A new industry standard has raised the bar for electrical contracting on leading Twin Cities Metro area construction sites. An unconventional classroom training program entitled the Code of Excellence has created an elevated level of team work, productivity and communication among electrical teams on local job sites. These efforts are generating unprecedented praise and recognition from shop owners and developers.
Launched in the fall of 2006 by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), The Code of Excellence was designed as an effort to increase the IBEW’s market share in a competitive construction market. Rapidly gaining momentum, the Code of Excellence has become a requested certification on major job sites in the Twin Cities. High-profile projects underway in the Twin Cities currently benefiting from the Code certified workforces include the MacPhail Center for Music, Ivy Hotel, Residence Bloomington Hilton, the downtown Twins Stadium and the North Memorial Hospital in Maple Grove.
In order for a job site to become certified as a Code of Excellence site, all personnel potentially having contact with an owner must have completed the Code of Excellence training. More specifically, every person entering the job site, from truck driver, to foreman, to office staff (including the president of the company) must have successfully completed the classroom training program.
For electricians, the program serves as an extension to their already robust training portfolio, including the four years of apprenticeship and 18 months of vocational school which are required to become an IBEW Certified electrician. For the remaining team members on the site, including contractors, administrative help, truck drivers and project managers, the eight-hour classroom course guarantees an added advantage over competition.
Covering a wide array of topics, the interactive Code of Excellence curriculum blends common sense and creativity, touching on everything from safety, productivity, professional knowledge, to mastering effective communication and personal appearance. The program’s unique discussion-based format allows participants to experience open conversation about particular difficulties and issues of a project. This open dialogue enables members to brainstorm about possible solutions, reaching conclusions that they normally may not have. The goal of this interaction is to enhance owners’ experience and ensure the end product is delivered with quality, timeliness, and within the budget agreed upon.
The interactive exercises are, in part, the reason why this training is so unique. In one exercise, the class participants brainstorm to define the word “customer” and then spend time evaluating the kind of quality service a customer should expect. By defining industry concepts, members reach an agreement about the overall standard and superiority their service should emulate. In another session, a discussion is facilitated between management and field electricians about common issues experienced while on a job site. This exercise allows the managers to view a scenario through the eyes of a field electrician, while, in turn, allowing electricians an inside look at a manager’s perspective. The result has been a common understanding of the differing roles on a job site and how open communication can benefit efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Code training director Paul Holum has witnessed several break-through moments from course participants throughout the 38 courses he has supervised. Holum says he can actually see the moment the messaging clicks in the minds of participants, due to a change in their facial expressions. Holum believes the best way to arrive at this awareness is by teaching participants innovative ways to market their services through improved communication and customer relations. Group discussions and role playing scenarios challenge employees to perfect their customer service skills.
OlympiaTech Electric owner Paul Kosmides was the first shop owner to train his entire staff through the Code of Excellence program. Kosmides saw the Code as an opportunity to bolster his business by marketing a completely new trend in electrical contracting . His main initiative for his investment was to help his customers understand the value of union labor. In addition, he saw the program as a natural fit because it closely aligned with his business philosophy of delivering outstanding customer service. Since completion of the program, Kosmides has seen incredible team dynamics and flexibility from his staff. OlympiaTech is currently working to certify upcoming projects such as the United Health Group facility in Minnetonka and the U.S. Bank Asset Management building in downtown Minneapolis.
Joel Moryn, president of Minneapolis-based Parson Electric and electrical contractor on the MacPhail Center for Music construction site, reports similar success on his Code of Excellence certified projects. Five months into the MacPhail construction, the site needed to supplement the existing work crew. Code of Excellence workers were called in from the local hiring hall to fill the necessary need. The Code certified electricians integrated seamlessly into the crew and fully embraced the already established culture of good customer service and high productivity. Moryn claims the common language of productivity and customer service skills the Code training provides directly benefits the bottom line on any project.
An additional benefit Moryn has noticed on his Code of Excellence job sites is a surge in positive attitude and teamwork at the workplace. By learning how to better communicate with their peers, teams have worked together more effectively and efficiently. The Code of Excellence has created a common language throughout every level and department. When a situation comes up, members are able to ask themselves, ‘Does this fall within the Code of Excellence?’ The result has been an enthusiastic and productive workforce on all of his Code certified sites.
One can see how imperative it is to have a workforce certified with the Code of Excellence by the significant jobs taken on by IBEW certified workforces. With the construction of the new Minnesota Twins Stadium beginning, the productivity of the personnel employed to do the work directly affects the timeline and quality of the end product. By hiring a Code of Excellence certified staff, the developers and owners are assured the construction will be completed on time and on budget by a well-trained, reliable workforce.
Due to the amazing response of the program by contactors and owners, we predict the Code of Excellence will become a long-term standard in the Twin Cities construction industry. Not only is the Code of Excellence a way for IBEW to remain the most customer focused and progressive labor force available, it also speaks volumes about the electrical industry as a whole. Electricians, shop owners and contractors have shown incredible foresight in their investment in the Code of Excellence program. Confident with the continued success of the program, we see the Code of Excellence as a lasting labor service in the Twin Cities construction industry for years to come.
