On April 27, GBCA’s Construction Leadership Council hosted a virtual Coffee Chat with Michael (Mike) Armento, Senior Vice President of Torcon, Inc. This informal meeting provided GBCA’s young construction professionals an opportunity to hear from an experienced construction executive, and to ask frank questions about working in Philadelphia’s commercial construction industry.
Mike discussed how he came into the construction industry, why he believes strongly in promoting the construction industry to a future workforce, and what it takes to be a successful leader in the construction industry. Some key takeaways:
- Get to know people. People are often different from your initial perceptions. Knowing people better can also help you when working with them in business.
- A good leader should behave following three principles: Be honest, be fair, and be firm.
- If you are a leader of a company, help new talent see a clear path for professional development.
- Be honest with your employer if you need to figure out work-life balance and take time for yourself. If you have an employer that can be flexible with work hours, just be aware to not abuse that flexibility: Work must still be done and ultimately, the clients’ needs are the top priority.
To the extent that you can, and this is difficult if you’re trying to build up your professional status and dedicate time to move up, I would encourage you to find a balance between work and home life, especially family. … You don’t want to get to the tail end of your career and say, “Gee, I wish I would have spent less time working on my career and more with my family.”
Michael Armento, Senior Vice President, Torcon, Inc.
Read a more detailed recap of the Coffee Chat, courtesy of MRG – Madison Risk Group:
Thanks to Mike for sharing his thoughts and advice with us, and thanks to all who attended!
