How the construction industry can rebuild itself to be stronger than ever.
With the ever-changing environment across Australia and the world, and its impact on the construction industry, we sat down with our Managing Director, Tim Gagen to get his insights and better understand how he chooses to tackle adversity in his life, career and business.
How have you faced challenges in the past?
Plain and simple – hard work. I’m a big believer in the adage, “the harder you work, the luckier you get”. With this as my guiding principle, I have always been driven to work hard, even when obstacles are thrown my way.
Within the current circumstances of our industry, it’s understandable to not feel motivated, which is why it’s so important to develop daily habits and a strong mindset that helps to keep you on track towards your goals, even when times get tough.
It’s also important to remember that we can’t face all challenges alone, so having the support of family, friends and mates across the industry is so crucial. We need each other, now more than ever.
What lessons have you learnt through facing adversity?
Every challenge tests us and pushes us outside of our comfort zone, and that is where we find our greatest growth. While it is extremely uncomfortable to live through challenging times, they also bring with them new perspectives, new ideas and when we look back, we are often surprised at just how much we can handle.
As the first man to swim the English Channel, Captain Matthew Webb made famous the quote “nothing great is easy”. The way I choose to take his words into my career, business and life is that amazing things can happen on the other side of adversity.
What support networks do you rely on to help you through tough times?
Every building has a number of reinforcements that support its overall structure – nothing ever stands alone. When one element of the building is compromised, the structure can rely somewhat on its supports to still maintain its overall integrity. The same should be said for ourselves.
It’s crucial that we all create a support network so that when we are faced with challenges in one area of our lives, the other parts can help to keep us together.
Right now, with our work taking a hit, I’m relying more on my family, friends and workmates, but also in pursuing hobbies and interests that bring me joy and a sense of purpose outside of work.
What can those in the construction industry do to strengthen their resilience?
With so much of what is happening in our industry and around the world, out of our control, the most important thing we can do is to remind ourselves of just that –we unfortunately aren’t able to completely control the situation. But what we can control is our reaction to it.
There will be other challenges that hit us in the days, months and years to come, and during those, you’ll likely find yourself grateful for the challenges you’ve already faced.
Though many may be used to testing their physical strength on the job site, this is a time to really check in on your mental strength. I encourage everyone to be prepared to have conversations with your work mates, check in on them and how they’re doing and where you can, be open to sharing your experience too.
What is the Streetbuild team doing to support the during this challenging time?
For many years we’ve invested in an employee assistance program which provides all our staff with access to counsellors and resources designed to support their emotional, mental and general wellbeing. We believe that championing the importance of this message year-round is vital in addressing such a key issue.
In addition, we’ve been staying connected as much as possible through team check-ins and virtual lunches to which we’ve received positive feedback from the team.
