It is coming faster than you think. The companies that embrace it will not be the same.
Bottom-Line Up-Front (BLUF)
There will be companies that intentionally build leaders, operators, and culture that rise above the rest. And there will be companies wondering why they cannot hire, retain, or develop the people they need.
When Dan Briscoe invited me to join a focus group hosted by BuildWitt with some of the industry's top learning and development professionals to discuss the future, I had my plane ticket purchased before we hung up.
The conversation was not about replacing people. It was about developing them better and faster. What emerged was not a single breakthrough idea. Rather, it was a picture of what high-performing learning organizations will look like in the years ahead.
Intelligent Onboarding
The best onboarding now starts before the offer is accepted, continues through the employee's first day, and extends for months afterward. Companies are becoming far more intentional about helping people feel connected, informed, and productive from the beginning.
Smarter Orientation
There was a time when orientation meant filling out forms and watching a few painful VHS tapes changed every 45 minutes by some nameless administrator. Sadly, that still happens…minus the VHS.
Today, the best orientations are dynamic, often led by senior leaders, and designed to make new employees feel welcome while setting them up for success. They may combine virtual elements and often extend for days vice hours
Mentors Who Matter
Mentoring is one of the most overused buzzwords in our industry.
Too many people confuse mentoring with training. A trainer teaches specific, predefined skills and imparts new knowledge. A coach helps someone unlock existing potential and achieve specific performance goals. A mentor shares personal experience to provide long-term career direction. All three matter, but they are not the same thing.
Integrated Simulators
Expensive video games or an essential first step in developing your next operators?
Nothing replaces the real world. At some point, the new operator has to get dirty. However, simulators provide a far cheaper and highly efficient way to build basic proficiency before that happens.
A commercial airline pilot needs 250 hours of flight time. Fifty of those hours can be completed in a simulator. If it works for them, it can work in our world.
On-Demand Learning
A few years ago I installed a Ring doorbell. The directions in the box were not particularly helpful. The video I found on YouTube was.
Like simulators, microlearning is not a substitute for real-world experience. However, having access to exactly what you need, when you need it, is far better than doing rework because you lacked the information at the moment it mattered.
Internal Experts Teaching
If you want learning to stick, it is often best taught by people from your own company, assuming they can communicate effectively in front of a group.
We all know the best operators are not always the best trainers, at least not initially. They can get there. The credibility they bring is difficult to replicate. Subject Matter Experts who teach are special.
Outside Experts Filling Gaps
(This was my favorite part!)
Not every company has the internal expertise to teach every topic. The cost or frequency may not justify building that capability internally.
The best learning organizations leverage external partners who become an extension of the company. They share the values, speak the language, and build credibility within the organization. When employees are assigned to training, they actually look forward to attending.
Coaching Embedded in Daily Conversations
This may be the most overlooked and undervalued item on the list.
Great leaders are wired to teach and coach. Unfortunately, that capability does not come naturally to everyone. It must be developed intentionally.
The organizations that build coaching into everyday interactions create learning opportunities that occur far beyond the classroom.
AI Accelerating Everything
And yes, AI was part of the discussion. Not as a replacement for people, but as an accelerator for nearly everything described above.
The pace of change is difficult to comprehend when compared to where we were just a year ago. Ignore it at your own risk.
The Real Difference
The future will not belong to companies that do one of these things. It will belong to companies that thoughtfully employ all of them.
Many firms are already experimenting with some of these ideas. A few are implementing several. I do not think anyone is doing all of them yet, but the people in this focus group are getting close.
None of these concepts are new. Everyone has heard of onboarding, mentoring, coaching, simulators, and learning platforms. The difference going forward will be intentionality and speed.
BuildWitt's stated mission is to make the dirt world a better place. They have already moved the needle. What I saw suggests that in the next chapter, they may move the entire gauge.
So the question is simple:
Are you building people for the future of construction?
Or watching those who do?
