FuturePlace: Gretchen thank you for your time and can you tell me more about yourself and the various hats you wear in Construction today and in the past?
Dr. Gretchen Gagel: Since my start as an engineering intern for Lone Star Gas in Dallas Texas in 1983, I’m grateful to have enjoyed many successes in the industry, culminating in my induction into the National Academy of Construction in 2021. During my career in the US, I advised large corporations such as GM, Intel, and Marriott on strategies to improve construction project delivery; and advised large engineering and construction companies on market growth and profitability strategies.
Two important events occurred in 2018 – the completion of my PhD in leadership, organisation culture, and change/agility, and my move to Australia. I had the good fortune of initiating both women’s leadership and first-time leader programs in the gas and crane industries with the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association (APGA) and the Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA). In 2023 Wiley Publishing asked me to write a book on women leading in construction. While I continue to serve on boards and committees and coach senior leaders, I realise I have a tremendous opportunity to impact the success of women and their male allies in our industry.
FuturePlace: You’re a pioneer of the industry and were walking the walk well before ‘Diversity in Construction’ was a real consideration. What was it like being a woman in construction a few decades ago and what are the biggest changes you have seen over the years?
Dr. Gretchen Gagel: I would be lying if I said there have not been some challenging experiences for me in our industry, but it is an industry I love. We humbly build and maintain the assets of civilization and we are an industry full of people that care, people that solve problems, people that work hard to bring projects to fruition. I think the biggest challenge as a woman in our industry is facing unconscious bias and the feeling that somehow you are not tough enough or smart enough to hold your own.
Twenty years ago, the president of our company asked me to meet with the five executives of a construction project that had gone terribly wrong. I could tell the owner of the construction firm thought I wasn’t up for the job. At the end of a grueling 12-hour negotiation where we settled a $20 million change order on a $40 million guaranteed maximum price project, this person said to me, “Hugh was right. You were the right person to help us.”. The project manager for the client said, “Why don’t you tell her what you said to us?”. The contractor was brave enough to say to my face, “I told them there was no way a woman could help us solve this problem.”
FuturePlace: What else needs to happen to improve Diversity and attract more women and young people into construction?
Dr. Gretchen Gagel: You make an excellent point. It’s not just about attracting women. We need all young people to see us as an industry of choice. The Chairperson of a large construction company in the US recently said to me, “Why don’t we have flushing toilets on sites?”. Great question. We are, after all, contractors. Why do we feel we have to be an industry that only the toughest survive? Where long hours are the norm?
I think we need to continue to be creative about how we become a more attractive industry. Maybe we bring in portable flushing toilet facilities like they have at large outdoor events. Maybe we need to split a 14-hour job so that two people can each have a life outside of work. We also need to do a better job of promoting our industry. Where is our hit streaming series? We do exciting things that need to be shared with the world.
FuturePlace: You’re also on the Steering Committee for the Construction Industry Culture Taskforce (CICT) and what areas are you focused on in with this group?
Dr. Gretchen Gagel: I serve on both the CICT Steering Committee and the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America Diversity and Inclusion Committee which provides me with an excellent opportunity to share our work globally. Since 2018 CICT has worked in partnership with government and construction industry stakeholders to create a Culture Standard that improves productivity and addresses some of our major challenges: excessive work hours and fatigue, poor mental health, and failure to attract a diverse workforce. I recently recorded a Greatness Podcast with Dean Riha of Fulton Hogan about the success of one of the first pilot projects implementing the Culture Standard, and the results were amazing. We need brave leaders in our industry to step up and implement these types of changes to ensure we have a sustainable industry.
FuturePlace: You have recently published a book based on your incredible career and you also interviewed some of the amazing women and men in construction too. Can you tell me more about the book and some of the remarkable women you interviewed?
Dr. Gretchen Gagel: I am grateful to Wiley Publishing for reaching out to me to write this book, Building Women Leaders: A Blueprint for Women Thriving in Construction, available on Amazon.com.au. I interviewed nearly 50 female and male leaders in our industry for the book to ensure that diverse industry insights were included, and I believe it’s just as important for men to read the book as women. Ninety percent of the book is about leadership regardless of gender – how to be an authentic leader utilizing what I call the Ground Self-Leadership Framework, how to build strong relationships with people, how to lead high-performing teams and create organizational cultures where people thrive.
Ten percent of the book is about leadership in the context of being a woman in an industry where the dominant culture is white male. It is not a slam of white males, it is an acknowledgement that an industry’s culture is shaped by the largest population, and for us that happens to be white men. If you are inside the bubble of the dominant culture, you may not realise that people outside of it are having a different experience than you are in the industry. Women reading the book will gain tools to help them grow and thrive as leaders. Men reading the book will have more empathy for the lived experience of women in our industry and will understand how to mentor and support them as allies.
FuturePlace: What excites you most about the industry and the year ahead?
Dr. Gretchen Gagel: Of course, I’m excited to spread the word about the book – these things take a tremendous amount of time and energy, and I’m hopeful that this book will be a resource guide to many people in our industry for years to come. I’m excited about the role our industry will continue to play in solving the most complex challenges of our society – how our physical assets survive earthquakes, bushfires, melting permafrost; how we effectively navigate the energy transition; how we create spaces that fuel productivity and fulfillment. On a personal note, my first grandchild is arriving soon, which is incredibly exciting.
FuturePlace: Thank you for speaking at FCON25 and what parts of the summit are you most looking forward to?
Dr. Gretchen Gagel: I’m looking forward to all of it. I love hearing our leaders dive into topics that are important to us – how we adopt technology, how we adapt as challenges arise, how we attract the talent we need to be successful.
FuturePlace: Lastly, if you had a crystal ball, what predictions do you have for the industry over the coming decade?
Dr. Gretchen Gagel: I see us continuing to realise we need to change the culture and working conditions of our industry to attract the top talent we need to thrive. I see us making breakthroughs in how we use techniques like prefabrication to improve productivity and safety. I see us lifting our global image such that we command the respect we deserve. And I see us continuing to have pride in our people and the projects we complete in service of our communities. We are a great industry, and we will continue to improve and thrive.
I see us continuing to realise we need to change the culture and working conditions of our industry to attract the top talent we need to thrive.
Gretchen’s passion for transforming the construction industry is evident in every aspect of her work – from championing diversity and inclusion to reshaping industry culture for greater productivity and success. At FCON25, taking place 20th – 21st May in Brisbane, she’ll bring her expertise to the stage in two powerful discussions. In a fireside chat with Andre Noonan, COO of Acciona Australia, she’ll explore how instilling cultural change can drive operational performance through greater diversity. She’ll also take part in a panel discussion on building the skills and communication needed to enhance collaboration across construction teams and projects, alongside industry leaders Rebecca Pickering (CEO, South Australia Civil Contractors Federation), Dominic Martens (Digital Engineering Manager, Icon), and Angela Hucker (CEO, EPIC – Empowering People in Construction), facilitated by James Koch (CEO, CulturAlchemy). Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights from Gretchen and other leading voices in construction. Learn more and secure your spot at FCON25 today!
Dr. Gretchen Gagel
Member of the Steering Committee, Construction Industry Culture Taskforce
