Elevate Construction

In this episode, Jason sits down with Dr. Steve and Amanda from BioHealth Management to talk about something most teams ignore until it's too late: shoulder pain, shoulder wear-and-tear, and the long-term consequences of "just pushing through it." They break down the real difference between symptoms vs. source, why the pain often shows up in the back even when the problem starts in the front, and how repetitive motion, posture, tool belts, harnesses, and desk work quietly stack up over time. The goal isn't just to feel better at work it's to stay strong enough to enjoy life after work without pain, stiffness, or lost mobility.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

· Why shoulder pain is usually the symptom and not the source

· How forward posture (phones, computers, harnesses, bags) shortens the front and weakens the back

· The most common shoulder issues workers retire with (impingement, bursitis, frozen shoulder, rotator cuff problems)

· How to spot early warning signs before they become long-term damage

· Why "stretching" can help but only if you do the right kind at the right time

· A simple chest/pec stretch that opens up the front of the shoulder safely

· A practical activation sequence for the back muscles (including easy jobsite-friendly movements)

· Why shoulder circles and toe-touching stretches can backfire for certain people

· How ergonomic desks can still cause strain if you set them up wrong

· How taking care of shoulders supports performance on the job and quality of life at home

The big takeaway is simple: you don't have to accept shoulder pain as "part of the job." When teams learn how the body works, how to prepare it, and how to recover correctly, you can dramatically reduce injuries, improve mobility, and extend careers.

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 episode, Jason challenges a core assumption most leaders make on job sites: that people naturally know how to collaborate, speak up, and engage in healthy meetings. The truth is, many workers have been conditioned their entire lives to stay quiet, avoid conflict, follow hierarchy, and survive not participate. If you've ever wondered why pull plans stall, meetings feel awkward, or foremen won't engage, this episode explains exactly why. Jason breaks down what's really happening beneath the surface and how great leaders can deprogram these behaviors to build trust, engagement, and real teamwork.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

· Why people struggle to speak up in pull plans, huddles, and coordination meetings

· How traditional schooling conditions workers to avoid conflict and authority

· Why silence, resistance, or disengagement is often a learned survival behavior

· What to expect when new trade partners enter a Lean or collaborative environment

· How fear of hierarchy shuts down communication on job sites

· Why some foremen become aggressive or withdrawn in meetings

· The importance of psychological safety before demanding accountability

· How to assume positive intent without lowering standards

· Practical ways to rebuild trust and participation on your project

· How leaders can retrain teams to collaborate, plan, and problem-solve together

If you want better meetings, stronger pull plans, and teams that actually collaborate instead of shut down, this episode will change how you see people and how you lead them. Start building trust, reinforce the right behaviors, and commit to creating a culture where people feel safe enough to speak up and contribute.

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 episode, Jason challenges you to stop waiting for permission to grow and start investing in yourself like it matters because it does. Training isn't fluff, and personal development isn't optional if you want to level up. If you want better opportunities, better confidence, better results, and a better life, you have to sharpen the saw on purpose. This episode is a direct push to pick your next training, schedule it, pay for it, and get after it.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

· Why negative voices keep people stuck and how to replace them with a positive feedback loop

· Why training is one of the best returns on investment you'll ever get

· What "sharpening the saw" looks like in real life and real career progression

· How Jason approaches investing in himself yearly and why it compounds

· Why "technical-only" learning misses the point of leadership and growth

· How to identify what you actually need next instead of copying someone else's path

· How your "red zone" helps you choose the right training and avoid miserable promotions

· A simple process to pick 2–3 growth targets, research training options, and schedule them

· How to approach your company to pay for training and how to come back and teach it

· Why you should schedule the training first, then figure out the money second

Training changes your skill set, your mindset, your confidence, and your ability to lead. If you want the next level, you have to force the jump and invest in yourself on purpose.

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 episode, Jason breaks down a simple truth that most teams avoid: owners don't get mad because problems happen they get mad when they're surprised. If you want trust, repeat work, and a healthy project team, you have to take the owner with you as issues emerge, not at the end when the damage is already done. This episode is about transparency, early warning systems, and how to communicate problems with a plan so you protect relationships, protect the team, and protect the job.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

· Why "we'll just absorb it" usually backfires later

· How surprises destroy owner trust more than bad news does

· The right way to report problems without dumping them on the owner

· How to use OAC meetings to keep everything above-board and visible

· Why schedules must stay accurate and never be "falsified to look good"

· How open-book thinking reduces stress and improves collaboration

· What to do when procurement, design, or field issues start trending bad

· The simple language to notify owners early and reset expectations

· Why "problems belong to the team" is the only sustainable mindset

· How transparency today becomes your best marketing for the next job

If you're a superintendent, PM, or project executive, your job is not to hide pain until the end. Your job is to surface issues early, bring a recovery plan, and keep the owner informed so they feel in control. No surprises. No last-minute shock. Take them with you.

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 episode, Jason walks through Chapter 3 of Calumet K and connects it directly to real-world construction leadership. The story of Charlie Bannon exposes a critical lesson: great builders don't accept surface answers when procurement fails they hunt for root causes and create new paths forward. This episode is about persistence, situational awareness, and the mindset required to win when systems push back. If you've ever been told "there's nothing we can do," this one is for you.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

· Why accepting vague procurement excuses guarantees delays

· How Charlie Bannon models true root-cause problem solving

· The danger of relying on phone calls instead of face-to-face investigation

· How power, politics, and hidden incentives affect material flow

· Why great builders refuse to be "buzzed away" by authority

· What it means to think several moves ahead under pressure

· How imagination and situational awareness unlock better decisions

· Why winning builders always develop Plan B, C, D, and beyond

· How persistence turns roadblocks into strategic advantages

· What modern superintendents can learn from this classic story

If you're facing stalled materials, unclear answers, or political roadblocks on your project, take this episode as a challenge. Don't stop at the first explanation. Dig deeper, ask better questions, and build alternate plans until you find a way forward.

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

Most superintendents don't fail because they lack talent they struggle because they lack consistent standard work. In this episode, Jason breaks down the Superintendent Commandments: the daily habits that create safety, cleanliness, flow, and trust on a construction project. He explains how these principles work regardless of personality style and why discipline always beats raw ability. If you run this system long enough, the results compound less stress, better projects, and a stronger career.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

· What "commandments" really mean standard work that predicts success, not rigid rules

· The daily loop every great superintendent follows: drawings, schedule, reflection walk

· Why studying drawings every day is non-negotiable for real builders

· How reviewing the schedule daily triggers assignments, readiness, and accountability

· Why carrying the schedule into the field changes how you see manpower and flow

· The power of visualization and repeating the plan until it sticks

· Why every superintendent needs a tape measure and what it symbolizes

· How asking questions builds authority instead of weakening it

· Why transparency eliminates stress and prevents disasters

· The real job of leadership: removing roadblocks daily

· How safety and cleanliness directly protect cost, schedule, and morale

· Why returning calls, texts, and emails is a career-defining habit

· How PMs and superintendents must operate as equal accountability partners

· The 60-day discipline challenge and why consistency changes everything

If you're a superintendent, commit to these commandments for the next 60 days and track your consistency. If you're a leader, challenge your supers to run this system and support them while they build the habit. Discipline compounds and when you master these basics, everything else gets easier.

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

Most projects don't fail in the field they fail before boots ever hit the site. In this episode, Jason walks through the builder's pre-construction game plan for "winning the war before going to battle," from strategy and flow to procurement, team setup, and workforce support. If you want a job that runs with clarity instead of chaos, this is the checklist-style breakdown of what to design, buy out, and align before Notice to Proceed.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

· Why planning is the real "battle," and how most teams lose before construction even starts

· How a morning routine (and box breathing) supports focus so you can actually execute your systems

· What "anchor projects" are and why your best people should learn from them and replicate the model

· The first-planner steps: project strategy, constraints, contract requirements, flow, and sequencing maps

· Why Takt planning belongs before CPM/P6/Microsoft Project and how it protects trade flow

· How a day-to-day geographic logistics analysis reveals the real production limits on tight sites

· The WBS → sequence → logic-tie approach that prevents "compressing the schedule to fit a date"

· How to identify bottlenecks and stabilize throughput instead of speeding up random activities

· Building procurement into the plan early especially exterior systems, elevators, and long-leads

· How to build the team in pre-con: roles by geography, leader standard work, and team health systems

· Designing trailers and office layouts for collaboration (so lean actually has a chance to work)

· Workforce win strategies: bathrooms, lunchrooms, huddles, parking, water/ice, and making work fun

· "Contracts and costs for culture": buying out the behaviors you want (LPS, JIT, coordination, BIM)

· Schedule health essentials: right detail level, commissioning/startup, monthly health checks and risk

· Risk prevention systems: basis of schedule, sequence maps, trade partner buy-in, fresh-eyes reviews

· The baseline discipline: backups, reports, owner interface strategy, and weekly schedule updates

If you want remarkable performance in the field, you have to design the job people, logistics, culture, procurement, and flow in pre-con. Win the war first. Then go to battle.

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

Field engineering mistakes are expensive and most of them are preventable. In this episode, Jason lays out the "field engineering commandments," the core practices that protect you from the big, painful errors that cost time, money, and trust. If you're a field engineer (or want to become one), this is a practical checklist to tighten your habits, improve your accuracy, and build confidence in your work.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

· Why following proven field practices prevents major rework and costly layout errors

· The critical control, benchmark, and verification steps that keep your project coordinates honest

· What "always check" really means and how to double-check correctly (tech, direction, person, approach)

· Why closed level loops and properly documented benchmarks matter more than most teams realize

· The baseline setup rule that makes your layout self-checking and reduces risk

· Why you should never burn a foot and the simple tape technique that eliminates the mistake

· The hidden accuracy problems with forefoot prism poles and when to use mini prisms instead

· Why calibration isn't optional and how defective gear quietly creates bad data

· How better field notes, labeling, and documentation protect you and the project

This episode is about being professional, consistent, and dangerous in the best way meaning your work holds up, your layout is right, and your confidence is earned. Learn the commandments, build them into your standard work, and go home knowing it's correct.

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 episode is dedicated to workers and foremen who want to take their next step but feel stuck, unsure, or intimidated by what comes next. Jason shares a key epiphany about why people stall in their careers and explains the real skills gap that holds foremen back from advancing. If you want to move forward with confidence instead of fear, this episode lays out a clear, practical path.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

· Why career growth doesn't happen automatically—you have to force the jump

· The hidden skills that stop foremen from advancing beyond early superintendent levels

· Why technology, organization, and communication are the real barriers (not intelligence)

· How fear of computers, email, and systems quietly limits career progression

· Why the field engineer path accelerates long-term growth

· The four core skill sets every future superintendent must master

· How to train yourself if you don't have access to formal programs

· What it actually takes to move from foreman to high-level leadership

If you're a worker or foreman who wants more—more responsibility, more opportunity, more impact this episode is your wake-up call. Don't wait for someone to notice you or promote you. Take ownership of your growth, force the learning curve, and build the skills that unlock your next level.

If you need help creating that path or want guidance on where to start, reach out, take action, and commit to your future.

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 episode, Jason and his wife Katie explore one of the most powerful mindset shifts for leaders: assuming positive intent. Through the concept of "skill, not will" from the book Changeable, they unpack why most people are doing their best even when their behavior is frustrating, and how identifying their positive intent allows you to stay in control, find win-win solutions, and avoid getting dragged into the mud.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why most negative behavior is a skill problem, not a will problem
• How assuming positive intent keeps you in control and out of reactive mode
• The technique of identifying what someone is trying to accomplish (even when they do it poorly)
• Why people who seem difficult are often just trying to meet basic needs like significance or connection
• How this mindset shift frees you from the emotional weight of assuming the worst about people

Stop getting dragged into the mud and start leading from a place of control.

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