BC Road Builders

Construction depends on people being willing to say what others may not want to hear. A worker sees a problem with the plan. A superintendent makes a decision that someone believes creates risk. A crew member notices a mistake but isn't sure whether to raise it. Someone disagrees with the most experienced person in the room.

The challenge isn't simply creating a workplace where people can speak up - it's building the skills and leadership culture that help people challenge, disagree and deliver difficult messages constructively when the stakes are high.

This practical one-hour session moves beyond the fundamentals of psychological safety and explores what happens in the moments when speaking up is hardest. Participants will examine why people stay silent, how hierarchy and pressure influence behaviour, how leaders unintentionally shut down dissent, and how workers and supervisors can disagree without creating unnecessary conflict.

The session connects psychological safety directly to decision-making, safety, quality, rework, accountability and project performance and provides practical tools for creating crews where respectful challenge is viewed as an asset rather than insubordination.

Key Objectives

Participants will:

1. Recognize the moments when silence becomes a project risk - and understand why capable, experienced people sometimes choose not to challenge a decision, raise a concern or admit a mistake.
2. Understand how hierarchy, personality, time pressure and leadership behaviour influence whether people speak up, particularly when challenging someone with greater authority or experience.
3. Learn how to challenge decisions constructively using practical language and communication techniques that allow people to disagree, question assumptions and raise concerns without unnecessarily escalating conflict.
4. Develop leadership behaviours that invite challenge rather than punish it, including how supervisors respond when someone questions them, brings bad news, admits an error or offers a different point of view.

Delivery Method: Virtual Session – Zoom Meeting

Sharing a single registration between two or more individuals is not permitted. Please register each person that will be in attendance.

Important Note: 

We encourage active participation in this workshop, which may involve interactive elements such as polls, word clouds, and multiple-choice questions and the ability to submit questions to the presenters. To ensure a safe and confidential space, we want to highlight that you will have the option to interact with us anonymously using the Zoom chat feature.

Your privacy and comfort are of utmost importance, and we want to create an environment where everyone feels free to engage openly. If you have any concerns or questions about anonymity or the interactive features, please feel free to reach out to [email protected]

For support or inquiries, please email [email protected] or call 604-293-2339.