INVESTING IN OUR INDUSTRY Inclusive Leaders Institute:
Building a Culture of Belonging BY CAROL EATON
L
ast summer, AGC of California and the AGC Construction Education Foundation (CEF)
announced that Granite Construction had signed on as Presenting Partner of the association’s recently launched Inclusive Leaders Institute. Through this partnership, Granite has provided financial support and helped ele- vate an industry-leading program that is already delivering on its mission to equip executive level construction leaders with the skills and strategies they need to create a culture of belonging in the workplace. In the modern era, a critical but often
Jorge Quezada
helps promote open sharing, honest dis- cussions, and peer learning. Jorge Quezada, chief diversity officer/
overlooked factor influencing productiv- ity and employee retention is a sense of belonging. A survey by Qualtrics under- scores this fact, revealing a disparity in engagement levels among employees. Ac- cording to the study, employees who feel a sense of belonging exhibit a staggering 91% engagement rate, in stark contrast to 20% among those who do not. Tis data highlights the importance of belonging, and the need for leaders to develop skills to promote inclusion in the workplace. Since the first cohort of construction executives came together to kick off the Inclusive Leaders Institute in mid-2022, a total of 16 construction leaders have partic- ipated in the program to date. Developed in partnership with Dr. Kellie McElhaney of UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, Center for Gender, Equity, and Leadership, the program is organized into approximately six-week-long virtual sessions. It groups participants who are at similar levels on their career journeys into cohorts, which
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CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR MAY/JUNE 2024
vice president of people & culture at Granite Construction, said that the invi- tation for Granite to partner with AGC of California and the CEF and sponsor the Inclusive Leaders Institute was an easy decision for the Watsonville-headquar- tered company, which has long embraced inclusion as a core value. “It was a perfect fit,” Quezada com-
mented, pointing out that the compa- ny continues to follow the vision of its founder, Walter J. “Pop” Wilkinson, who encouraged Granite employees to conduct business “boldly contending for that which is right and firmly rejecting that which is wrong.” Tat advice still informs the company’s approach six decades after his passing and “captures the spirit of our core values,” according to Quezada. “We as a company are committed to
creating inclusive environments in our industry, but we know that we need the rest of the industry to join us,” Quezada added. “So what better way to do that
than have industry leaders learn strate- gies through this (Inclusive Leadership Institute) program?” Granite embraced the partnership as
a way to give back to the community as well as to support a professional develop- ment program that could benefit its own executives seeking to learn and reinforce inclusive leadership skills and strategies. Bringing about change in the attitudes
and practices that promote greater in- clusion in the construction industry “is a long-term proposition,” Quezada said, referencing a book by Jim Collins, “Good to Great,” which describes how companies, and industries, can transform. “Right now, we are in the early stages of the buildup, creating greater awareness about why having inclusive leaders is so important in an industry like con- struction,” he said. “As we see increased awareness, participation, and then greater engagement, ultimately, we are going to see transformation take place. We are now in the buildup to see the breakthrough.” Quezada views the partnership that has developed between Granite, AGC
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