“The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.”
Ken Blanchard
THE ART OF LEADERSHIP
Earn influence to ignite action through a trusted example!
Authority can command compliance, but influence inspires commitment. People follow what they trust, not what they fear. Earn influence by showing up consistently, clarifying purpose, and aligning words with actions. When your example is steady and your intent is transparent, teams lean in, share ideas early, and move faster with pride.
Start by listening deeply. Translate goals into a clear definition of done, owners, and timelines. Share the why behind decisions and surface constraints early. Invite dissent, convert it into small experiments, and learn in short cycles. Give credit publicly, deliver feedback privately, and remove obstacles quickly so momentum survives inevitable setbacks.
Lead through visibility. Replace status reports with brief demos and customer signals to track key leading indicators, such as cycle time, quality, and adoption. Keep promises to the minute, ask better questions, and spotlight others’ work. Influence grows when people feel seen, supported, and responsible. That culture turns ambition into execution and results into reputation.
For ninety days, practice influence: listen first, clarify outcomes, model standards, mentor teammates, remove blockers, celebrate progress, review metrics weekly.
COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION
How does One Call Concepts transform 811 contact centers into safer communities?
When safety is on the line, clarity and care save the day. One Call Concepts powers notification centers that help keep excavators, utilities, and communities protected. By uniting proven processes with adaptable technology, they transform complex notifications into timely and accurate actions.
Experience matters. They continually refine intake, mapping, and reporting so every ticket reaches the right hands fast. Continuous training, QA, and data insights enhance performance and mitigate risk, while upholding the promise that everyone returns home safely.
But the real difference is partnership. OCC listens, iterates, and champions industry best practices, helping clients build resilient operations that thrive in the face of pressure. When people, process, and software align, damage prevention becomes a habit, and progress continues without disruption.
Trusted partner advancing damage prevention with people, process, and technology, turning interactions into safer projects, stronger infrastructure, and confident communities.
INFRASTRUCTURE INDUSTRY
Will the funding pause slow tunnel and subway construction across New York?
This week, the federal government froze approximately $18 billion for New York’s Hudson Tunnel and Second Avenue Subway projects, including a $300 million reimbursement that is now under review. Agencies say construction continues for now, but prolonged delays could disrupt payments and upcoming bids as the shutdown slows reviews and disbursements.
Large transit megaprojects rely on Full Funding Grant Agreements and staged reimbursements tied to milestones. Cash-flow certainty allows teams to award tunnel, station, and systems packages in sequence; uncertainty forces contingency financing, defers procurements, and can lead to higher bid prices.
For the Hudson Tunnel, sustaining early contracts and long-lead orders protects TBM launch preparation and bridge, utility, and Tonnelle Avenue works that are already underway. For Phase 2 of the subway, keeping utility relocations and property acquisitions on schedule helps avoid idle crews and neighborhood disruptions while station and tunnel contracts are mobilized.
Track agency updates, funding milestones, and contract awards to anticipate detours, preserve safety, and support the timely delivery of essential capacity.
RESIDENTIAL RESEARCH
Will EPA’s HFC proposal ease HVAC choices for homebuilders this winter nationwide?
On September 30, EPA proposed revising its 2023 Technology Transitions rule under the AIM Act. The proposal would extend HFC compliance deadlines across multiple sectors and, crucially for homebuilding, allow residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pumps manufactured or imported before January 1, 2025, to be installed indefinitely. A 45-day comment period will open after publication in the Federal Register, followed by a virtual hearing.
This matters because many builders and HVAC trades had planned around an end-of-2025 installation cutoff. Removing it reduces the risk of stranded inventory, eases scheduling pressure, and can broaden equipment options while the HFC phasedown continues. Near-term budgets may stabilize as distributors sell through existing stock instead of rushing conversions.
This week, inventory equipment on order, confirm model eligibility with suppliers, and update specifications, procurement language, and permit notes. Calendar the 45-day window and the hearing to provide project-level feedback on install timelines, training, and safety considerations.
Reprice HVAC packages, verify allowable equipment, update schedules, and submit comments now to align projects with EPA’s proposed installation flexibilities.
TOOLBOX TALK
Underground Utility Locate and Digging Safety
Good morning, Team!
Today, we are covering safe locating, potholing, and excavation around buried utilities.
Why It Matters
Line strikes can cause explosions, electrocution, flooding, and outages. Mismarked or unmarked lines, bad depth assumptions, and rushing increase risk.
Strategies for Safe Digging
Planning and locates: Verify utility tickets are active. Walk the site with maps, confirm responses, and identify tolerance zones. Stop if marks are missing or conflicting.
Marking and Tolerance: Maintain color-coded marks. Hand dig or vacuum the pothole within the zone to expose lines. Never assume depth; verify with potholes at required intervals.
Equipment and methods: Use nonconductive tools near electricity. Keep the excavator outside the tolerance zone and use a spotter to ensure accurate positioning. Use soft excavation methods for fiber and gas. Keep buckets and teeth off exposed lines.
Protection and support: Ensure shroud or crib exposed lines maintain clearance and prevent point loading. Keep spoil and equipment at least two feet back from marks and trench edges.
Communication and emergency: Hold a pre-dig brief. Maintain hand signals or radio contact. If a line is damaged, stop work, evacuate the area, call the utilities and 911, and secure the area to prevent further damage.
Discussion Questions
Where are today’s locates, tolerance zones, and planned pothole points?
Who is the operator and spotter, and how will we communicate?
Conclusion
Careful planning, verification, and gentle exposure prevent strikes and outages.
Locate it, pothole it, dig smart!
