Why Field Landmen Must Think Like General Contractors
Land management teams face a critical mentorship and training gap as veteran landmen retire, a real challenge for land departments operating in diverse basins and energy projects. Kyle Reynolds and Brent Broussard, active industry leaders, share practitioner insights about what it really takes to onboard and develop the next generation of landmen in both field and in-house roles.
This conversation gets specific about how field experience creates lasting value, what landman skills are best passed down through real-world exposure, and why informal, hands-on mentorship remains essential, whether you’re troubleshooting title or navigating lease negotiations. They talked through organizational realities: where companies are missing in recruiting, why field landmen often gain expertise critical for in-house work, and the looming knowledge loss in technical functions like lease and division order analysis.
For land professionals and managers, the discussion identifies the operational risk of siloed teams and overlooked back-office roles. Kyle and Brent highlight the need for intentional training programs, smarter recruiting, and more collaboration between field, in-house, and administrative sides of the business.
Takeaways: Strategies for knowledge transfer in your land department, keys to successful mentorship, and practical guidance on recruiting and upskilling new talent, relevant for any operator, brokerage, or independent landman working in oil, gas, or renewable energy.

