Training Continues to be a Hallmark of DPR

When customers were asked how DPR compares with “Best In Class” (BIC) over the last three years, DPR ranked seven percent better than BIC in preconstruction and nine percent better than BIC overall at the end of construction. These metrics were pulled from our database of more than 1,200 in-person Customer Satisfaction Surveys performed at the beginning, middle and end of projects. The direct feedback received from the surveys is also one of many ways that we measure ourselves and identify areas for additional advancement and training.

Recently, a group of employees from different regions across the country attended a three-day “new and improved” Current Best Practices in our Redwood City office. All of the individuals were relatively new to DPR, ranging from one to sixteen months of employment, and they represented a balanced mix of office and field roles.

The intensive training session provided the group with a broad overview of DPR, with 21 different modules focusing on operations, business, technology and culture.

During one of the exercises on scheduling at DPR, the group was split into teams and given a list of specs, elevations and pieces of Legos to build a tower. They started by developing a “real-life” project schedule, and the team that could put the tower together in the least amount of days reigned supreme. What they didn’t count on during the building part of the competition, however, was a few weather delays, design changes and other contingencies that required some on-the-spot thinking and juggling to get the job done.

The unforeseen and unexpected are very much a part of a day in the life of DPR.

As a technical builder that prides itself on building buildings that have never been built before and building them better—more efficiently and with greater quality and safety, we need individuals who can think on their feet, take charge of a situation, focus on solutions, and most of all, work with people and teams.

In school, we learn about math, history, science and English, but where is the class that teaches people how to interact with other people?

Our training at DPR also places a strong emphasis on interpersonal skills. Nearly everyone has completed a DISCR Personal Profile System. The exercise helps all of us to better understand ourselves and others—our similarities and differences—so that we can work together more efficiently, and it even, sometimes, allows us to better predict behavior during an unexpected circumstance. Giving and receiving feedback is another area in which we provide ongoing training for continuous improvement at DPR, and we constantly look for opportunities to encourage open, honest communication throughout the company.

The management committee’s recent trips to various offices and jobsites to meet with people in different regions to answer questions and address any concerns has hopefully helped to set the tone and reinforce the culture of DPR, “why we are who we are” and what makes us better—better builders, a better place to work, better than “Best in Class.”