Diverging Is Emerging
Kabri Lehrman-Schmid is a full-time superintendent who also speaks on the impact of psychological safety in construction.
“My 9-year-old son was diagnosed autistic last year, and, like all parents, his unique perspective has been the source of endless lessons that I carry to my jobsite responsibilities,” shared Kabri Lehrman-Schmid, a full-time superintendent and part-time public speaker on the impact of psychological safety in construction. “My relationship with my son has unlocked my own rigid thinking about social norms and the behavior of my teammates. I now work harder to listen and provide information in the ways my audience can best receive it.”
The audience to which Kabri refers is her co-workers at Hensel Phelps Construction Company. A trailblazer in her own right, Kabri created a Toolbox Talk and Resource Bulletin designed to educate managers and teammates on the impact of neurodiversity in the workplace. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “neurodivergent” is a non-medical term that describes people “whose brain differences affect how their brain works. The possible differences include medical disorders, learning disabilities and other conditions. The possible strengths include better memory, being able to mentally picture three-dimensional (3D) objects easily, the ability to solve complex mathematical calculations in their head, and many more.”
“Realizing that I am not always able to take another person’s perspective has resulted in a personal pursuit of education, self-reflection and growth,” shared Kabri.
“This is a topic rarely discussed in the construction industry,” said Kabri, who earned her B.S. in Civil Engineering from Columbia University and has been in the industry for 16 years. “There exists a big opportunity to provide information that dispels myths and creates inclusion.” Enter her Toolbox Talk and Resource Bulletin, which educate managers and teammates on the impact of neurodiversity in the workplace. The Resource Bulletin provides new language and facts about neurodivergent conditions. Just adding new vocabulary to jobsite conversations starts to unwind generations of stigma.
“We’re learning to flex into new norms after years of global challenges,” said Kabri. “Setting the expectations for behaviors that support psychological safety on our teams help us to address the harmful team dynamics that linger from our industry’s historic cultural biases. We can better understand how to support our people’s mental health by emphasizing their participation. I believe integrating deliberate action into our daily, technical responsibilities will also upgrade the greater perception of the industry as a career choice.”
These resources focus on one message: To be a successful team, we need to educate ourselves and recognize that everyone brings strengths and challenges to the jobsite. Superintendents and foremen are tasked daily with maintaining the balance between production and safe practices on projects. Herein presents the opportunity – and duty – to create a jobsite environment that addresses the unseen hazards and production barriers that are created by distraction, biases, and stigmas (both inside and outside of work). By taking deliberate steps to learn about issues impacting crew members, companies can create a psychologically safe jobsite that demonstrates value for an individual’s skillset and propels engagement and safe practices.
It took Kabri almost a year to create the tools she’s shared to introduce the topic of neurodiversity to the construction industry. “I was careful to pilot the information in multiple Autistic Adults social groups where I received incredibly helpful feedback. I also consulted experts in the construction training world who helped me structure the information for the specific audiences. When I share the tools I created with the industry, the response has been extremely supportive – with many happily surprised the topic is being offered for conversation and very willing to connect and share their own experiences.”
For the greatest impact, construction companies can incorporate this new information into the processes that already exist by:
Considering a weekly meeting with a “safety moment” or share session using information you learned from the Resource Bulletin or Toolbox Talk.
Periodically switching out your jobsite’s safety training (e.g., ladder safety or fall protection) for a new topic that expands team awareness.
Printing and posting information in portable toilets and restrooms (in lieu of public breakrooms) to allow people to access and learn new information privately.
“Realizing that I am not always able to take another person’s perspective has resulted in a personal pursuit of education, self-reflection and growth,” shared Kabri. “Notably, this has impacted my approach at work, where it is my job as a superintendent to understand what my crews and trade partners need to be successful on my jobsite.”
Sidebar: Key Items to Note About Neurodiversity
Always presume competence—neurodivergence does not indicate an intellectual disability.
When neurodivergent people are forced by their environment to mask or hide their personality, thought-process or behavioral traits to remain safe, it can actually cause emotional and medical harm.
Driven by both genetic and environmental factors, an estimated 15-20 percent of the world’s population exhibits some form of neurodivergence.
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