#2 - Leadership Lounge - Building the People and the Teams that Build Your Projects

GBA Podcast

Leadership Lounge - Building the People and the Teams that Build Your Projects

About This Episode
In this episode, we interview with Sydney Jacques, a business coach who specializes in leadership and team development, particularly within the engineering and construction industries. Jacques discusses her career journey, her coaching philosophy, and several frameworks she uses to improve team communication, address conflict, and foster a positive work environment.

Series Summary
In the Leadership Lounge hosts Tiffany Vorhies and Ryan White have conversations with business coaches and share ideas to elevate your team. Have you ever wondered how a skilled coach might be able to help you or your firm? Well, you're in the right place! In each episode we sit down with a business coach who shares their tools, insights, and practical tips. From personal coaches to strategy planning specialists and even a hostage negotiator who coaches on listening. We will explore topics like the ROI of coaching, how investing in coaching pays dividends beyond the balance sheet. Effective execution, how coaches can help your team stay on task and complete those lofty goals. Innovation igniters, unleashing creativity within corporate walls. Culture crafting, shaping cultures that attract and retain your top talent. Together, let's go on a journey of insight, inspiration, and impact. Remember, success in business is a team sport. And our coaches know how to write a game plan for business victory.

About Our Guest
Sydne Jacques, PE, CSP
Sydne Jacques is a dynamic and highly sought-after professional speaker, renowned for her ability to inspire and empower individuals and organizations to reach their full potential. With her captivating stage presence and compelling storytelling, Sydne leaves a lasting impact on audiences worldwide. Instead of focusing on building projects, Sydne Jacques focuses on building the people and the teams that build your projects. With today’s shrinking workforce, it’s more important than ever to retain your key workers.

Sydne has worked with over 600 different teams and organizations in the construction industry. Her strategy to develop cultures of increased trust and communication consistently results in higher levels of engagement and buy-in, lower rates of turnover and increased profitability.

Sydne is the CEO of Next Level Leadership, is a professional engineer turned professional speaker and consultant, often referred to as "the engineer with a personality." Her leadership has led to the establishment of an award-winning company with clients spanning across the globe, including Japan, Korea and Guam. With a track record of training over 20,000 individuals and collaborating with more than 600 teams, Sydne has made a significant impact in the industry.

Our Hosts
Tiffany Vorhies, NACE CIP-2, PMP – Principal/Vice PresidentSME
Project management professional with twenty-five years of experience related to the built environment. Tiffany manages a department that specializes in weld and concrete reviews. A large part of what they do is related to fabrication oversight prior to construction. Then they also follow the life cycle of the structures through the building phase, and into the maintenance phase. From lighting structures and sign trusses over the highway, to culverts and bridges underneath it, we work with owners to protect their assets.

Tiffany's specialties include program management of multi-year projects, including contract and scope negotiation, laboratory/field testing, data collection, and quality assurance of data. Our projects typically include Certified Welding Inspectors, nondestructive testing specialists, Prestressed concrete specialists, engineers, and laboratory technicians.

Ryan White, PE, GE – Principal Geotechnical Engineer/PBS Engineering and Environmental LLC
As PBS’ Principal Geotechnical Engineer, Ryan is regularly involved with all aspects of geotechnical projects, from exploration through construction, with wide-ranging scopes and complexity. Ryan leads the PBS geotechnical engineering team, bringing over 27 years of experience in successful project management and engineering in areas such as shallow and deep foundation design; slope stability evaluation, monitoring, and stabilization; shoring; retaining wall design; stormwater infiltration; pavement design; and seismic evaluation. Ryan’s project experience includes multi-story commercial developments, schools and universities, municipal facilities, utility alignments, water and wastewater facilities, bridges, roadways, and industrial facilities.

Lessons Learned:

• Introduction (0:00 - 2:12)
• Sydney's Journey to Coaching (2:13 - 5:52)
• The Power of Frameworks and the Upper Arrow (5:53 - 11:00)
• Book: Competing Against Luck
• Book: Unreasonable Hospitality
• Foundational Philosophy: The Human Connection (11:01 - 16:50)
• Sydney's Current Work and Passion for Giving Back (16:51 - 21:41)
• The HIPP Model: A Framework for Feedback (21:42 - 30:18)
• Addressing Conflicting Perspectives and Clear the Air Meetings (30:19 - 33:02)
• Sydney's Approach to Coaching Teams and Individuals (33:03 - 35:41)
• Connecting with Sydney and Accessing Resources (35:42 - 38:35)
• Closing Remarks and Appreciation (38:36 - 40:00)
• Sydne's Fall 2023 Conference Presentation

Calls-to-action:

• Connect with Sydne Jacques: LinkedIn | Website
• Visit the GBA Website at https://www.geoprofessional.org for other training resources and reference materials and/or to become a member.
• Visit https://www.gbapodcast.com for future Podcast Episodes
• Contact us at [e-mail] with any podcast-related questions or comments

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This episode was produced by the following GBA Members:

• Tiffany Vorhies, NACE CIP-2, PMP – Principal/Vice PresidentSME
• Ryan White, PE, GE – Principal Geotechnical Engineer/PBS Engineering and Environmental LLC
• Megan Ritsema - Project Engineer/Langan Engineering & Environmental Services