people, so he decided to share it with us.

My boss brought out many lessons we could learn from that video. Some of the ones that especially stuck out in my mind include the following:

-Character and attitude do not require ability. Working hard is about putting forth effort, having mental toughness and being responsible for your own execution. It doesn’t take ability to give effort. And you have to take accountability for your own performance.

-Success involves consistent performance, established goals and a commitment and passion about what you do.

-You must invest time, not just spend it. You only get out of something what you put into it. Remember that the things worth accomplishing can be difficult to accomplish, but you’ll be glad you persevered in the end.

-Always learn from the mistakes you make along the way. And listen to constructive criticism and feedback from others.  

-Be disciplined. Discipline is about doing what you are supposed to do, when you are supposed to do it and the way it is supposed to be done.

As a construction business owner, you must be motivated to do the best job you possibly can do, and you need to regularly motivate your staff. In your next staff meeting (which I encourage you to conduct regularly), share this video and advice with your staff. From time to time, employees need to hear words like these from an objective perspective.

 Also, share with me what other methods you use to motivate your employees. We want to hear about what’s worked for you.

The CBO team attended the APWA 2011 Congress this year and had a chance to learn about the industry’s latest equipment and products. It was a great experience, and we had the opportunity to capture some informative video coverage. Check out our videos from the show floor, and let us know what you think!

The show had more than 125 education sessions and hundreds of exhibitors covering nearly 90,000 square feet of exhibit space. The education sessions covered technology, applications, leadership, sustainability, and management of public works projects. The sessions provided attendees with an opportunity to network with their peers, hone leadership abilities and learn new job skills, and the Expo showcased the latest products, services and technologies specific to public works.