By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group.  

The question isn't whether learning is taking place. The question is whether your organization is teaching the lessons that will make it stronger tomorrow than it is today.

One of the biggest misconceptions in business is that training only happens when people gather in a conference room, attend a seminar or complete an online course. In reality, training starts the moment someone walks through the door. Every conversation. Every decision. Every project meeting. Every jobsite. Every interaction between a foreman and a new crew member. Every response from a project manager. Every expectation an owner reinforces — or overlooks. 

Whether a company realizes it or not, it's teaching people how the business operates every single day. The only question is whether those lessons are intentional. I've spent much of my career helping roofing contractors improve operations, and one observation has stayed with me through every company I've worked with. People usually don't perform the way leadership expects. They perform the way leadership consistently demonstrates. That's an important distinction. 

I've walked into companies that proudly told me they had excellent procedures, detailed manuals and well-developed systems. Yet when I spent time with their teams, I found something entirely different. Employees weren't following the documented process because they had learned another one. 

They had learned how the company actually operated. Those lessons didn't come from a training manual. They came from:  

• Watching experienced employees 
• Seeing which standards leadership enforced and which ones quietly disappeared when business became busy. 
• Observing what happened when mistakes occurred, deadlines slipped or communication broke down. 

People pay far more attention to behavior than they do to policy. 

One lesson I've learned over the years is that culture isn't created by what a company says. It's created by what the company consistently accepts. If incomplete job documentation is tolerated, new employees learn documentation isn't really important. If project handoff meetings are frequently skipped, new project managers quickly conclude they're optional. If change orders are delayed until the end of the project, that becomes the accepted way of doing business. Nobody needs to explain those expectations. People learn them simply by working there. 

I've also noticed that new employees become remarkably good observers. Before they're confident enough to make decisions on their own, they're watching everyone around them. 

• How does the superintendent handle pressure? 
• How does the project manager communicate with the customer? 
• How does the estimator respond when production questions arise? 
• How does the owner react when problems develop? 

Those observations become the foundation of their professional habits. Long before they're officially trained, they're already learning. That's why experienced leaders understand they're always setting an example, even when they don't realize it. 

A foreman who begins every morning with a clear plan is teaching preparation. A project manager who follows through on commitments is teaching accountability. An estimator who takes the time to explain production assumptions is teaching collaboration. An owner who remains calm during difficult situations is teaching confidence. Those lessons become part of the company's culture because people naturally repeat what they experience most often. 

Unfortunately, the opposite is equally true. I've seen organizations unintentionally train employees to accept constant firefighting as normal. They learned that planning could wait because someone would eventually solve the problem. They learned that communication wasn't necessary until something went wrong. They learned that documentation could always be completed later. Over time, those habits became the company's operating system. No one designed it that way. It simply developed through repetition.  

One observation that has stayed with me throughout my career is that companies don't drift toward excellence. They drift toward whatever behaviors leadership reinforces most consistently. That's why culture requires far more than good intentions. It requires consistency. 

One thing I admire about exceptional roofing companies is that they recognize teaching doesn't stop after orientation. Every project becomes an opportunity to develop people. Job reviews aren't simply discussions about profit and loss. They're learning sessions. Project meetings aren't just about schedules. They're opportunities to improve communication and decision-making. 

Even mistakes become valuable if leadership takes the time to explain what happened and how similar situations can be avoided in the future. That approach creates something every contractor wants, but very few intentionally build. Institutional knowledge. Knowledge that doesn't exist in one person's head. Knowledge that's shared, reinforced and passed from one generation of employees to the next. 

I've often said that one of the greatest risks facing any roofing company isn't losing a customer. It's losing decades of experience because no one took the time to pass it on. Strong companies don't allow that to happen. They create environments where experienced people teach naturally because leadership values learning as much as production. 

Another lesson I've carried with me over the years is that training isn't measured by how many classes employees attend. It's measured by how they perform when no one is watching. That's when habits reveal themselves. That's when culture becomes visible. 

Technology has created tremendous opportunities to improve learning. Online training, digital resources and mobile access have made education more available than ever before. Those tools are valuable, and they should absolutely be part of a company's development strategy. 

But technology doesn't replace leadership. People still learn most effectively by watching experienced professionals make decisions, solve problems and demonstrate the standards expected throughout the organization. That's how confidence is built. That's how judgment develops. That's how future leaders emerge. 

The strongest roofing companies I've worked with understand that every day is a training day. Every conversation either strengthens the culture or weakens it. Every decision either reinforces expectations or quietly changes them. Every leader is teaching something. Whether they intended to or not. Because your roofing company is always training someone. 

By John Kenney.  

Roofing companies don't improve simply because people work harder. They improve because leadership helps people focus on what matters most. 

Walk into almost any roofing company during the busy season, and you'll see the same thing. Phones are ringing. Estimators are turning around bids. Project managers are juggling multiple jobs. Crews are moving from one project to the next. Owners are answering questions before finishing the last conversation. From the outside, it looks productive. Everyone is busy. The problem is that being busy has never guaranteed that the business is moving in the right direction. 

Over the years, I've noticed that some of the hardest-working roofing companies I've encountered weren't necessarily the most profitable. They had talented people, good reputations and plenty of work. Yet they constantly felt like they were trying to catch up. At the same time, I've worked with companies that seemed noticeably calmer. They weren't working less. They weren't less committed. In many cases, they were actually growing faster. The difference wasn't effort. It was focus.  

One lesson this industry has reinforced throughout my career is that efficiency and effectiveness are not the same thing. Efficiency is about doing work quickly. Effectiveness is about making sure you're doing the right work in the first place. Those two ideas often get confused. 

A project manager can answer fifty emails in a day and still avoid the one conversation that would have prevented next week's scheduling problem. An estimator can produce more bids than anyone else in the office but spend valuable time pursuing projects that never fit the company's strengths. An owner can attend meetings from morning until evening without making a single decision that moves the company forward.Everyone was efficient. Very little was effective. 

I've learned that roofing companies don't usually become overwhelmed because people are lazy. They become overwhelmed because everyone is busy responding to work instead of intentionally directing it. That distinction changes everything. Think about how often interruptions shape the day. A customer calls with an urgent question. A supplier needs clarification. A foreman encounters an unexpected condition. Accounting needs information. Another opportunity to bid arrives. Every one of those situations deserves attention. But not every one deserves immediate attention. 

One of the characteristics I've consistently seen in exceptional leaders is their ability to distinguish between activity and priority. They don't simply ask, "What needs to be done?" They ask, "What matters most right now?" That question sounds simple. In practice, it's incredibly difficult. Especially in roofing. 

Construction has a way of making everything feel urgent. Weather changes. Deliveries move. Customers call. Crews need answers. Without discipline, the loudest issue quickly becomes the most important one — even when it shouldn't.  

I've walked enough jobs to know that some of the biggest operational problems started because leadership became consumed by the urgent while quietly neglecting the important. Planning meetings were postponed.Project reviews were delayed. Training was pushed to another week. Communication became shorter. Documentation waited until tomorrow. No one intended for those things to happen. Everyone was trying to survive the day. Eventually, the day started running the business instead of leadership running the day. 

Another observation that's stayed with me is that effective leaders become very comfortable saying no. Not because they don't care. Because they understand that every yes carries a cost. Every unnecessary meeting consumes time that could have been spent coaching a project manager. Every project accepted without available management capacity affects every existing customer. Every interruption accepted without question steals attention from something more important.  

Time is one of the few resources a roofing company cannot purchase more of. The strongest leaders protect it carefully. I've often told owners that one of the most valuable exercises they can perform is reviewing how leadership spent the previous week. Not what was accomplished. How time was invested. Did most decisions move the business forward? Or did leadership spend another week reacting to whatever appeared next? The answer usually explains a great deal about the company's operational performance. 

Technology has certainly improved efficiency. Estimating software is faster. Project management platforms organize information better. Artificial intelligence is helping contractors complete tasks that once requiredsignificant manual effort. Those are meaningful advancements.  

But technology doesn't determine effectiveness. It simply allows companies to perform existing processes more quickly. If the wrong priorities are driving the work, faster technology helps organizations become more efficient at heading in the wrong direction. That's an uncomfortable thought. It's also an important one. 

The companies I've admired most throughout my career weren't the busiest. They weren't the loudest. They weren't constantly celebrating how much work they had under contract. What impressed me was something much simpler. They seemed to know exactly where leadership belonged. Owners focused on leading. Project managers focused on managing. Foremen focused on execution.  

Everyone understood their priorities. Because priorities were clear, decisions became clearer. Because decisions became clearer, operations became more predictable. And because operations became more predictable, profitability usually followed. 

One lesson I've never forgotten is that roofing companies don't improve simply because people work harder. They improve because leadership helps people focus on what matters most. That's effectiveness. Efficiency makes companies faster. Effectiveness makes them better. The strongest roofing companies understand they need both. But if forced to choose between the two, they'll always prioritize effectiveness. Because moving quickly in the wrong direction has never been a winning strategy. 

By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group.  

In roofing, companies rarely lose their edge overnight. More often...they slowly drift away from it. 

One of the biggest challenges facing successful roofing companies isn't a lack of opportunity. It isn't finding work, investing in technology or even attracting good people. It's maintaining the operational discipline that made them successful in the first place. 

I've watched companies grow from a handful of employees into organizations with multiple crews, several project managers and an impressive backlog of work. From the outside, they looked like success stories. Revenue was increasing. New customers were coming in. The business appeared healthy. 

Then, almost without anyone noticing, things started to change. Project reviews became less consistent. Communication between departments became more informal. Jobsite visits happened a little less often. Purchasing decisions became rushed. Documentation slipped. Follow-up conversations that once happened automatically were postponed because everyone was busy. 

None of those changes seemed significant at the time. Together, they changed the company. 

I've come to believe that roofing companies rarely lose operational control because of one major event. They lose it through operational drift. Operational drift doesn't announce itself. It doesn't send an email or show up during a management meeting. It happens quietly. Processes that were once followed every time become "most of the time." Meetings that were once considered essential become optional. Once non-negotiable standards slowly become suggestions. The company continues moving forward, but the discipline that built its reputation begins fading in small, almost invisible ways.  

That's what makes operational drift so dangerous. It feels harmless. One thing I've learned over the years is that people rarely wake up and decide to lower their standards. Good people don't intentionally create average companies. Operational drift happens because everyone is trying to solve today's problem. When the phones are ringing, projects are behind schedule and customers need answers, it's easy to convince yourself that you'll get back to the process later. The problem is that "later" tends to become permanent. 

I've seen estimating reviews disappear because everyone was focused on bidding more work. I've seen project handoff meetings shortened until they eventually disappeared altogether. I've watched job cost reviews become quarterly discussions instead of the conversations that used to happen after every project. None of those decisions were made because leadership stopped caring. They were made because everyone believed they were saving time. In reality, they were borrowing problems from the future. 

One observation has stayed with me throughout my career. Strong operations aren't built on extraordinary decisions. They're built on ordinary disciplines repeated consistently. 

The daily habits that don't seem exciting are usually the ones protecting profitability. A project manager who follows up when they said they would. A superintendent who completes documentation before leaving the jobsite. An estimator who communicates assumptions instead of expecting others to figure them out. An owner who insists on reviewing projects even when the company is busy. 

Those aren't extraordinary actions. They're operational disciplines. The strongest companies protect them because they understand something many organizations overlook. Consistency compounds. So does inconsistency. 

Another mistake I see is assuming growth automatically means improvement. Growth creates opportunity, but it also magnifies weaknesses. A process that worked with two project managers may begin breaking down with six. Communication that felt natural in a twenty-person company becomes much more difficult when the organization reaches one hundred employees. Responsibilities become less clear. Decisions take longer.Information travels through more people. Without intentional structure, operational drift accelerates. That's why I often tell contractors that growth doesn't create operational problems. It exposes the ones that were already there. 

I've also noticed that operational drift usually appears long before financial reports reveal it. Margins slowly become less predictable. Projects require more management attention. Crews spend more time waiting for decisions. Customers begin asking more questions. Leadership feels busier than ever but struggles to explain why. Those are operational warning signs. The financial results arrive later. 

The companies that avoid operational drift have something in common. They periodically stop and ask themselves difficult questions: 

• Are we still following the processes that made us successful?  
• Have our standards changed without us realizing it? 
• Are we solving problems — or simply becoming better at living with them? 

Those conversations require honesty. They also require leadership. 

One lesson I've carried with me over the years is that companies don't stay excellent by accident. Operational excellence has to be protected. Every process. Every expectation. Every standard. Not because people can'tbe trusted. Because organizations naturally drift toward whatever leadership consistently reinforces. 

That's why culture matters. Culture isn't built by mission statements hanging on a wall. It's built by what leadership chooses to inspect, discuss and expect every single day. If leadership stops paying attention to the details, eventually everyone else will too.  

The encouraging news is that operational drift is completely reversible. It doesn't require rebuilding the company. It requires reconnecting the organization with the disciplines that made it successful in the first place.Sometimes that means slowing down long enough to evaluate how work is actually being performed. Sometimes it means having conversations that should have happened months earlier. Sometimes it means simply refusing to accept "good enough" where excellence once existed. 

The longer I've worked in this industry, the more convinced I've become that successful roofing companies don't outperform their competitors because they're constantly changing. They outperform them because they protect the habits, standards and operational disciplines that continue to produce predictable results year after year. 

Because in roofing, companies rarely lose their edge overnight. More often...they slowly drift away from it. 

By Emma Peterson. 

Woodchuck.ai rethinking how jobsite waste is handled in order to support sustainability goals while creating measurable financial benefits. 

Sustainability has become a key talking point for contractors. As John Kenney, the CEO of Cotney Consulting Group put it, “Not that long ago, sustainability discussions were limited to a handful of projects...Today, that conversation has become much more mainstream. Building owners are asking about energy efficiency, architects are exploring sustainable design options and municipalities are increasingly adopting standards that encourage greener building practices.” And as this demand for more sustainable practices rises, it is crucial that contractors not only consider the sustainability of the products they are installing, but also the sustainability of their building practices. 

This idea, of building more sustainable practices in addition to products, is what Todd Thomas and the team at Woodchuck.ai focuses on. We got the chance to learn more about their work and its benefits on an episode of Contractor Outlook™ we recorded with Todd. 

What Woodchuck.ai does is bring dumpsters to jobsites. But rather than your typical, throw everything and the kitchen sink into the same place, these dumpsters are designed to be used for material sorting. In fact, they utilize cameras and artificial intelligence software to help ensure that materials are separated properly. Then, when a dumpster is full, the Woodchuck.ai team can collect it, and take that sorted material, whether that’s asphalt products or wood products, and recycle it easily because it’s already sorted. 

Todd described how this separating and recycling of materials is such a good thing for sustainability, sharing, “We have a finite number of landfills across the United States and if you look at these landfills, they're often 30-40% wood by volume. And that wood is coming from things like construction site mixed dumpsters.” He went on, “So if we can get crews to sort their materials, we can keep that wood out of the landfill, extend the life of that landfill and get additional value out of that wood all at the same time.”  

And the best part of this whole set up? Not only can contractors feel good about their impact on the environment, it also can give them financial benefits. Todd explained:  

It might seem like a big change to start sorting materials, but it’s something that actually is pretty easy after you do it once and comes with benefits beyond sustainability. For example, we just partnered with a contractor who worked on Ford’s EV battery factory in Marshall, Michigan. Over the course of that project, we diverted 10,000 tons of wood from the landfills and instead were able to turn it into 10,000 megawatts of clean electricity. In addition to being an incredible win for sustainability, that diversion also returned a savings to the contractor of $1.6 million!  

With that kind of savings, it’s hard to deny the positive impact the Woodchuck.ai team is providing for both the environment and contractors in the field. As Todd put it, “If we can extend the life of our existing landfills by making sure that valuable materials don't get buried there, it's a win for everybody. It's a win for the contractor, it's a win for the community and it's a win for whoever was going to have the next landfill next to them.” 

Listen to the whole episode or Watch the recorded episode to learn more about Woodchuck.ai. 

By Emma Peterson. 

From field installation and project management to executive leadership, John Kenney brings a unique perspective to roofing education. 

This November, right before the holiday season begins, John Kenney, the CEO of Cotney Consulting Group, will be hosting a two-day live classroom training workshop. This workshop, which runs Nov 17-18, 2026, promises to provide attendees with high-level skills related to project takeoffs, estimating and unit pricing. To learn more about how this training and others hosted by John help professionals improve their expertise and boost their businesses, we brought John onto an episode of Roofing Road Trips®. 

All of John’s trainings are based off of his own 45+ years of experience in the roofing industry. He shared a bit about his experience with us, saying, “I started in the field and worked my way through estimating project management, operations, leadership and eventually up to the executive roles. All that experience has allowed me to see the industry from a wide variety of angles.”   

And that wide perspective gave John a clear understanding of where companies often struggle and what they need to change in order to find success. He went into more detail: 

One of the biggest challenges that I've seen is that estimators are taught how to measure roofs and how to price materials, but not how to manage the most important items, which are their assumptions, communicate scope and protect the margins of a company. This is because people see estimating as just a math problem, and not the risk management it actually is.  

In his courses, John helps attendees overcome misconceptions like this. He explained, “I work with my classes to help them recalibrate the way they think about sales and estimating... I reframe estimating as a decision-making role, not a takeoff role and from there we dive into things like scope clarity, assumptions, production planning and communication.” And at the end of the course, John’s students leave with clear, actionable ways to build better estimates and better workflows in their businesses. 

Want to learn more about John’s training offerings? Listen to the whole episode or visit the Cotney Consulting Group training page.  

MCS Influencer John Kenney suggests reviewing the last season and planning for the next. 

Seasonal slowdowns and weather delays are part of construction. We cannot control all of them, but we can control what we do with the time. For metal contractors, that time is especially useful because equipment condition directly affects production. Brakes, shears, roll-forming equipment, power tools, batteries and other fabrication equipment need regular attention. When equipment is neglected, the consequences eventually show up somewhere, whether through lost production time, inconsistent fabrication, premature wear or crews standing around waiting for something to be repaired.

Maintenance should not begin when the equipment fails. A slower production period gives contractors the opportunity to inspect equipment before problems become emergencies. Cleaning, lubrication, adjustments, calibration and scheduled repairs are easier to handle when a machine is not needed immediately on a project. 

The same thinking applies to smaller tools. Crews become accustomed to working around damaged cords, worn blades, weak batteries, missing guards and other problems because they are trying to keep production moving. Those workarounds can become normal if management never creates time to correct them. That is why equipment care also needs to be part of training. Employees should understand more than how to operate a tool. They should know how to inspect it, clean it, store it properly and recognize when something is no longer performing the way it should. The person using the equipment every day is often the first person who can identify a developing problem. 

Seasonal conditions also require planning. Contractors operating in cold climates may need to address storage, batteries, fluids and equipment that will sit for extended periods. Material-handling and fabrication equipment should be protected according to the equipment manufacturer's requirements and the conditions where it is stored. But equipment maintenance should only be part of the plan.

A slowdown is also an opportunity to work on crew capability. Cross-training employees, reviewing installation details, strengthening safety practices and teaching employees how different parts of the operation fit together can produce benefits long after the slow period ends. This is particularly important in metal work, where quality depends heavily on workmanship. Small mistakes in measurement, fabrication or installation can become expensive once material has been formed or installed. Contractors can also use this period to review what happened during the previous production cycle. Which equipment caused delays? Where were crews losing time? What tools were repeatedly unavailable? Were there fabrication mistakes that should have been caught earlier? Were field crews waiting for material or information? Those questions turn downtime into operating improvement.

One thing I have learned over the years is that busy periods rarely give you enough time to fix everything that needs fixing. When production is running hard, the priority is getting the work completed. That makes the slower period the right time to address the problems everyone noticed but did not have time to solve. Downtime does not have to be lost time. Used correctly, it is preparation time. When the next busy season arrives, the contractor with maintained equipment, trained crews and better processes is ready to produce. The contractor who simply waited for work to pick back up is starting the season by trying to catch up.

By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group.  

Retention does not begin when an employee submits a resignation. It begins with the way the business is managed every day. 

Roofing contractors often discuss workforce retention in terms of pay, benefits and recruitment. Those factors matter, but retention is also shaped by how consistently the business is managed every day.  People notice whether projects are planned properly, expectations are clear, materials arrive when needed and supervisors communicate with respect. They notice whether good work is recognised, poor performance is addressed fairly and development opportunities are available. They also notice when every day feels like another emergency. 

A skilled roofer may accept difficult work, changing weather and the physical demands of the trade. What becomes harder to accept is repeated disruption caused by preventable management problems. Incomplete information, constant changes in direction, unclear responsibility, inconsistent supervision and repeated corrections create frustration even in companies with good intentions. For that reason, retention should not be viewed only as a recruitment or human-resources issue. It is also an operational responsibility. 

Good people become tired of preventable problems 

Roofing will always involve pressure. Programmes change, weather affects production, materials are delayed and site conditions do not always match the tender information. Experienced people understand that. The frustration begins when avoidable problems become normal. Operatives arrive without the correct materials. The planned work area is unavailable. Instructions change several times. Drawings are incomplete. A supervisor gives one direction in the morning and another later in the day. The team is then blamed when productivity falls. 

One difficult day will not usually cause a good employee to leave. A pattern of disorganisation can. People want to feel that their effort is being used productively. When they spend too much time waiting, remobilising, searching for information or correcting preventable mistakes, they begin questioning whether the business respects their time and skill. 

Retention improves when the company removes unnecessary frustration from the working day. That does not mean eliminating every problem. It means managing the problems the business can control. 

Planning affects the employee experience 

Operational planning is usually discussed in terms of programme, cost and productivity. It also affects morale. A well-planned project gives the site team a clear understanding of what needs to be completed, what materials are available and how the work should progress. A poorly planned project creates uncertainty. People may not know where they will be working next week, whether the required equipment will be available or whether the company expects them to complete a task under conditions that do not support the planned output. That uncertainty wears people down. 

Good planning creates confidence. It tells the workforce that the company understands the work and is making a serious effort to support the people expected to deliver it. Even when conditions change, a well-managed response makes a difference. If a site cannot proceed, the team should receive clear information about the revised plan. If materials are delayed, the supervisor should explain what work can continue and what is being done to resolve the issue. If labour must move between projects, people should understand why and for how long. Communication does not remove inconvenience, but it prevents inconvenience from feeling like disregard. 

Supervisors have a major influence on retention 

Employees often experience the company through their immediate supervisor. Senior leadership may establish the culture, but supervisors apply it on site. A good supervisor creates clear expectations, treats people consistently and addresses problems before they grow. They recognise effort, provide useful direction and maintain standards without creating unnecessary conflict. A poor supervisor can undermine an otherwise strong business. They may communicate through anger, apply different standards to different people or fail to plan the work. They may tolerate poor performance from some employees while expecting stronger people to carry the additional load. That creates resentment. 

Good operatives notice when accountability is uneven. They notice when reliable people are repeatedly given the most difficult tasks because management knows they will handle them. They also notice when poor attendance, low productivity or careless workmanship is allowed to continue without action. 

Retention is not improved by avoiding difficult conversations. It is improved by creating a fair environment in which expectations apply consistently. Supervisors therefore need more than technical ability. They need training in communication, planning, coaching and accountability. The way they lead will influence whether people want to remain part of the team. 

Respect is demonstrated through actions 

Most companies would say they respect their workforce. Employees judge that statement through daily experience. Respect is demonstrated when the company provides the correct information and equipment, pays accurately and on time, responds to legitimate concerns and avoids making promises it cannot keep. It is also demonstrated when management listens to people who understand the work. Site teams often recognise risks, inefficiencies and quality concerns before the office sees them. When those observations are routinely ignored, people stop offering them. That is a loss for both the employee and the business.  

Listening does not mean accepting every suggestion. It means taking the concern seriously, asking questions and explaining the decision. People are more likely to support a decision they understand, even when it is not the outcome they preferred.  

Respect is also demonstrated in how mistakes are handled. If every error leads to public criticism, employees will hide problems. If mistakes are ignored completely, standards decline. Strong leaders separate honest mistakes from carelessness, address the issue directly and use the experience to improve performance. That creates accountability without humiliation. 

Recognition should be specific 

Employees want to know that good work is noticed. Recognition does not need to be elaborate. A clear and specific acknowledgement from a supervisor or director often has more value than a generic company message. Telling a team that they did a good job is positive. Explaining that they maintained quality while adapting to difficult access, protected the client’s property or completed a challenging detail correctly is more meaningful. 

Specific recognition tells people that leadership understands what the work required and reinforces the behaviour the company wants repeated. The strongest employees are often the least demanding. They arrive, complete the work and solve problems without drawing attention to themselves. That reliability can make them easy to overlook.Contractors should make sure consistent performance is recognised, not only the most visible success. 

Development creates a reason to stay 

People are more likely to remain with a company when they can see a future within it. That future does not need to mean promotion into management. Some employees want to become supervisors or project leaders. Others want to develop greater technical skill, learn additional roofing systems, become trainers or take greater responsibility for quality. 

The company should provide more than one development path. Treating supervision as the only form of advancement can push excellent operatives into roles they do not want while leaving technically skilled employees believing there is nowhere for them to progress. Development can include manufacturer training, recognised qualifications, mentoring, cross-training, commercial awareness, leadership preparation and opportunities to support less experienced operatives. 

The most important element is clarity. Employees should understand what opportunities exist, what skills are required and what steps they can take. A vague promise of future advancement is not a development plan. People are more likely to invest in the company when they can see that the company is willing to invest in them. 

New employees need a structured beginning 

Retention begins before the first day on site. A new employee’s early experience tells them a great deal about the business. Were they given clear information about the role? Did someone explain the company’s expectations? Were the necessary equipment, clothing and documentation ready? Did they understand who they report to? Were they introduced to the team properly? Was there a plan for their first week? 

When a new employee arrives and no one appears prepared, the message is immediate. The company needed labour but did not plan for the person. A structured induction does not need to be complicated. It should cover company standards, health and safety, reporting, working hours, attendance, quality expectations, communication and the practical details of the role. 

The new employee should also know who can answer questions. Throwing someone into the work and hoping they learn by watching may appear efficient, but it often creates inconsistent performance and early frustration. A strong beginning improves confidence and helps the person become productive more quickly. 

Training should connect to real work 

Training is most valuable when employees can see how it applies to their daily responsibilities. A course may introduce an important principle, but the learning must continue on site. Supervisors should reinforce the standard, provide feedback and give employees opportunities to practise the skill. This is especially important for people moving into leadership roles. 

A newly promoted supervisor may understand the theory of planning or communication but still need help applying it during a difficult project. The contractor should not assume that one training session completes the development process. Coaching, review and repetition are necessary. Training should also reflect the individual. 

An experienced roofer learning a new system requires a different approach from a new entrant learning basic site expectations. A future supervisor needs different development from someone pursuing a technical specialist role. The best training programmes create progression rather than isolated events. 

Poor performers affect the retention of good people 

Retention discussions often focus entirely on keeping employees. The company must also recognise that retaining the wrong people can drive the right people away. Strong employees become frustrated when poor attendance, unsafe behaviour, weak workmanship or disruptive conduct is repeatedly tolerated. They may be asked to correct someone else’s work, carry more of the production load or manage avoidable conflict. Over time, they may conclude that performance does not matter. 

A fair workplace requires accountability. Employees should understand the standard, receive appropriate guidance and have a reasonable opportunity to improve. When improvement does not occur, leadership must act.  

This is not inconsistent with a positive culture. A strong culture supports people, but it also protects the team from repeated behaviour that damages quality, safety or morale. Good employees are more likely to stay when they believe the company values their effort enough to address poor performance. 

Compensation matters, but fairness matters as well 

Pay is an important part of retention. Skilled people know their value, and roofing contractors must remain aware of the market. However, dissatisfaction may also be caused by inconsistency, uncertainty or a lack of transparency. Employees may question why people with similar responsibilities are treated differently or why additional duties are assigned without recognition. They may become frustrated when overtime, travel or incentive arrangements are unclear. 

The company should have a fair and understandable approach. People should know what performance is expected and whether additional responsibility creates an opportunity for progression. Promises should also be handled carefully. A commitment made during a busy period may be remembered long after management has forgotten it. If the business cannot fulfil the promise, trust is damaged. It is better to communicate honestly than to offer reassurance the company cannot support. 

Communication during change is critical 

Roofing businesses change as they grow. Roles are adjusted, reporting lines move, technology is introduced and new procedures are added. Change may be necessary, but poor communication can make employees feel that decisions are being imposed without explanation.  

People usually want to know why the change is happening, how it will affect their work and what will be expected from them. Leadership should answer those questions directly. Not every employee will agree with every decision, but uncertainty often creates more resistance than the change itself. 

Communication should also happen early enough to matter. Telling people after a new process has already been introduced makes them feel excluded and unprepared.When possible, involve the people who will use the process. Site teams can identify practical concerns that may not be visible from the office. Their input can improve the final approach and increase acceptance. A company does not lose authority by listening. It gains better information. 

Exit conversations should become operating feedback 

When a good employee leaves, the business should try to understand why. The answer may be straightforward. They may have accepted a different opportunity, relocated, changed industries or made a personal decision that the contractor could not reasonably influence. Not every departure is a management failure. The distinction is between unavoidable turnover and preventable turnover. 

Preventable turnover may reveal an operating problem. Was the supervisor difficult to work with? Did the employee see no development path? Was the workload consistently disorganised? Were expectations unclear? Did the person feel unrecognised? Was poor performance tolerated around them? 

One exit conversation should not lead to an immediate change in policy. Patterns matter. If several people raise the same concern, leadership should take it seriously. 

Departing employees may also be more willing to discuss issues they were hesitant to raise while employed. That feedback can be uncomfortable, but it may be valuable.The purpose is not to argue with the person’s decision. It is to determine whether the business can improve the experience for those who remain. 

Retention should be measured before people resign 

Employee turnover is a late indicator. By the time someone resigns, the decision may have been developing for months. Contractors should pay attention to earlier signs. Attendance changes, participation declines, reliable employees stop offering suggestions, supervisors report growing frustration or people who once volunteered for responsibility begin doing only what is required. None of these signs proves that an employee intends to leave, but they may indicate disengagement. 

Regular conversations can help. Supervisors and managers should ask how the work is going, what is causing frustration and what support is needed. These should not be limited to formal annual discussions. Short, honest conversations throughout the year provide better information. People are more likely to raise a problem when they believe something may be done about it. Asking for feedback and then ignoring it can make the situation worse. 

A well-managed business is easier to stay with 

Roofing contractors cannot retain every employee. People leave for many reasons, and some departures are unavoidable. The goal is not to eliminate turnover. The goal is to avoid losing good people because the business made their work unnecessarily difficult. A well-managed company creates clearer expectations, stronger planning, fair accountability and visible opportunities for development. It equips supervisors to lead, listens to site knowledge and addresses poor performance before it damages the team. It also communicates honestly. 

These practices improve productivity and project performance, but they also create a more professional workplace. People are more likely to remain where they feel their effort matters, their skill is respected and their future is taken seriously.  

Learn more about Cotney Consulting Group in their Coffee Shop Directory or visit www.cotneyconsulting.com.

About the author 

John Kenney has more than 45 years of experience in the roofing industry. His career has included every level of roofing operations, from field installation and estimating through executive leadership. He is CEO of Cotney Consulting Group, a partner member of the International Federation for the Roofing Trades and earned the MIoRdesignation from the former Institute of Roofing in the United Kingdom. He works with roofing contractors to improve estimating, project management, operational performance, leadership and profitability. 

By Emma Peterson. 

While AI can analyze data and automate repetitive tasks, roofing remains a trade built on field experience, adaptability and professional judgment, skills that technology cannot easily replicate. 

As artificial intelligence (AI) and technological automation continues to revolutionize the way we do office and administration work, many people’s natural next question whether they are at risk of losing their job to a robot. To talk about how technology may progress in the future and whether it ends with us all having robot coworkers, John Kenney of Cotney Consulting Group stopped by for a Read Listen Watch® webinar. 

John made it clear that he sees the future of technology, AI and robots as support, not substitution, sharing, “I can't even see the workforce in 10 years being even 5-10% replacement. What I do think we will see is human robotic assistance.” He went on, “I think what you're going to see robots eventually do is reduce repetitive strain, unnecessary exposure and improve consistency in certain narrow workflows. Think areas like material movement, staging support, repetitive inspections, documentation and safety regulations.” 

How is John able to make this statement so confidently? As high-tech and futuristic these new tools might seem, they have limitations. He gave some examples:  

In roofing, a lot of companies still operate heavily on prior knowledge and improvisations as challenges in the field arise. But robotics and automation can’t operate without a structured process, they’re not something that can go onto a roof and do that adaptive thinking that’s needed... At the end of the day, AI and robots are machinery.  

It’s these type of limitations that give John the confidence to dismiss fears of robot replacement. Because at the end of the day, AI and automation are like nail guns and heat torches – tools that will help the industry grow and improve efficiency, but, as John put it, “The skilled judgment of experienced roofers and contractors will always be irreplaceable.” 

Listen to the whole episode or Watch the recording to learn more about automation, AI, technology and the future of roofing. 

Metal Influencers bring diverse expertise and real-world insight to help contractors navigate challenges, strengthen their businesses and shape the future of metal construction. 

The Coffee Shops™, the award-winning websites where the industries meet for technology, information and everyday business, announces the 2026-27 Influencers for MetalCoffeeShop® (MCS).     

MCS Influencers contribute their expertise to MetalCoffeeShop each month through interviews, videos and articles that explore important topics shaping the metal construction industry. Contractors, association leaders and service providers offer a broad range of perspectives, giving readers practical knowledge and a deeper understanding of industry challenges and opportunities. Their insights about emerging trends in metal construction, building a scalable management team and using AI to strengthen business are featured in the site’s dedicated MCS Influencers section. 

“Our MCS Influencers are helping move the metal industry forward by sharing real-world experience and forward-thinking ideas,” said Heidi J. Ellsworth, president and CEO of The Coffee Shops. “Their diverse expertise provides contractors with meaningful insights they can use to strengthen their businesses and prepare for what’s ahead. We believe in helping contractors, erectors and tradespeople from all parts of the metal construction industry.” 

We are proud to announce the following 2026-27 MCS Influencers: 

• John Kenney – Cotney Consulting Group 
• Jon Olsen – Malco Tools 
• Corey Lincoln – Metal Sales 
• Junny Lee – Sherwin-Williams 
• Lee Ann Slattery – ATAS International 
• Anthony Ortega – Viotell Metal Concepts 
• Sasha Demyan – Metal Building Contractors and Erectors Association (MBCEA) 
• Randy Chaffee – Source One Marketing   
• Renee Ramey – Metal Roofing Alliance (MRA) 
• Paul and Emily Marshall – Mr. and Mrs. Post Frame  
• Edward Montemayor – South Texas Metal Roofing 
• David Leinbach - Kaiser Martin Group, MBCEA president 
• Travis Sliger – 4Ever Metal Roofing 

For more information on the 2026-27 MCS Influencers, meet them here.   

About MetalCoffeeShop 

MetalCoffeeShop is committed to being an advocate and supporter of the metal construction industry.  With Sherwin-Williams and industry thought leader’s contributions, the site supplies consistent information, education and networking avenues for all metal construction professionals. Visitors to the site will not only find education and information but thought-leading editorial, multimedia and Influencer content that elevates the metal construction industry. Like RoofersCoffeeShop, MetalCoffeeShop is “Where the Metal Industry Meets!” For more information and involvement opportunities, visit www.metalcoffeeshop.com.  

About The Coffee Shops 

Award-winning websites and online communities make up The Coffee Shops. Starting with RoofersCoffeeShop, which launched in 2002, the growth of the sites has been explosive for the construction trades of roofing, metal, coatings and their customers. Currently featuring four sites, RoofersCoffeeShop, MetalCoffeeShop, CoatingsCoffeeShop and AskARoofer, all the sites are committed to advocating for the construction trades by supplying consistent information, education and communication avenues for all contractors, while promoting positive growth, education and success of construction industries overall. Visitors to the site continue to find excellent opportunities for sharing information while participating in important ongoing conversations concerning new technologies, safety and overall construction information and education. The Coffee Shops are “Where the Industries Meet!” For more information, visit www.thecoffeeshops.online. 

By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group.  

Exceptional project management isn't about staying busy. It's about staying ahead. 

One of the biggest differences I've noticed between average project managers and exceptional ones has very little to do with experience, personality or technical knowledge. It has everything to do with where they'relooking. 

Average project managers spend most of their day dealing with today's problems. Exceptional project managers spend their day preventing next month's. That may sound like a small distinction, but after more than four decades in the roofing industry, I've come to believe it's one of the defining characteristics of successful operations. 

Roofing has always been a business of moving parts. Materials, labor, equipment, weather, subcontractors, inspections, customers and schedules are all moving simultaneously. No project manager controls every variable. That's simply the reality of construction. What separates the best from everyone else is their ability to see problems developing before they begin affecting production. 

I've rarely walked onto a roofing project and found a serious issue that appeared overnight. Most of the time, the warning signs were already there. Materials were arriving later than planned. Coordination with another trade had started slipping. Weather forecasts were changing. Decisions were being postponed because everyone was busy dealing with today's work. None of those situations looked urgent on their own. Together, they quietly changed the direction of the project. 

One lesson this industry has taught me is that roofing projects rarely become reactive all at once. They drift into it. One delayed decision leads to another. One unanswered question becomes tomorrow's field problem. One missed follow-up creates three additional conversations that never should have been necessary. Eventually, the project manager feels like they're putting out fires from sunrise until the end of the day. The interesting part is that most of those fires could have been prevented weeks earlier. 

That's why I've always believed the best project managers are planners before they're problem solvers. Planning isn't glamorous. It doesn't usually receive recognition. Nobody congratulates a project manager for materials arriving exactly when they were supposed to or for permits being secured ahead of schedule. Those things are expected. But when they don't happen, everyone notices. 

Strong project managers understand that their job isn't just managing construction. Their job is protecting production. That means constantly asking questions that extend beyond today's schedule. 

• What decisions need to be made next week? 
• What information will the foreman need before asking for it? 
• What materials should already be ordered? 
• Which customer conversations should happen now instead of after concerns develop? 
• Where could this project become difficult if nothing changes? 

Those questions create visibility. Visibility creates control. Control protects profitability. 

I've often said that project management is really the art of reducing uncertainty. Every decision should make tomorrow a little more predictable than it was yesterday. Every conversation should remove confusion rather than create it. Every meeting should provide clarity about what comes next. 

When that happens consistently, projects develop a rhythm. Crews arrive knowing what they're expected to accomplish. Suppliers understand delivery schedules. Customers receive updates before they begin asking questions. The office and the field stay aligned because communication happens before misunderstandings have a chance to grow. 

That's not luck. That's preparation. 

One thing I've noticed over the years is that experienced project managers become remarkably calm. That calmness isn't because they have fewer problems. It's because they've already considered many of them before they happen. They've reviewed weather forecasts several times instead of once. They've spoken with suppliers earlier in the week. They've confirmed equipment availability. They've walked through the next phase of construction mentally before the crew ever reaches it. When something unexpected happens—and it always does—they're adjusting a plan instead of creating one. There's a tremendous difference between those two approaches. 

I've also found that good project managers don't spend their days asking, "What happened?" They're asking, "What's coming?" 

That simple change in perspective alters nearly every decision they make. Instead of reacting to delayed materials, they're confirming deliveries before delays occur. Instead of explaining schedule changes to customers, they're communicating potential adjustments while options still exist. Instead of discovering labor shortages Monday morning, they're evaluating manpower needs while the current phase of work is still underway. 

That isn't pessimism. It's leadership. 

Another observation that's stayed with me is that project managers don't actually manage roofing projects. They manage commitments. Commitments made to customers. Commitments made to crews. Commitments made to suppliers. Commitments made during estimating. Every commitment carries expectations, and every expectation requires communication. When communication slows down, projects become harder to control. When communication stays ahead of the work, projects become far more predictable. 

I've seen companies invest heavily in project management software hoping technology would solve operational challenges. Technology absolutely has its place, and today's tools are more capable than ever. Butsoftware cannot think ahead. It cannot recognize a conversation that should happen before someone realizes it needs to happen. It cannot replace the judgment that comes from years of watching projects succeed — and watching others struggle. That's still the responsibility of leadership. 

One lesson I've carried with me throughout my career is that the best project managers don't measure success by how many problems they solved today. They measure success by how many problems never reached the jobsite in the first place. Those victories rarely appear on reports. 

Nobody notices the delivery that arrived exactly on time because someone made one extra phone call two weeks earlier. Nobody celebrates the change order that was approved before production was affected because the project manager recognized the issue before it became urgent. Those quiet decisions don't attract attention. But they protect schedules. They protect crews. And they protect margins. 

The longer I've been in this industry, the more convinced I've become that exceptional project management isn't about staying busy. It's about staying ahead. Because the strongest project managers don't spend their careers chasing today's problems. They're already thinking three weeks ahead.