McGuire and Hester

Amanda Chaudhary

Process Innovation Enabler

Innovation Begins before the Tool

In construction, we often talk about innovation in terms of tools, systems and technology. We ask what a new platform can automate, how much time it can save or whether it can help us make faster decisions.

Those are important questions, but they should not be the first ones. Before introducing any new technology, we need to understand the people doing the work, the processes supporting them and the problems we are actually trying to solve. Technology can strengthen a healthy process, but it rarely fixes one that is unclear, disconnected or unsupported.

Listening before Improving

For me, meaningful improvement begins with listening. It means understanding where employees are experiencing frustration, where responsibilities are unclear, where information is difficult to access and where capable people are spending time on repetitive work instead of applying their experience. It also means recognizing that a process may look efficient from one department’s perspective while creating unnecessary work for another.

The objective should not simply be to make a process faster. It should be to make the work clearer, more connected and more supportive of the people responsible for delivering it.

This perspective closely aligns with Patrick Lencioni’s working genius model, which describes six types of contribution required to move work from an idea through completion. The model reinforces that no one person brings every strength to the process and that the best outcomes come when people understand how their abilities complement one another.

Leading with Discernment and Enablement

My own areas of working genius are discernment and enablement. Discernment is the ability to evaluate ideas, situations and decisions through judgment, intuition and pattern recognition. In my work, this often means helping teams determine whether an idea is sound, where a process may break down or what adjustments could make an initiative more effective.

Enablement is the natural desire to support others and help move their work forward. It is the encouragement, assistance and responsiveness that help an idea gain traction and become something meaningful. That combination explains much of what drives me professionally.

I enjoy helping others take a good idea and make it workable. I find energy in understanding what someone is trying to accomplish, identifying what may be missing and building the structure, resources or connections that help them succeed.

Sometimes that means developing a clearer workflow. Sometimes it means organizing information so a team can make a better decision. It may involve connecting departments, clarifying responsibilities, improving communication or creating a system that reduces unnecessary effort.

The visible result may be a new process or technology platform, but the underlying goal is always to support people. This is especially important as organizations explore artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. The excitement surrounding these tools can create pressure to adopt them quickly. However, beginning with the technology can lead companies to automate inefficient processes, create additional complexity or introduce systems that employees do not understand or trust.

A better starting point is to ask where people are getting stuck, what knowledge is difficult to find, which tasks are repetitive, where handoffs are breaking down and what would allow employees to spend more time using their judgment, experience, and creativity.

Only after those questions are understood should an organization evaluate whether technology can help. Technology may reduce administrative efforts, improve access to information or help teams work more consistently. But successful implementation still depends on clear ownership, reliable information, employee involvement and trust.

A tool cannot determine how departments should collaborate. It cannot resolve unclear accountability. It cannot replace the judgment of the people closest to the work. Those are people and process questions.

This is why enablement must be part of innovation. Employees need more than instructions to use a new system. They need context, practical examples, training and opportunities to provide feedback. They need to understand how the change supports their work and how their experience helped shape the solution.

They also need permission to raise concerns. Resistance is not always an unwillingness to change. It may reveal a legitimate operational issue, an overlooked dependency or a process that does not reflect how the work actually happens.

Enabling Better Outcomes Together

Discernment helps evaluate concerns without immediately accepting or dismissing them. Enablement helps translate what is learned into practical support. Together, these strengths encourage a form of leadership that is less about having every answer and more about helping the right people contribute to the answer.

The best processes are rarely created in isolation. They are developed by bringing together those who understand the strategy, those who manage the information and those who perform the work. When employees see that their knowledge is valued, they are more likely to participate, identify opportunities, and take ownership of the outcome.

Technology then becomes what it should be: a tool that supports people rather than a strategy that people are expected to accommodate. The construction industry is built on relationships, trust, coordination and shared accountability. Even as our tools become more advanced, those fundamentals will remain unchanged.

The most meaningful innovation will come from organizations that understand their people, develop thoughtful processes, and apply technology with purpose. For me, that work is deeply rewarding because it is ultimately about enabling others, helping talented people work more effectively, contribute their strengths and turn good ideas into meaningful results.