Elevate Construction

Jason and Brandon Montero hit the road together on the way to a boot camp, joined by Effie and Liam Schroeder, for a candid conversation about why so many people in construction know what to do but still don't do it. They get into the difference between technical skills and professional development, why most jobsite problems are really mental set point problems, and why desire is what actually finds the technical skill, not the other way around. It's a direct call to leaders to stop blaming circumstance and start owning the inner condition that's showing up in the outer project.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why professional development matters more than another technical training for most leaders

• How a dirty, unsafe, or behind schedule project reflects the leader's mental set point

• The role of belief in self and what kind of project you actually feel you deserve to lead

• Why staying on a barn burner project breeds learned hopelessness over time

• Why desire finds the technical skill, not the other way around

Whatever the project looks like is whatever you've decided it should look like. The question is whether you're willing to raise the bar inside yourself first.

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 month off the mic reading the Takt Production System, Jason is back with a critical topic for any leader trying to drive real transformation: how to sustain lasting change. He walks through Ryan Schmidt's change model, the predictable phases of chaos and pushback every organization hits, and why the moment things feel hardest is exactly when you have to press the attack. Drawing from Star Wars Rogue One, real client stories, and decades of cultural turnaround work, Jason makes the case that culture lives or dies based on whether leaders stick with it.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The change model from old status quo through catalyst, chaos, integration, and new status quo

• Why most change efforts fail when leaders pull back during the chaos phase

• How to recognize that pushback from your team is often a test, not a rejection

• The five steps to executing organizational change with the Switch model

• Why removing non cultural fits has, in Jason's experience, never failed to work out

When the attack starts to cost you something real, that is the exact moment turning back will cost you more.

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 sits down with Adam Hoots for a wide ranging conversation on accountability, culture, and what it actually takes to build people up on a project. Adam walks through his accountability meter from awareness through educating, coaching, clear expectations, crucial conversations, and role modification, while Jason pushes the framework one layer deeper into environment, culture, and behavior. They land on radical candor, the difference between respect and punishment, and why every leader has to start with the question, "Is it me?"

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Adam's accountability meter and how to walk someone from awareness to role modification

• Why process comes first, then environment and culture, before you ever look at the person

• How radical candor (caring personally and challenging directly) shows up on a real project

• Why ruinous empathy and not speaking up can be more damaging than obnoxious aggression

• How accountability has to be taken, not given, and why Scrum is one of the best tools for it

If we're going to fight for the worker, the first place that fight starts is in the mirror.

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 closes out the audiobook series with the final section of Elevating Construction Takt Planning, the reflections, the integrity checklist, and the closing vision for the future of construction. He covers the culture that supports Takt, why trades push back at first, how to bring problems to the surface with "Clean and Steady," and the supporting concepts that make any flow system succeed. He ends with a glimpse of what a fully realized Takt project looks like for the workers in the field, and a direct call to leaders and organizations across the industry to adopt flow systems before the upcoming economy leaves them behind.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The cultural beliefs and behaviors that allow Takt to thrive , and the ones that kill it

• Why trades push back at first and how to handle it without losing the system

• "Clean and Steady" as a rally cry, and why we clean to find problems, not just to be clean

• The Takt integrity checklist , the requirements every Takt plan must meet to be whole

• A vision of a sheer wall concrete crew working in flow, with respect, and going home happy

If the future belongs to companies most adaptable to change, the question becomes simple, are you ready to change?

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

Scrum works well with Takt for complex areas like lobby, hoist erection, medical equipment, MEP renovations. The product owner populates backlog from Takt work steps. The team autonomously moves items from sprint backlog to in progress to complete. Last Planner integrates perfectly under Takt. Five levels: master, phase pull, make ready lookahead, weekly work, day planning. Elementary classroom clarity measures if a third grader understands the plan. Target is over 80 percent. Crash landing means compression ignored until damage is done. Team pushes harder, increases materials and workers, takes project out of flow. Controlled landing means compression recognized early. Flow is maintained. Worker counts stay consistent. Pushing only extends the end date.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Scrum steps: pick product and team, prioritize backlog from Takt work steps, daily standup, sprint review and retrospective
• Last Planner levels: master, phase pull, make ready lookahead, weekly work, day planning
• Takt KPIs that obey production laws: work completion ratio, flow consumption area, buffer ratios, elementary classroom clarity over 80 percent
• Crash landing causes: pushing, increased inventory, out of flow, firefighting mode, personal lives expendable
• Controlled landing: maintain flow, consistent worker counts, optimize sequences, shorten batches, increase capacity

To recover you must focus on increasing system capacity not pushing work through limited capacity.

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

Detailing a CPM schedule at schematic design is not only a waste of time. It is useless, distracting, and irresponsible. Submitting a CPM schedule says we had one person detail this plan without team input and are now asking you to trust this person guessed what you want perfectly. Submitting a Takt plan says our team sketched out the simplest plan possible and we can quickly collaborate with you to accomplish your needs. Takt planning in schematic design is fast, nimble, and real time. Designers and stakeholders can learn to adjust the Takt plan themselves. This saves countless days redoing CPM schedules. Your scheduling department has more capacity to delight the owner in preconstruction. More time for constructability reviews, coordination, integration, design pull planning, cost estimation, target value design.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why proposal with Takt shows wisdom: uses historical production rates and process analysis instead of guessing detailed logic without design
• The design development workflow: finalize strategy, identify constraints, perform Takt analysis, develop roadblock system, begin at 50 percent DD
• The three huddles: afternoon format for day planning, morning worker for entire site, crew preparation 15 to 25 minutes with pretask plans
• The five sections of integrated production control: plan, environment, accountability, continuous improvement, presumes respect and stability for workers
• What workers need to succeed: what building, how to install, where to put it, materials, equipment, clean environment, safe environment

The Takt plan is one of your best referencing tools when managing a project.

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

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There is one real parameter when creating a Takt plan. Do not overburden the system. If more crews are needed, make sure the market has them. If materials are needed at expedited rate, make sure supply chain can accommodate. Research drawings before going to software. Builders who go straight to drawings are different from builders who go straight to software. The latter method puts things in the wrong order. Preliminary Takt zones in Phoenix for hospital space start at 10,000 square feet. Eventually they reduce to 3,000 to 7,000 square feet. Preliminary Takt time is usually 3, 5, 7, or 10 days. Five is most common because it represents one work week. Little's Law shows the power of smaller zones. Five floors with 5-day Takt equals 45 days total. Same project with 1-day Takt equals 29 days.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why drawings come before software: builders visualize flow, see constraints, identify preliminary zones
• Phoenix throughput rates: 10,000 square feet every 5 to 7 days, total process time 7.5 to 9 months
• Little's Law optimization: 1-day Takt finishes in 53 percent of the time compared to 5-day Takt
• The 15 Jason and Spencer rules: remove roadblocks daily is first priority, equal zones, deliveries on time or turned away, trades work weekends if not done
• Why Takt handles changes better: stabilizes entire project so changes can be isolated and focused on with Last Planner or Scrum

The difference with Takt is it is all downhill from here, whereas with CPM your nightmare is just beginning.

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

There are three levels of Takt plan development. Macro level is the process analysis where you create the overall Takt plan and identify preliminary zones, time, and sequences. Norm level is harmonization where resource leveling occurs, buffers are integrated, and work steps are created for each work package. Micro level is crucial and cannot be omitted. This is where you detail work packages to make work ready, create quality deliverables and standard work, and begin Takt control meetings. There are three ways to implement Takt. Total Takt management is the preferred method because you achieve flow in all directions: workflow, logistical flow, and trade flow. Excel is viable and recommended for getting familiar. Tacting is free and forces proper planning. Timoti integrates with Last Planner. Be skeptical of applications that do not follow production laws.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The three levels of Takt development: macro creates preliminary zones and sequences, norm adds work steps and buffers, micro details work packages and begins control meetings
• Why total Takt management is preferred over integrated control: total management achieves flow in workflow, logistical flow, and trade flow simultaneously
• The specific outputs at macro level: preliminary zones identified, preliminary time identified, sequences created by phase, phases networked with interdependence ties
• Why Excel is recommended for initial plans: easy to manipulate, everyone has access, thoroughly tested, less friction when learning Takt
• The warning about Last Planner applications: some tack on Takt as selling feature, applications must adapt to theory not the other way around

Micro level planning is crucial and cannot be omitted from the system.

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

The current industry approach is chaos. Workers do not see the planning. Foremen try to follow an uncollaborative dictated schedule or they ignore it completely. The famous Office fire drill episode shows what this looks like. People run around in different directions with false urgency. Deadlines are unnecessary or too late. Teams throw workers, money, materials at the project. It is like putting out a fire with one hundred dollar bills. Last Planner and Scrum are better. They introduce phase planning with pull planning. Make ready schedules identify roadblocks. Workers receive 50 percent of planned information. The integrated production control system with Takt is best. Workers receive 75 percent of planned information. Information flows through multiple paths, not a single point of failure through the foreman.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why CPM creates chaos: look-ahead schedules are given to subs as directive without collaboration, workers do not see any planning
• How Last Planner improves things: phase planning with pull planning, make ready schedules, weekly work plans, percent plan complete tracking
• Why Takt with integrated production control is best: work packages and work steps planned early, roadblock removal is primary responsibility
• The three huddles that get information to workers: afternoon format huddle 16 hours before work, morning worker huddle for entire site, crew preparation huddle with pretask plan
• How information transfer improves from 50 percent with Last Planner to 75 percent with Takt because of multiple communication paths instead of single point of failure

Workers see as much of the plan as possible and have input.

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

The parade of trades dice game reveals the power of flow. Red team rolls normal dice with numbers 1 to 6. Blue team rolls dice showing only 2, 3, and 4. Red team tries to move fast with 6s then hits painful 1s. Blue team maintains steady flow with no variation. Red team finishes in 26 weeks with 380 workers. Blue team finishes in 21 weeks with 280 workers. The cost difference is 8.8 million dollars. The factory example shows why. Four machines working at different speeds create inventory pileup between them. Workers stop running machines and start managing inventory. Throughput drops from 2 items per hour to 1.25 because of the waste. Movement does not equal production. Pushing creates variation and literally destroys projects.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why we level out bottlenecks by slowing faster trades: prevents stacking workers, burying scopes, installing too early, creating defects
• How work in process destroys capacity: CPM pushes work to start early, team spends time managing overburden instead of removing roadblocks
• The parade of trades math: 26 weeks times 380 workers equals 21.7 million versus 21 weeks times 280 workers equals 12.9 million
• Why the factory throughput drops from 2 to 1.25 items per hour when machines run at different speeds and inventory piles up
• How finish as you go and quality at the source require leveled work: you need capacity to focus on work in process and complete it right the first time

Do not roll 6s and 1s when you can roll 3s.

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