Staying Focussed Amidst the Chaos
Last week, I attended my son’s Year 12 graduation, an important milestone that I didn’t want to miss. In addition to this, I had other important personal commitments and work events I had to attend to. I know I’m not alone here; most people have a jam packed schedule leading in to the end of the year.
The run in to the Christmas break is a hectic and stressful time with many competing demands, as we juggle parties, shopping, hosting, planning, traveling, and work. There’s a good chance many of us will lose focus and momentum and it’s very easy to get overwhelmed and burnt out. Our to-do list swells, while our time shrinks. I find it challenging enough to manage my own busy schedule, let alone trying to keep a team motivated and on task.
But now more than ever, it is paramount that we maintain our focus amidst the chaos as we are pushed to our limits to meet important work targets. Particularly in the construction industry, we need to remain vigilant and ensure safe work practices under pressure.
Some of the ways I assist my staff to stay focused and maintain productivity during this busy time is by encouraging them to plan early, communicate their expectations and schedule, create to-do lists and to prioritise their tasks. I also advise them to watch out for unnecessary distractions, to not over commit and to take care of themselves physically and mentally.
And as for me, I know that breathing down my staff’s neck until 5:30pm on Christmas Eve is not going to achieve anything other than adding to their stress and lack of motivation. It’s important that I engage with them to understand the pressures they are facing. I am acutely aware that their distractions may not just be over the excitement of the upcoming Christmas break and taking time off, but there may be more serious reasons why this time of the year is difficult for them. Encouraging my team to find balance between their personal commitments and work is key and I know that as a leader, it is particularly important that I practice what I preach and lead by example.
Taking all this in to account, there really is no one magic answer to staying focused and calm amidst all the chaos. As long as we stay engaged with our staff and colleagues, support each other and encourage open communication, we can work through this busy period as smoothly as possible and better as a team.
Marcus Rigney
Managing Director | Load 28 Crane Hire | Victor Harbor Cranes
AGI Project Update
Load 28 was proud to support and sponsor the 2022 Building Excellence Awards, held at the Adelaide Convention Centre of Friday 19 August. We presented two awards on the evening:
Excellence in Commercial / Industrial Building $50M to $100M to Synergy Construct for GSA Student Accommodation and Excellence in Civil to McMahon Services Australia for the Offshore Wave Generator Remediation project in Carrickalinga. Both outstanding projects worthy of recognition.
Managing Director, Marcus Rigney was also privileged to judge commercial entries in the Awards this year and see first hand some of the outstanding projects being built in South Australia.
Marcus judged alongside Construction Manager Ken McLeavey and a team of 22 experienced and independent judges throughout May and June, visiting projects all over the State, including the Clare Valley and is excited to have accepted a role to return as a judge in the 2023 Awards.
Kangaroo Island Lift and Install
Load 28 and Victor Harbor Cranes travelled by sea to Kangaroo Island recently to lift transportable modules into position for our valued client ECS Project Logistics.
Our team’s strong focus on planning the work and working the plan was key to ensuring these modules were moved and installed efficiently and safely.
Our new 60T Liebherr working hard on the Fleurieu
Our new 60 ton Liebherr has been earning its stripes on the Fleurieu over the past few months for some of our valued clients. Here’s our Victor Harbor Cranes Supervisor Darren Ancell on a recent job for Kookaburra Homes lifting frames.
Should you have a project on the Fleurieu, no matter how big or how small, contact Darren on 0499 402 469.
Safework October
Load 28 Managing Director Marcus Rigney presented and provided awareness training on Ground Bearing Capacity to the Sarah Constructions team in early October.
This kicked off Sarah Constructions’ ‘Safework October’ program that saw them running weekly workshops to create awareness and guide their employees on a range of topics celebrating all things safety.
Project Completion: 69 Melbourne Street
Last month we finalised our work on 69 Melbourne Street, dismantling our tower crane in mid-July. It’s been awesome to be involved in this project; supporting our client to paint some very large murals on the building’s façade.
This is what we love about the industry, no job is ever the same! We think the artist did an amazing job and the building looks great! What do you think?
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…
Load 28 was proud to support the Adelaide City Council to install the Adelaide City Christmas tree with our sister company Nicks Cranes Services.
The Nicks Cranes family have always been so passionate about this task and we are more than happy to continue this important tradition, honouring the Nicks crane brand and supporting our local community.
