Building a Culture of Respect: Jordan Foster Walks a Mile in Her Shoes

Jordan Foster Construction employees stepped outside their comfort zones, and into high heels, to support a cause that asks men to do more than simply stand on the sidelines.

There are plenty of ways to show support for a cause. Some are considerably harder on your ankles than others.

This week, Jordan Foster Construction employees joined the YWCA’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event, an awareness initiative that invites men to put on a pair of high heels and walk in solidarity with women affected by domestic and sexual violence.

Our group represented a cross-section of Jordan Foster, from area managers and project managers to superintendents, quality control professionals and others across our operations. Different roles, different responsibilities and, judging by the photos, very different levels of comfort in heels.

The walk itself may have been closer to a city block than a full mile, but anyone who participated will tell you that was plenty.

Behind the lighthearted nature of the event, however, is an issue that deserves serious attention.

Showing Up Matters

Creating safer communities for women cannot be viewed solely as a women’s issue. Men have an important role to play, not only in speaking out against violence and abuse, but in helping create cultures where respect, accountability and looking out for one another are expected.

Those cultures don’t begin with a policy or a poster on the wall. They are shaped by the everyday behavior of people willing to set the standard.
For leaders, that responsibility carries even further.

Leadership isn’t limited to managing schedules, budgets or jobsites. It is reflected in what we are willing to stand behind, the example we set for others and how we show up for the communities where we live and work.

A Conversation That Matters in Construction

That message carries particular significance in construction, an industry that has historically been, and continues to be, predominantly male.

Through efforts like Women in Construction Week and the work of organizations such as the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), our industry has made a more intentional effort to recognize the contributions of women and encourage more women to build careers in construction.

But creating an industry where women can thrive involves more than recruitment. It also requires a culture of respect—and everyone has a role in building it.
For the men in our industry, that means being willing to listen, set the right example and speak up when something doesn’t reflect the culture we want on our jobsites, in our offices or in our communities.

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes offers a lighthearted way to start a conversation about something much more serious. And in an industry where men make up such a significant portion of the workforce, those conversations matter.

Strong Communities Are Built Together

At Jordan Foster, our work gives us a unique relationship with our communities. We build the roads people travel, the facilities where they work and gather, and the infrastructure that helps cities grow.

But being part of a community means more than building within it.

It means supporting the organizations working to make those communities stronger. It means being willing to participate in difficult conversations. And sometimes, apparently, it means squeezing into a pair of heels and walking alongside your coworkers.

Events like Walk a Mile in Her Shoes create an approachable way to bring attention to a difficult subject. The humor may get people through the door, but the message is much bigger: preventing violence and creating a culture of respect requires participation from all of us.

We’re proud of the Jordan Foster employees who showed up, stepped outside their comfort zones and represented our company in support of that message.

The shoes may come off at the end of the walk.

The responsibility to keep walking the walk shouldn’t.