Published by Angelo Suntres
Helping construction leaders improve the human experience in the industry. humansideofconstruction.substack.com
Listen on Apple PodcastsBuildforce Canada projects 2029 as the peak year for non-residential construction investment — the busiest building stretch in a generation. It arrives in the middle of a retirement wave that removes 139,000 experienced workers, about 20% of the non-residential workforce, by 2035. In this solo episode, Angelo Suntres argues the real crisis isn’t recruiting — it’s retention and knowledge transfer — and lays out four concrete moves leaders can make between now and 2029 to protect both their people and the judgment those people carry. Key topics covered • The 2029 collision: peak construction demand meets peak retirement • The national math — 188,700 workers needed vs. 158,300 expected under 30, and the 30,400-worker gap • The U.S. parallel: ~349,000 net new workers needed in 2026, mostly to replace retirements • Why a retirement is a loss of judgment, not just head count • The Ontario paradox: record apprenticeship intake, projected surplus, and workers still leaving the sector • Retention as culture measured in exits — and the diversity gaps hiding inside recruitment • Four leadership moves: map your cliff by name, put retention on the P&L, build the transfer system before the exit interview, and brace for the upside About the host Angelo Suntres, P.Eng., is a 20-year mechanical construction leader and two-time Wiley-published author (The Human Side of Construction, Rebuild Construction). He hosts The Human Side of Construction, a podcast about the people side of building — retention, leadership, mental health, and the culture decisions that separate companies that thrive from ones that merely survive. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
Angelo sits down with James Boseley, Trades Lead at Pain BC, whose 25+ years in the oil field and heavy equipment work ended with a nine-foot fall that shattered his heel, broke his hip and leg, and herniated his discs. James worked through those injuries for four months, spent six years off work, and rebuilt his life through pain coaching and counseling. Now he leads Pain BC’s outreach to the trades, including the Guideline text support service and the Don’t Be the D*****s campaign. This conversation covers the culture of silence around pain, the path from injury to addiction, and the free resources most trades workers have never heard of. Key topics covered: • The rub-some-dirt-in-it culture and how pain stigma gets passed down on site • James’s nine-foot fall, the system failures that followed, and six years off work • The acute-to-chronic pain window and why early intervention matters • Pain, mental health, and addiction as one connected problem, not three separate ones • The BC numbers: 21% of toxic drug deaths are trades workers; nearly 80% of construction opioid overdose deaths involved a prior pain condition • Diagnosis as a stepping stone rather than an identity • Pain BC’s free resources: the Guideline text line, Pain Support Line, 12 free coaching sessions, peer support groups, Empowered Relief, and the Making Sense of Pain course • Why lived experience connects where clinical language fails • The one thing leaders can do Monday: sit back and listen Guest bio: James Boseley is the Trades Lead at Pain BC, a British Columbia non-profit dedicated to pain education, support, and research. A former oil field and heavy equipment worker, James retrained as a certified pain coach and counselor after a workplace injury ended his field career. He brings lived experience of chronic pain, workers’ compensation battles, and recovery to his work supporting tradespeople across BC. Pain BC Info: Text ‘TRADES’ to 1-833-261-PAIN (7246) to access free, confidential support and chronic pain tools designed for BC trades workers. Available Monday to Thursday, 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM PT. To learn more about the Guideline, please visit painbc.ca/guideline . Pain BC’s Trades and Pain Program has created a Toolbox Talks facilitator’s guide and videos to help make conversations about pain easier to bring into safety meetings. Register for our free webinar on August 5 or September 9 to learn more about the guide and videos. * August 5 - register here * September 9 - register here This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
A new University of Toronto study of Ontario electricians found that apprentices are six times more likely to intend to leave the trade than licensed journeypersons — and that burnout, despite affecting one in three workers, didn’t predict who was planning to go. Job satisfaction did. In this solo episode, Angelo breaks down four findings that upend the industry’s standard retention playbook, explains why trades culture suppresses the psychological warning signs until people simply exit, and lays out different interventions for apprentices versus experienced professionals. He closes with a two-question challenge every construction leader can run this week. Key Topics Covered • The 6x finding: apprentice vs. journeyperson intent to leave • Why burnout (39% personal, 33% work-related) didn’t predict turnover — and job satisfaction did (40–53% decrease in intent to leave per unit of satisfaction) • Canada’s apprenticeship completion crisis: 100,000+ registrations in 2024 vs. ~34,000 completions • US workforce gap: 349,000 net new workers needed in 2026, 456,000 in 2027; 41% of the workforce retiring by 2031 • The “tough-it-out tax”: how trades culture normalizes suffering and suppresses the psychological signal • Why journeypersons and apprentices leave for different reasons — and need different interventions • The federal government’s $6B skilled trades investment: the financial lever vs. the human lever • This week’s challenge: two questions to ask an apprentice on your project This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
Organizational psychologist and former licensed therapist Melissa Doman joins Angelo to unpack why construction’s mental health efforts are stuck in an awareness phase — and what it actually takes to move past it. They dig into why manager training usually stops at spotting symptoms instead of teaching the conversation itself, why individual ownership has to sit alongside leadership effort, and why this is fundamentally an operational issue, not a wellness initiative. Melissa closes with the one thing she’d want every construction executive to hear, whether they want to hear it or not. Key Topics Covered • Melissa’s path from licensed therapist to organizational psychologist • Why she named her method around moving from awareness into action • What her two books cover — language, leadership, and power dynamics • How duty of care around mental health differs across Canada, the UK, Australia, and the US • Why the “tough it out” archetype fails construction workers, and what peer support programs get right • The difference between training managers to watch for symptoms and training them to have the conversation • Why leadership-only effort isn’t enough, and what individual ownership looks like • What a real organizational rollout looks like, from purpose-setting through upskilling • Why this should be framed as an operational issue with a measurable ROI, not a wellness initiative • The one thing Melissa wants every construction executive to hear About Melissa Doman Melissa Doman, MA is an Organizational Psychologist, Former Mental Health Therapist, Author of Cornered Office: Why We Need To Talk About Leadership Mental Health and Yes, You Can Talk About Mental Health at Work (Here’s Why And How To Do It Really Well) , and Founder of The Workplace Mental Health Method™. Melissa works with companies across industries around the globe – including clients like Google, Progressive, Dow Jones, the Orlando City Soccer Club, Microsoft, Salesforce, Siemens, Estée Lauder, & Janssen. She’s spoken at SXSW, has been featured as a subject matter expert in CNN, Vogue, NPR, Fast Company, the BBC, CNBC, Inc., and in LinkedIn’s 2022 Top 10 Voices on Mental Health. Having lived abroad in South Korea, England, Australia and traveled to nearly 50 countries, Melissa calls upon her global experiences to inform how she works with companies worldwide. She has one core goal: to equip companies, individuals, and leaders to have constructive conversations about mental health, team dynamics, and communication in the workplace. Her work and book aim to accomplish just that. To learn more about Melissa, her work, or her books - please visit www.melissadoman.com . Business website: www.melissadoman.com Books: Cornered Office: Why We Need To Talk About Leadership Mental Health Yes, You Can Talk About Mental Health at Work (Here’s Why And How To Do It Really Well) Social Links: * LinkedIn: * Individual page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissadoman1/ * Business page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-workplace-mental-health-method * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewanderingmel/ LinkedIn Learning Courses: * Navigating the Mental Toll and Stress of Leadership * Realistic Strategies to Talk about Mental Health at Work * Talking About Mental Health as a Leader This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
In this solo episode, Angelo takes Daniel Pink’s framework of the six human skills AI will never replace and applies it directly to construction. From asking better questions to building job site judgment, iterating with intent, orchestrating humans and machines, and leading with integrity - this is the leadership map for a construction industry heading into a decade of AI-driven change. The through-line: when the world gets more artificial, construction doesn’t just need to get more human. It needs to get more intentionally human. Key Topics Covered • Why 79% of construction has zero or limited AI implementation — and why that isn’t the real problem • Asking better questions when answers become commodities • Why judgment (”taste”) is walking out the door with retiring superintendents • Iteration as leadership, not failure - and where AI genuinely adds value • Orchestration as the modern PM/superintendent job description • Integrity in a world where the tool is neutral but the intent is everything • How individual wellness and team psychological safety operate as a safety system Data Points Referenced • 79% of construction organizations have zero or limited AI implementation • Construction needs roughly 349,000 net new workers in 2026 to meet demand • Only 27% of AEC professionals currently use AI in operations • Early adopters reporting 500–1,000 hours saved annually • 38% of contractors seeing measurable business impact from AI (double year-over-year) • AI in construction market projected to grow from ~$2.2B (2026) to ~$25B (2035) — 31% CAGR • Over 1,000 US construction fatalities in 2023, more than any other industry • Falls, slips, and trips accounted for 39% of construction fatalities • Some AI safety platforms reporting up to 48% reduction in serious incidents References • Daniel Pink — A Whole New Mind • Daniel Pink — Drive • Daniel Pink’s framework: The six human skills AI will never replace Contact Reach out to Angelo at angelo@hsoc.one to share a construction experience or discuss workforce challenges in your organization. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
Angelo sits down with Leighann Harrison — Director of HR and part-owner of Core Mechanical, a mechanical contractor in BC — who brought a psychology background, coaching practice, and clinical breathwork into a trades business. They dig into why most construction wellness is performative, how to notice when someone’s struggling and actually say something, and why mental health belongs under an operational lens rather than a feel-good one. Angelo shares the story of the colleague who created space for him during the hardest stretch of his life, and Leighann closes with the one thing she’d change about the industry: more love, and the safety to be vulnerable. Key Topics Covered • The unlikely path from psychology and coaching to part-owner of a trades business • Coming in as an outsider — and why the trades welcome support more than expected • What HR looks like with a clinical lens vs. accounting-runs-the-paperwork • Walking the line between coaching and HR • How to notice when someone’s off, and how to broach it without crossing a line • Angelo’s story: the colleague who quietly created space • Resilience vs. suppression — and what suppression actually manifests as • Giving people language for their nervous system (regulated, dysregulated, flooded) • Treating mental health as an operational issue: presenteeism, absenteeism, safety • Leading by example, and two actions any leader can take: deepen check-ins, be vulnerable • “Support or advice?” and witnessing pain instead of fixing it • Mental health first aid, the CPR analogy, and the 50% lifetime mental illness stat • Signposting: you don’t have to be the therapist, you just need to know where to point • Therapy as “the dentist for your brain,” and dropping the stigma • The reframe: what’s missing instead of what’s wrong • The one thing: more love, and psychological safety to be vulnerable Guest Bio Leighann Harrison is Director of HR and part-owner of Core Mechanical Ltd., a family-founded mechanical contractor in Langley, BC. She holds a background in psychology and is a certified coach and clinical breathworker. She co-owns the company with her husband Ryan Harrison and leads culture inside a business that partners with major BC general contractors. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
Up to 46% of construction professionals identify as neurodivergent — far above the roughly 31% seen in other industries. In this solo episode, Angelo Suntres argues that cognitive diversity isn’t a problem to manage but a competitive advantage construction stumbled into long ago and never named. He breaks down how to tell a deficit from a variation, the three low-cost adjustments that unlock performance, and why building a workplace that fits how different people think is both better leadership and a serious recruiting edge in a talent-short market. Key Topics Covered • Why construction has always attracted neurodivergent people — variety, movement, hands-on problem-solving, tangible results • The reframe: treating struggles as variations to support rather than deficits to penalize • Communication clarity — being specific and direct instead of vague • Environment flexibility — task rotation, quiet workspace options, control over how people work • Feedback style — matching delivery to the individual instead of a one-size-fits-all method • The talent shortage and the recruiting edge almost nobody is using • Moving from managing for compliance to leading for the person About the Host Angelo Suntres is a construction executive with 20+ years in institutional and ICI construction, a two-time published author (The Human Side of Construction, Rebuild Construction), and creator of the HSOC platform built around the “me and we” framework. Connect Email: angelo@hsoc.one This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
Angelo sits down with Kris Lengieza, Field COO at Procore, for a no-hype conversation about the real state of AI in construction. They dig into why the industry has digitized but never truly transformed, the workforce cliff sending nearly half the trades into retirement this decade, and the “knowledge extinction event” that comes with it. Kris makes the case that the barrier to change is no longer the technology — it’s imagination and adoption — and lays out how leaders can empower their people to use AI responsibly before they’re forced to. Key topics covered • Why we’ve digitized construction but haven’t transformed it • The BIM era as a parallel to today’s AI moment • “Optimistic pessimism” — what executives are excited about and what they fear • The three buckets of AI benefit, starting with a normal 40-hour week • The workforce cliff and the knowledge extinction event • Capturing field knowledge with voice agents and reimagined daily logs • Reframing the daily log from a CYA record into a legacy • People, process, and technology — what has to go right • Automation vs. augmentation, robotics, cobots, and agentic AI • Guardrails, data hygiene, and responsible adoption • The one thing executives need to hear about AI Guest bio Kris Lengieza is the Field COO at Procore. He began his career in the field as a project engineer and spent 20 years in construction operations before moving to Procore, where he led the Future State of Construction research and now works with executives worldwide on AI, automation, and the future of how contractors build. Links & resources mentioned • Procore — procore.com • Procore Innovation Summit (referenced, June) • Procore Future State of Construction report • Procore’s acquisition of DataGrid (AI agents for submittals, RFIs, takeoff) • To learn more about the Procore AI and the embedded Datagrid experience: https://www.procore.com/press/new-procore-ai-experience-embeds-datagrid-into-procore This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
In this solo episode, Angelo Suntres tackles psychological safety — not as a soft HR concept, but as the operating condition that determines whether problems on a project get surfaced early or buried until they blow up. He breaks down the real cost of silence on a job site, why the old fear-based model has a shelf life, and what psychological safety actually looks like in practice. The throughline: it starts with the leader being willing to be wrong out loud. Key topics covered • Why most construction leaders can't remember the last time they admitted a real mistake — and what that signals to the crew • How silence carries a dollar value: rework, delays, safety incidents, and change orders that started as unspoken concerns • Why fear-based culture only looked efficient — and why it's aging out with the workforce • Psychological safety vs. accountability: holding a high standard without shutting people down • Concrete examples of psychological safety on site — toolbox talks, coordination meetings, apprentice questions • Why recognition matters and how flipping the feedback ratio changes the dynamic • How psychological safety directly improves physical safety • The challenge: be wrong out loud in front of your team Connections • Episode 10 — mental wellness and protecting the individual (“the me”). This episode is its counterpart: protecting the team (“the we”). Contact: angelo@hsoc.one This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
In Episode 11, Angelo sits down with Trevor Botkin - a Red Seal carpenter with 30 years in construction who nearly lost his life to addiction and suicidal ideation in 2019. Trevor shares his full story, from being told he was stupid in school to finding belonging on job sites, to the day he planned to end his life and the treatment center stay that changed everything. He’s now leading the development of Muster Point, Canada’s first worker-driven peer support network for the trades, built in partnership with the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation and ICBA. Key Topics Covered • How basic job site conditions send a message about worker value • Why construction concentrates vulnerable populations rather than creating mental health issues • The role of shame, ego, and imposter syndrome in trades careers • Trevor’s personal story: addiction, suicidal ideation, treatment, and recovery • Chronic pain in trades and PAIN BC’s Trades and Pain initiative • Muster Point: peer support platform, app functionality, and subscription model • Why EAPs get 5% uptake and what to build instead • Leadership responsibility: “You’re not just their boss, you’re their shepherd” • Canada’s construction fatality rate compared to the UK Guest Bio Trevor Botkin is a 30-year construction veteran, Strategic Lead, Trades at the Canadian Men's Health Foundation, and host of the CMHF podcasts Don't Change Much and MusterPoint Off the Clock . Since entering recovery in 2019 after walking back from a planned suicide, he's brought his lived experience and voice to jobsites and projects nationwide and now leads the build of MusterPoint — a worker-built, worker delivered peer-led mental health network for Canada's skilled trades sectors. If listeners want to get involved in MusterPoint or have lived experience and want to step up to be trained as a MusterPoint Connector and join our team, they can email me directly at trevor.botkin@menshealthfoundation.ca Links Mentioned • Muster Point: musterpointcanada.ca • Canadian Men’s Health Foundation: http://menshealthfoundation.ca/ • Off The Clock Podcast: tradespodcast.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
In this solo episode, Angelo Suntres examines the gap between how the construction industry handles physical injuries and mental health challenges. Using the analogy of a broken arm - where safety systems respond instantly and without stigma - Angelo makes the case that mental wellness deserves the same systematic response. He introduces the concept of Health & Safety 2.0: integrating mental wellness into existing safety programs, strategic plans, and leadership training rather than treating it as a standalone initiative. KEY TOPICS COVERED • The broken arm analogy: comparing physical and mental health responses on the job site • Why off-site personal stressors become on-site safety problems • How construction’s culture of toughness became a culture of silence • The stigma barrier: why workers don’t speak up • Three leadership actions: normalize the conversation, make EAPs visible and trusted, model vulnerability from the top • Health & Safety 2.0: mental wellness as part of your safety program, not separate from it • The business case: fewer incidents, lower turnover, less rework from disengaged workers • The “ask again” challenge: stop accepting “I’m fine” on the job site This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
In Episode 9 of The Human Side of Construction, Angelo sits down with Ed DeAngelis, founder and CEO of EDA Contractors, a 400-person specialty contractor in the greater Philadelphia area. Ed shares his journey from paper boy to construction CEO, the morning he hit a physical and emotional wall that changed his leadership philosophy forever, and how he built a people-first culture in an industry that wasn’t ready for it. The conversation covers EDA’s PACT substance recovery program, mental health statistics in construction, the ROI of investing in people, and Ed’s practical advice for leaders who want to start this journey but don’t know where to begin. Key Topics Covered • Ed’s origin story: paper boy, early work ethic, and the power of saying yes • Starting EDA Contractors in 1999 and the fear of failure • The breaking point: burnout, hitting a wall, and rethinking leadership • Building a people-first culture in a technical industry • The ROI of investing in people—and why you should treat it like buying equipment • Mental health statistics in construction: suicide, substance misuse, and the stigma • EDA’s PACT program: Personal Accountability Changes Today • Addressing skeptics: why this is the hard work, not the soft work • Vulnerability in leadership and why it’s a strength • Trust as a core value: you don’t give trust, you build trust • EDA Cares: charity work and giving back to the community • Advice for leaders starting this journey Guest Bio Ed DeAngelis is the founder and CEO of EDA Contractors, a 400-person specialty contractor based in the greater Philadelphia area. Founded in 1999, EDA has grown under Ed’s people-first philosophy of “humanity as a strategy,” investing in neuroscience-based leadership development, emotional intelligence training, breathwork practices, and the PACT substance recovery program. Ed is a sought-after speaker and advocate for mental health in the construction industry. Links • EDA Contractors: edacontractors.com • Ed DeAngelis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwarddeangelis/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
In this solo episode, Angelo Suntres tackles the construction industry’s most underfunded capability: knowledge transfer. With experienced workers retiring and critical judgment leaving organizations every day, Angelo breaks down why proximity-based learning fails, what real mentorship actually requires, and how reverse mentorship can become a competitive advantage. He closes with a concrete challenge for leaders to identify and protect their organization’s single-point-of-failure knowledge. Key Topics Covered: • The difference between losing headcount and losing institutional wisdom • Why osmosis-based knowledge transfer doesn’t work • The generational stalemate blocking knowledge flow • Three pillars of real mentorship: intentional matching, equipping the mentor, accountability • Reverse mentorship and why it requires a cultural shift from leadership • A practical challenge: identify your organization’s single-point-of-failure knowledge This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
Episode Summary Josh Vitale — co-founder of Project Built, chair of Construction Suicide Prevention Week, and a self-described recovering superintendent — joins Angelo to dismantle the comfortable lie that awareness alone is solving construction's mental health crisis. They get into the data we don't quote, the family disconnection thread that runs through every superintendent he's ever met, the CEO whose strategy was to wait the obstructionists out, and the cocaine-mice study that explains why our job sites are breaking people. If you lead anyone in construction, this conversation is the one to share. Topics Covered • Why Josh refused to lead the way the linemen who hazed him led • The mask: outside success and inside collapse in your twenties • The construction mental health stats every leader should know cold • The EAP call that started Josh's second journey • Becoming "the suicide guy" and the hero complex he had to unlearn • Why awareness alone is the on-ramp, not the destination • The 18.3x suicide multiplier for men in financial difficulty • Family disconnection as the universal thread across thousands of supers • The CEO who said "wait for them to retire" • What to actually say to old-school holdouts • Listening as leadership — and the Jim Allison story • Programs that work: Proactive Communication and Frontliners • Mechanical solutions vs. human solutions on a slipping schedule • The cocaine mice and the case for environment-as-intervention • Where to start the inner work: self-awareness, journaling, breath work, nature • Josh's three-word message to every CEO, CFO, and super listening Guest Bio Josh Vitale is the co-founder of Project Built, a non-profit confronting addiction, suicide, burnout, and disconnection in construction. He chairs Construction Suicide Prevention Week, the industry's largest annual awareness initiative, engaging hundreds of thousands of participants every year. A former IBEW/NECA high voltage journeyman lineman turned superintendent, Josh helped build Tough Enough to Talk into one of the most recognized mental health programs in commercial construction, and successfully lobbied to include construction workers in the Arizona State Suicide Prevention Plan. He has been open about his own PTSD, suicidal ideation, and recovery. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
Construction has a retention problem, and most leaders are diagnosing it wrong. People aren’t leaving for ten thousand dollars and a fancier title. They’re leaving because they can’t see a future inside your organization, and instead of asking, they assume there isn’t one. In this solo episode, Angelo breaks down the four things every construction leader has to get right to stop the slow bleed of talent: confronting the promotion bottleneck honestly, redefining what growth looks like, building a real talent pipeline before it’s an emergency, and having the two career conversations almost everyone avoids. Key topics covered • Why “they left for the money” is almost always the wrong diagnosis • The promotion bottleneck in construction — and why silence about it is the real problem • Generational expectations: progression every two to five years isn’t entitlement, it’s the world they grew up in • Reframing growth: cross-functional exposure, expanded scope, and seat-at-the-table moves that aren’t promotions but are real growth • The development-plan test: can your high-potential people describe their path specifically? • Building the talent pipeline before you need it — critical roles, competencies, and bench identification • Why companies grooming people in secret are the ones losing them • The two awkward conversations that separate organizations where careers are built from organizations where people pass through • Honesty delivered with respect as a leadership standard • This week’s challenge: have the one career conversation you’ve been putting off This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
Kabri Lehrman-Schmid is a Project Superintendent at Hensel Phelps with over 17 years experience. She’s currently leading the S Concourse Evolution Project at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as part of a $2B+ terminal renovation program, with a career portfolio that already exceeds $2 billion in completed project value. Off the job site, she’s co-founded Build With Pride Seattle, co-chairs the Washington State Task Force on Construction Suicide Prevention, and created one of the first toolbox talks on neurodiversity in construction. In this episode, Angelo and Kabri go deep on what psychological safety actually looks like in the field — not the boardroom version, but the day-to-day decisions a superintendent makes to create an environment where people feel safe enough to do their best work. In this episode: • How Kabri went from an engineering student working at Starbucks to leading a Pentagon renovation internship — and why you never know what conversation will change your life • What 17 years at one company actually teaches you about what people need to stay • Why field leaders don’t need to wait for corporate culture — and how a superintendent builds it from Day One of mobilization • The “gatekeeper” reframe: why we’re all gatekeepers, and how you choose to be a conduit or a barrier • Perspective taking as the most important leadership skill in a technical world • Mental health in construction: 7,000 workers lost to suicide per year, 10,000 to drug overdose • The room of 45 electricians, and what happened when half the hands went up • What a low voltage foreman said to Kabri a year after she left his job site • Why people are afraid to say the wrong thing — and why saying nothing is worse • The business case for psychological safety as a performance strategy, not a feel-good initiative • Build With Pride Seattle: 200 people, 85 companies, and what it means when people say it was the first time they felt acknowledged in construction • Why inclusion programs that don’t survive the job site gate are a leadership failure • Neurodiversity in construction and the toolbox talk that didn’t even say the word • The deep foundations foreman who buried cows in an elementary school lawn • What Kabri wishes she had known on Day One of her career This episode is for any construction leader who has ever wondered whether the human side of the work is really their responsibility — and needs to hear the answer from someone who runs a billion-dollar job site every day. Want to be a guest? Reach out: angelo@hsoc.one This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
Why do construction companies keep losing good people and blaming the generation instead of the gap? In this solo episode, Angelo breaks down the real reason workers walk away — mismatched expectations that nobody talks about — and lays out what leaders can do about it this week. In this episode: • Why this isn’t a generational problem — it’s an expectations problem • How frustration and disappointment from unmet expectations are the two fastest ways to lose someone • The three areas where generational gaps create operational friction: how we live, how we work, and how we communicate • Why younger workers aren’t soft — their baseline for what’s normal has shifted • The communication breakdown: performance issue vs. delivery issue • Why acknowledgement has to come before solutions • The difference between “treating everyone the same” and “paying attention to what each person needs” • Why the previous generation worked so hard specifically so the next one wouldn’t have to — and why we’re frustrated that it worked • Three things leaders can do immediately: audit communication, create structured knowledge transfer, and ask the question • Your one takeaway: ask someone from a different generation how they need to be led This episode is for anyone who leads a multi-generational team in construction and suspects the gap might be costing more than they think. Want to be a guest? Reach out: angelo@hsoc.one This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
Patrick Murphy grew up in a fourth-generation construction family, left to earn his CPA, worked at Deloitte, served in the US Congress, and came back to lead at Coastal Construction — Florida’s largest GC. When he returned, he saw his estimating team spending more than half their time on manual takeoffs. So he built Togal.AI , an AI-powered takeoff platform trained on millions of construction plans. In this episode, Angelo and Patrick go deep on what AI actually means for construction — not the hype, but the real implications for leadership, estimating, workforce development, and the future of how we build. CHECK OUT TOGAL HERE In this episode: → What a fourth-generation construction upbringing teaches you about leadership, respect, and hard work → Patrick’s hero’s journey: from Deloitte to Congress to building a construction tech company → Why the younger generation isn’t lazy — they’re under-stimulated and under-challenged → Why estimators spend 50–60% of their time on manual takeoffs — and what that costs the industry → How Togal.AI was built inside a working GC and why it was spun out to serve the entire industry → The science vs. the art of estimating: what AI should handle and what humans must own → Independent research: 4x productivity gains and 98%+ accuracy vs. 97% human accuracy → Jevons’ Paradox and why construction efficiency will create more work, not fewer jobs → Patrick’s five-year prediction: prompt-based construction document generation → Why estimators are about to become the most valuable people in the building → Career advice: AI proficiency, network building, and solving problems before your boss asks This episode is for anyone who’s heard the AI buzz but hasn’t seen what it actually looks like inside a real construction company. CHECK OUT TOGAL HERE Want to be a guest? Reach out: angelo@hsoc.one This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
The construction industry has been talking about the labour shortage for two decades. We know the numbers. We’ve seen the projections. And yet the gap keeps growing. In this solo episode, Angelo makes the case that we’ve been solving for the wrong problem — and that the real crisis isn’t about who we’re bringing in, it’s about who we’re losing and why. In this episode: → Why 430,000 new workers per year still won’t close the gap — and what the numbers actually miss → The hidden cost of turnover: $135K–$180K per employee, plus schedule hits, knowledge loss, and project disruption → Why 40% of US construction apprentices never complete their programs → The real reasons people leave construction — and why wages aren’t at the top of the list → Why the toughness culture that built this industry is now driving talent out of it → What younger workers actually want — and why calling them “less committed” misses the point → Why retention is a leadership function, not an HR function → The one question every construction leader should ask their team this week This episode is for anyone who’s tired of hearing about the labour shortage without hearing what to actually do about it. Want to be a guest? Reach out: angelo@hsoc.one This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com
Geoff Smith spent 30 years leading EllisDon from a regional builder into one of the largest construction companies in North America. He's a lawyer by training who openly admits he can't build a card house — and that vulnerability became the foundation of a leadership philosophy that shaped an entire organization. In this episode, we get into: → How Geoff's people-first leadership style was born out of necessity, not strategy — and why that matters more than you think → Why EllisDon has no mission statement and no vision statement, on purpose → The "moments of truth" that define real culture — including firing profitable people who violated it → Why standard EAP programs failed EllisDon's people and what they built instead → Geoff's personal admission about his own mental health struggles and the realization that everyone around him was fighting the same battle in silence → The generational shift in construction leadership: "I spent my career looking for work. Kieran's gonna spend his career recruiting and retaining good people." → The six-word question Geoff wishes he'd asked 30 years earlier This conversation goes places most construction leaders won't go publicly. Whether you're a CEO, a project manager, or just starting to figure out what kind of leader you want to be — this one's for you. 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@humansideofconstruction 🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2FShMu5dJbpLEQDAp88KT8?si=GzVtM5HgQNWNKTbZnrkzEw 🎙️ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/human-side-of-construction/id1886591709 Want to be a guest? Reach out: angelo@hsoc.one This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit humansideofconstruction.substack.com