Receiving Haskell’s Living the Values Award took Mike McLauchlan by surprise when Monika Garrett, his nominator, and other teammates presented it during what he thought would be an ordinary meeting.
“Everyone yelled, ‘Surprise!’ I said, ‘For what?’ I looked up and saw Monika and the award. I was very humbled by it. It meant a lot to me. I would have never expected it in 100 years,” McLauchlan said.
McLauchlan serves in the Jacksonville office as Haskell’s Director of Field Technical Training. This September will mark his fifth anniversary with the company.
Haskell’s Core Values of Team, Excellence, Service and Trust are a perfect fit for the 29-year veteran of the U.S. Naval Submarine Force and played an important role in his career choice as he re-entered civilian life.
“The values really spoke to me,” McLauchlan said. “The other part that attracted me was how Haskell talked about creating things that matter. I wanted to be a part of that. They really do create things that matter.”
Haskell hired McLauchlan to do just that.
In his role, McLauchlan has been asked to transform the ad-hoc training that existed for field team members into a robust, structured program.
The Field Technical Training program helps new team members start fast and feel prepared while also leveling up the skillsets of journeymen and craft workers. Most recently, Haskell has added an instruction program for assistant superintendents.
McLauchlan said that as client requests and project specifications grow in complexity, training must improve team members’ skills. For example, the award-winning Norwegian Cruise Line Cruise Terminal B at PortMiami, which Haskell built in a joint venture with Miami-based NV2A, is a rounded, multilevel structure.
“We need to train guys to build those types of buildings,” he said.
Twice during his tenure, McLauchlan and his team have earned one of five Best Practice Awards given annually by Training Magazine. The more recent was for SafeMatters, a web-based jobsite orientation program based on Haskell’s code of safety practices that is required for all jobsite team members and contract partners.
“This is all internally built,” he said. “These programs are truly unique.”
McLauchlan is proud of the accomplishments because they represent Haskell’s support for team members in the field. Those around him, such as Garrett, who is Manager of Project Controls Systems, recognize the extraordinary commitment that he has made to the company and coworkers.
“The hours that go into our training videos and presentations are extensive. Mike works, without complaint, to make sure that our teams have the best product possible,” Garrett said. “Mike is my go-to person when I need advice, when I need honest feedback on my trainings or when I need to find my footing again. Quite often, I find myself thinking, as I walk out of his office, ‘I really need to be more like Mike.’”
When he’s not working, McLauchlan hikes with his wife, Kelley, to waterfalls. Together they enjoy the company of their seven children and nine grandchildren.
McLauchlan hopes to finish his career at Haskell doing what he does right now.
“There’s a lot of good people who have helped me and supported me in this short five years,” he said. “This award speaks to them as much as it does to me. It’s great to work with great people.”
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