Friends… I want to be a Sister of the Traveling Hard Hat.
Let me explain: It’s #ConstructionInclusionWeek and, as you all know, this is an issue that I have centered on in my time at SEIA.
We’ve organized gatherings, launched programs, developed tools, and published best practices. As an association, we’ve incorporated DEIJ into every vertical of our work.
But at the end of the day, it’s companies that translate these goals into meaningful change.
So, this year for #ConstructionInclusionWeek, I wanted to uplift a specific example of the #solar industry taking the lead.
Enter: Mortenson’s Sisters of the Traveling Hard Hat.
The Sisters of the Traveling Hard Hat is a #solar energy site-specific mentorship program.
Project teams of all sizes will nominate a Site Sister — a woman leader who exemplifies positivity, grit, determination, hard work, and a team-centric attitude. The Site Sister is someone who takes charge, shares their wisdom, and creates community.
On every Solar Energy project, team members are nominated and then a Site Sister is selected by her peers. The program provides a platform for these leaders to amplify their voices and pass on their expertise to employees across the business.
Plus, they get a really cool hard hat! 👷♀️
I love this program for a lot of reasons, but there are two things that I think make it successful:
1) Community building.
Mortenson has now created a community of strong women who can learn and grow from each other AND provide an example to the rest of the industry. This is how we build long-term leaders and retain the very best workers.
It’s the same reasoning behind our Solar Sisters group and our affinity group gatherings at events. It’s about making space for strong social bonds and bringing more folks into the fold. I know that I personally would not be where I am today without the community of women I’ve met in the energy industry.
2) So often, inclusion is about seeing yourself in leadership spaces.
Every team member at Mortenson now has a group of strong, determined women to draw inspiration from. Each project team is looking to women to lead. Showing young women and women of color that their leadership, their perspectives are valued… is precisely the motivation that Construction Inclusion Week is all about.
I want to thank Mortenson, Eric Grenz, and Liz Lachowitzer for sharing this story and leading with this innovative program.
I also want to challenge every business in solar:
What are you doing for #ConstructionInclusionWeek?
What example are you setting?
How are you creating a community and showing your employees that each and every one of them can be leaders?
The group below is from Girvin, TX, and highlights a recent recipient of the Sisters of the Traveling Hard Hat. Read more stories from the Sisters of the Traveling Hard Hat on Mortenson’s website: https://lnkd.in/eGzZs2yE
#Inclusion #DiversityInConstruction