As a business, it’s very important to us to have a defined set of company values. Like any company, our team is made up of a diverse range of people with different skills, approaches and viewpoints, so having a set of shared values allows us to remain consistent and focused on our goals while leaving essential room for people to go about their roles in their own ways. We believe this diversity makes us stronger and smarter, as people and as an organization.
In this second in a series of posts about our values, we caught up with Erika McConnell who works in our Estimating department and who has recently been promoted to Technical Manager, to find out what Belroc’s values of Results, Synergy and Improvement mean to her! At work, Erika is an extremely methodical and precise person and yet away from work, she loves nothing more than being spontaneous, getting off the beaten track to go adventuring in the great outdoors with her family. It’s really interesting to see how this balance in her personality also comes into her professional approach.
Supporting sales
She says: “Results for me really means getting the desired outcome, which is ultimately a sale across the line. I don’t work in sales, so my part in this process involves completing estimates on or preferably before the due date with accurate takeoff quantities and negotiated pricing. The more accurate my quotes are, the more faith the customer has in us and the more GP we can make.
Erika’s recent step up to Technical Manager means that Improvement is high on her list of priorities right now, and she’s being proactive about growing into her new role: “I think improvement is all about continuously learning, no matter how experienced you are there’s always more to learn. It’s also really vital to learn from your mistakes and put things in place so you don’t keep making the same mistake over and over. Personally, I used LinkedIn learning on a regular basis and I’m also currently working towards my Construction Estimating Certificate through OntarioLearn and Durham College.
Letting go of control
Synergy as a value is a simple yet broad concept; as Erika reflects, it’s about working together in harmony, but also recognizing differences: “For me there’s a difference between teamwork and synergy. Synergy is about using each other’s strengths to create a better outcome – accepting that we are not all good at the same things and being prepared to relinquish control in certain aspects is important for overall success. You have to be open to new ideas and viewpoints that are different from your own, and sometimes you have to recognize that someone else might have a better idea or suggestion than yours, then learn to get fully onboard with it, without being resentful. I also think it’s important not to apportion blame when things go wrong. You have to look at errors or shortcomings as a learning opportunity for the whole company; because none of us operate in a vacuum then if something goes wrong, it’s rarely the individual’s fault. I think we are pretty good at this at Belroc, and it makes for a very supportive work environment.”
To connect with Erika, email emcconnell@belroc.com or find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erika-mcconnell-97921b7a/
