Elevate Construction

Jason outlines steps to improve company field operations while sharing podcast growth hitting 700 daily listeners and 50,000 total downloads. He addresses trade partners pulling workers from stable Takt projects to feed chaotic projects with excessive crews. Main focus is building strong field leadership through monthly meetings, training programs, and creating cohesive superintendent groups that share and collaborate.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Don't rob stable Takt projects: Trade partners pulling 3 workers from 15 person stable crew to add to 85 person chaotic project kills flow
• Monthly superintendent meetings critical: Get field leader input before decisions, create buy-in through participation
• Bi-monthly training flywheel: Craft, foreman, field engineer, superintendent training continuously running
• Home-grow superintendents: Craft progression program through field engineering path, not held hostage by industry hires
• General superintendent criteria: Must be humble fanatical learners and cultural fit, never promote stuck-in-ways leaders
• Turn lone wolves into wolf pack: Best super groups call each other, tour jobs, share advice openly

Field representation must be on leadership team, if finances and marketing are represented but not your product that says something.

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 addresses utilizing field engineers as superintendents' best support system. Superintendents plan and execute work while field engineers are builders who handle layout, quality control, safety, and production tracking. Contractors are incentivized to undercut costs upfront and pay for mistakes out of contingency rather than investing in field engineers. Jason argues spending 230k on field engineers prevents 280k in mistakes and black eyes.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Field engineers are builders: Superintendents plan and execute, field engineers do dirty work with foreman and craft
• Quality control frontline: Layout, production tracking, trend charts, high risk features of work, overhead sealing inspections
• Safety presence daily: Help with pretask plans, paperwork, build rapport with trades, brainwashed into right behaviors
• CM at risk incentive problem: Easier to negotiate contingency for mistakes than spend money upfront on field engineers
• Shortchanging extends duration and cost: Undercut project financially you spend more money, shorten duration you extend it
• Oakland on fire for field engineers: Great program, leads in each region, best boot camps and training right now

If you try to shorten duration too much you increase duration, if you shortchange project financially you spend more money.

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 interviews John Sladek and Jake Sladek from Rich Duncan Construction in Salem, Oregon while touring projects in Phoenix. They discuss scaling lean systems and last planner standardization across companies and projects. John shares his 10-7 board system with master schedule, roadblocks, milestones, PPC tracker, and TIMES reminders. Jake demonstrates how visual whiteboards work even on small remodel projects with client feedback showing organization matters more than cost.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• 10-7 board system: Master schedule, roadblocks, milestones, PPC tracker, make ready planning boards
• TIMES acronym for reminders: Tools, Information, Materials, Manpower, Safety, Space to work at
• Visual whiteboards scale to any project size: Even $50k kitchen remodels benefit from schedule and checklists
• Client feedback on organization: Customers willing to pay more for visible organization and communication
• One-piece flow saves time: Mobile command center in vehicle completes reports before next job, saves 30 to 90 minutes
• Just start now: Get a mentor, customize systems to your company and circumstances

Everything is fractal, lean principles and visual systems scale from small remodels to 250 million dollar projects.

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 finishes the mega project implementation series with part two. Main theme is everything is fractal, smaller patterns repeat at larger scale which means methods for medium projects can scale to billion dollar mega projects. Jason breaks down team metrics, morning worker huddles, trade partner training challenges, and composite cleanup crews. He emphasizes breaking large projects into smaller functional areas with dedicated leadership.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Everything is fractal: Scale from small to large projects by breaking into functional segments
• Morning worker huddle non-negotiable: Even during COVID separate into smaller groups, no excuses
• No composite cleanup crews: If supers can't get trades to clean up themselves they can't do anything else
• Use runners for data collection: Senior super uses runners to gather status updates from field
• Train trade partners: Spend more time and be more intentional about team balance and coverage
• Break billion dollar projects into smaller areas: Assistant supers can make their segment remarkable

Next week topic is what assistant superintendents can do for lean when project superintendent doesn't get it.

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 addresses trade partners on how to survive working with bad general contractors. A trade partner VP told Jason to show him a superintendent who follows the principles in Elevating Construction Superintendents because they would bid on those projects. Main focus is controlling the flow and flowing within while holding GCs accountable. Jason argues CPM scheduling hides information which benefits owners and GCs at the expense of trades.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Control flow and flow within: Hold your GC accountable, always do right thing regardless of what people ask
• Don't go out of flow blindly: Have conversations before trade stacking or doing unsafe things GC requests
• Make flow visible: Don't let your flow be hidden, needs to be in everyone's face with data and dates
• CPM hides information: Benefits owner and GC when data is hidden, chaotic schedules shove risk onto trades
• Training is critical: Construction loses productivity every year, need 10 times more training than now
• Challenge: Measure of success is everybody wins, if you burned out contractor to finish you failed

In United States nobody is incentivized to do the right thing, hidden information benefits owner and GC at expense of trades.

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 interviews Brian Kaplan from Toronto, Canada, a residential construction expert and business coach with 21 years of experience. Brian started as a laborer and worked his way up to general manager. The main topic covers leveraging trade partner relationships for win-win-win outcomes by moving from transactional to relational approaches.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Alignment vs expectations: Use alignment language to get everyone paddling in same direction
• Move from transactional to relational: Construction is relationship based industry, not commodity transactions
• Opportunity to profit: Care about trade partners' financials, they need to pay employees and keep operations running
• Details matter: Clear RFPs and RFIs, bring trades in early to influence scope
• Trade days concept: Bring partners in before demo, they catch missed elements and code changes
• Challenge: Treat trade partners as true partners, stick up for people around you to drive project success

We are only as strong as the people around us, whether employees, team members, or trade partners.

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 argues there is no such thing as a critical path on well-planned projects. If a project has a critical path with zero float it already is set up for failure with no buffers or contingencies. CPM schedules hide whose fault delays are which benefits owners and GCs but hurts trade partners. In Europe owners have more contractual risk so they use Takt, in the United States everyone contracts out risk so CPM prefers to hide problems in chaos.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Critical path means failure: Zero float with no buffers already sets team up for crash landing and burnout
• CPM hides accountability: Nobody can prove whose fault delays are, owners and GCs can screw trades out of money
• Can't focus on critical path in chaos: Everything urgent, slammed left, random dates, can't actually focus anything
• Europe vs US incentives: Europe owners liable for project performance so use Takt, US contracts out all risk prefers CPM
• Takt shows problems in daylight: Immediately see what went wrong and whose fault, holds everyone accountable
• Trade partners add money to CPM bids: If you see critical path elevate risk profile immediately

Projects should have at least 3 percent buffers not 100 percent efficiency, focus on flow of the entire system not critical path.

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 feedback from an executive whose team succeeded by implementing podcast concepts. Website updates include leantakt.com, leansuperintendent.com, and leanfieldengineer.com. The main topic covers 41 destructive scheduling mistakes to avoid including falsifying data, dissolving logic, and failing to show real impacts.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Critical mistakes: Don't falsify data, don't dissolve logic, show real impacts in schedule
• Tell truth every time: One schedule shows truth, put every impact in
• Detail balance: Need detail for concrete, interiors, commissioning, site work
• Superintendents update own schedules: Do it weekly, don't delegate
• Get second set of eyes: Fresh eyes meetings before GMP
• Challenge: Follow good scheduling practice, get help with reviews

Superintendents who update their own schedules weekly will win over those who delegate every time.

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 interviews Brandon Montero about energy and high performance habits. High performance habits include seeking clarity, generating energy, raising necessity, increasing productivity, developing influence, and demonstrating courage. Brandon is excited about life itself, his amazing partner, the people he interacts with, and things on the horizon. Jason published the Elevating Construction Takt Planning book on audio for free and has a 68-page outline for the next superintendent book. The main topic is energy as the key to everything: movement, production, clean sites, and motivated teams. Brandon's challenge is to pave the way for energy with small steps like smiling, body language, and making personal connections.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• High performance habits: Seeking clarity, generating energy, raising necessity, increasing productivity, developing influence, and demonstrating courage
• Energy is the foundation: No movement or production without energy, applies to workers, teams, and job sites
• Paving the way: Small steps like smiling, eye contact, and personal connections create energy
• Jason's research lab example: Trailer, parking lot, fence, bathrooms, lunch room, and entrance all brought joy
• Brandon's pink phone strategy: Pave the way with things or actions so you have to have a good day
• Challenge: What are you doing to pave the path for energy and happiness? What waypavers are you creating?

No movement or production without energy. A worker with high energy produces more than a worker with low energy.

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

This is Episode 250, the perfect way to close out with the final section of "Elevating Construction Takt Planning." Katie narrates this last chapter covering when the plan changes, building a Takt plan from software to zones to trains, Takt phases from proposal through execution, running different project phases (foundations, superstructure, exterior, interiors, site work), the complete meeting system (strategic planning, trade partner tactical, foreman huddle, worker huddle, crew preparation huddle), the integrated control system, using Takt with Scrum and Last Planner, company controls and procurement, KPIs, Takt reflections, and the conclusion. Flow is the single biggest consideration when it comes to lean, everything starts with flow.

What you'll learn in this final section:

• Flow is everything: Flow allows us to reduce overproduction, material inventory, crew counts, and waste, without flow, nothing else matters in construction

• When the plan changes: Takt brings problems to the surface because it visually compels stability, problems are not a problem, thinking there are no problems is a problem

• Clean and steady (limpio e constante): The rally cry for the entire project site, plan it first, build it right, finish as you go instead of mad rush CPM world

• Building a Takt plan: Identify start/end dates, research drawings, identify Takt zones (10,000 sq ft standard in Phoenix hospitals), define Takt trains/wagons/work packages, break the system with fresh eyes meeting

• The integrated control system: Preparation (intentional preconstruction), lean in contracts, win over workforce, build PM team, orient people well, design interaction spaces, logistics systems, meeting system, procurement, quality program, roadblock removal, zero tolerance, grade contractors

"Flow is the single biggest consideration when it comes to lean. We can go 5S, just-in-time deliveries, PDCA cycles, gemba, continuous improvement, they will never get us anywhere unless we have flow. Flow is everything in construction."

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