Elevate Construction

Responding to a listener's LinkedIn question about running meaningful trade partner meetings, Jason breaks down his complete system for the weekly work planning meeting, from room setup and dual-screen visuals to the exact meeting flow that gets trade partners actually talking instead of just listening. He argues that visuals matter more than the meeting itself, that the real value comes from shifting discussion away from "when" (which everyone already knows from the schedule) toward "how" and "what's in the way," and that a complaining foreman surfacing roadblocks is a gift, not a nuisance. The episode lays out a full agenda: shout-outs, a lightning round, anchoring to milestones, walking the weekly work plan, digging into the roadblock tracking map, and closing with a purpose-driven plus/delta.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why your visuals (schedule, model, roadblock tracking maps) matter more than anything said in the meeting itself
• A full agenda for running an effective trade partner weekly tactical: shout-outs, a timed lightning round, anchoring to milestones, walking the weekly work plan, and digging into roadblocks
• Why shifting the conversation from "when" to "how" and "what's in your way" is what actually gets trade partners talking
• Why a trade partner who keeps bringing up roadblocks is a gift, not an annoyance, since surfaced problems can actually be solved
• How to run a purpose-driven plus/delta that asks whether the meeting's actual goal was met, not just whether people liked it

Are your trade partner meetings something people dread seeing on their calendar, or something they actually look forward to?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Continuing the Art of War series, Jason explores Chapter Four, "Tactical Dispositions," and pulls out a theme he considers one of his own real strengths: staying productively paranoid instead of getting complacent. Using a vivid real story about hanging formwork above a busy road at a university project, where he kept raising the risk in meetings even as the team grew comfortable, he makes the case that a project's success or failure is often decided long before it happens, through careful measurement, estimation, and risk mitigation, not through luck or ego. The episode centers on Sun Tzu's core insight: a victorious army wins its victories before seeking battle.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why controlling preventable variation, and not stressing over what's truly beyond your control, keeps a team's morale and energy intact
• A real story about hanging formwork above a road and staying "productively paranoid" even as the job appeared to be going smoothly
• Why complacency and overconfidence, even on a well-run project, is one of the most dangerous traps a leader can fall into
• How measuring, estimating, calculating, and comparing risks (through tools like a risk and opportunity register) determines a project's outcome long before problems occur
• Sun Tzu's central insight: a victorious army wins its victories before seeking battle, and what that means for how you plan a construction project

Where on your own project might comfort and confidence be quietly turning into the kind of complacency that precedes a real problem?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

In this energetic installment of the Art of War series, Jason tackles Chapter Three, "Attack by Strategy," and translates Sun Tzu's tactics for winning without direct confrontation into a playbook for handling toxic behavior, bad culture, and resistant team members on a job site. He walks through the preferred order of tactics, attacking the enemy's strategy first, then separating them from their allies, and only fighting directly as a last resort, using vivid real examples of how he psychologically "encircles" bad behavior through huddles, praise, and culture-shaping rather than direct confrontation. The episode closes with Sun Tzu's five predictors of victory, each mapped onto what makes a construction leader capable of winning the fight against waste, variation, and bad culture.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why direct confrontation with toxic behavior is Sun Tzu's last resort, not the first move
• How to "separate the enemy from its allies" by shaping culture through huddles, praise, and visible standards instead of a head-on fight
• Why controlling your own emotions, even when provoked, is what actually wins respect and long-term influence
• Sun Tzu's five predictors of victory, applied to construction leadership: knowing your enemy, adapting to small and large projects, unifying your team around a shared visual plan, staying patient, and making sound decisions without outside interference
• Why leaders need the authority to make real decisions rather than being a puppet for owners or upper management

Next time you face a toxic behavior or bad culture on your project, will you go straight at it, or will you strategically build the environment around it until it has no room left to survive?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Continuing his Art of War series, Jason digs into Chapter Two, "Waging War," and draws a sharp parallel between Sun Tzu's principles of speed, decisive action, and taking care of an army's basic needs, and what it actually takes to run a construction project well. He walks through why hunger, thirst, and physical conditions must be handled first, why wasted motion and disorganization become an exhausting "accumulation of loot" that burns out workers, and why perceived injustices (bad bathrooms, no parking plan, disrespectful policies) can quietly poison an entire project culture. Jason also shares a candid personal story about a moment he mishandled worker frustration over electrolyte packets, and what it taught him about respect and morale.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why speed and decisiveness in construction only work when paired with real preparation, not recklessness
• How chaotic, disorganized job sites create an exhausting "treasure hunt" that burns through workers' mental discipline
• Why a toxic WhatsApp chat or worker complaints are a window into real problems, not something to shut down
• A personal story about mishandling a small worker request and how it damaged culture until Jason apologized
• Why taking care of workers' basic physical needs (food, water, bathrooms, breaks) is the foundation before any push for speed

Where on your own project might small, unaddressed frustrations be quietly building into the kind of "outrage at injustice" that damages your team's culture?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

After a nightmarish, hours-long delay flying home from Boston on American Airlines, complete with contradictory updates, unexplained lost baggage, and a total absence of real communication, Jason draws a sharp line between that experience and the same problem showing up in construction: when leaders don't communicate clearly and often, people fill the silence with their own worst fears. Backing it up with a real news story about American Airlines passengers stranded on a tarmac for seven hours, and a personal story of nearly getting into a fight as a young field engineer for failing to help someone find their way, Jason makes the case that over-communicating the truth, even when it's bad news, always beats leaving people in the dark.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why a lack of communication, more than the actual problem itself, is what makes people feel lied to and mistreated
• How Southwest Airlines empowers frontline employees to do the right thing, while more rigid, policy-driven companies leave customers stranded
• A real example of American Airlines passengers trapped on a tarmac for seven hours with no food, water, or clear communication
• Why foremen, workers, and trade partners fill communication gaps with their own worst assumptions when leadership goes silent
• A personal story about failing to help a frustrated worker find his way, and the lesson it left about caring enough to communicate clearly

When your team or customers are left without answers, are you giving them the truth as soon as you have it, or letting silence fill in the worst-case story for them?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Jason shares a beautiful and moving analogy about a drowning dog that bit its rescuers out of fear, not malice, to explain why people sometimes lash out at the very training or leadership meant to help them. After reflecting on real moments from recent boot camps where a participant harshly criticized the training before ultimately breaking through and thriving, Jason makes the case that "wounded animals bite," and that recognizing someone's pain, rather than taking their reaction personally, is what allows a leader to stay vulnerable, compassionate, and genuinely inspiring.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why people who lash out during difficult training or growth are often acting from fear and pain, not malice
• A real story about a boot camp participant who harshly criticized the training, then ultimately broke through and thrived by the end
• Why staying vulnerable, rather than retreating into a tough, distant shell, is what actually allows leaders to connect with and inspire their teams
• How reframing someone's harsh reaction as "woundedness" rather than an attack changes how you respond to them
• Why absorbing the pain behind someone's words, without absorbing the sting personally, is a mark of real leadership strength

Next time someone on your team lashes out, can you ask yourself what pain might be behind it instead of taking it personally?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

John Coffman shares an encouraging health update from MD Anderson, better than expected results from a new treatment, before diving into a topic close to his heart: the importance of writing your own personal management philosophy rather than just managing on autopilot. He challenges the idea that reading management books alone is enough, arguing that real growth comes from writing down your own core principles, the kind of manager you want to be, and how you'll approach any project, then returning to that document again and again throughout your career to recenter yourself. He closes with a touching story about being told by a young field engineer that he didn't just manage, he inspired.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why "I just manage the way I always have" is a warning sign, not a management philosophy
• How to build your own personal management philosophy: core principles, the kind of manager you want to be, and your approach to any project
• Why writing it down (not just thinking it) is what actually cements a philosophy you can return to and refine
• The industry's shift over John's career from wanting to be managed, to wanting to be led, to wanting to be inspired
• A memorable story about a field engineer who told John he didn't just give orders, he inspired people to follow through

Have you ever actually written down your own management philosophy, or are you managing purely on inherited habit?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Kicking off a new series, Jason begins reading through Sun Tzu's Art of War and drawing direct parallels to leadership in construction. Starting with Chapter One, "Laying Plans," he walks through the five fundamental factors of strategy, moral influence, weather, terrain, command, and doctrine, showing how each maps onto starting a construction project: gaining your team's trust and vision, assessing site logistics and access, and leading with wisdom, sincerity, humanity, courage, and strictness. He also shares a striking personal insight about how leaders wage a kind of "psychological war" against bad behavior, both in others and within themselves, by making respect and cleanliness the identity people rally behind.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The five fundamental factors of strategy from Sun Tzu: moral influence, weather, terrain, command, and doctrine, and how each applies to starting a construction project
• Why gaining a team's confidence and moral influence matters more than any tactical plan
• How assessing "weather and terrain" translates to site logistics: access, laydown yards, supply routes, and conditions outside your control
• The essential leadership virtues Sun Tzu names, wisdom, sincerity, humanity, courage, and strictness, and why all five matter together
• Jason's reflection on how leaders wage a kind of psychological battle against bad behavior by shaping identity: making cleanliness, safety, and respect something people want to embody

As you start your next project, have you truly assessed your "terrain" and gained your team's moral confidence before laying out the rest of your plan?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Recorded live at a Boston boot camp, Jason sits down with Krista Van Ranst of Building People to unpack a powerful concept borrowed from Google X: moving from "one person having all the answers" to "many people asking good questions" together. Sparked by a team-building exercise where leaders instinctively wanted to hand out answers instead of inviting collaboration, they connect this shift directly to the philosophy behind the Last Planner System, arguing that real collective wisdom, not a single superintendent's command-and-control answers, produces better solutions on a job site.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The Google X framework: moving from one person with all the answers to many people asking good questions together
• Why superintendents in particular tend to feel pressure to be the sole source of all answers, and why that's a limiting mindset
• How muting dominant voices in a training exercise revealed the hidden wisdom of quieter, more thoughtful team members
• Why "listen to everybody, then decide together" beats both pure command-and-control and simple "tell but listen" leadership styles
• How this concept directly mirrors the collaborative spirit behind the Last Planner System

Are you the leader trying to have all the answers, or are you creating space for your team to ask the right questions together?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

In a short but pointed episode recorded in the freezing cold at his Field Engineer Project Engineer Boot Camp, Jason calls out a phrase he hears constantly from leaders: "they can't handle it." Whether it's about giving superintendents books to read, letting someone run a client meeting, or rolling out Takt planning, he argues this phrase is almost always disrespectful and presumptuous, an assumption made without ever actually asking the person. Sharing how his wife Katie's belief in people transformed his own team at Elevate, he challenges leaders to recognize that saying "they can't handle it" often reveals more about the leader's own diminishing behavior than the actual capability of their people.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why "they can't handle it" is usually a presumptuous, disrespectful assumption rather than an honest assessment
• How believing in people's capability, rather than deciding for them what they can handle, changed the culture and performance at Elevate
• Why the right response to doubt about someone's readiness is to ask them, not decide for them
• A challenge to recognize when "they can't handle it" is really a sign of your own diminishing leadership behavior

Where in your own team or company are you deciding someone "can't handle it" without ever actually asking them?

If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free, and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊).

Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels:

· Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg

· LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt

· LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured

· LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw