Elevate Construction

If you want great superintendents, you have to grow them from the beginning through field engineering. Jason has never seen anyone go from college straight to assistant superintendent and successfully make it to field director. Ever. Being a superintendent is not a builder practicing position. You practice building when you are doing layout, drawings, quality control, and troubleshooting with workers. That is where you learn to be a builder. The superintendent of the future has the technological capabilities of a project manager, the strategic mind of a military general, and the ability to influence people like Dale Carnegie. You cannot get there without fundamental builder training first. What you'll learn in this episode: Why field engineer boot camp is the granddaddy of all boot camps and the foundation for great superintendents Why Jason has never seen anyone successfully go from college to assistant super to field director without field engineering experience The marshmallow study lesson: patience and delayed gratification predict future success in life and career How to build Superintendent 2.0 with technology, strategy, and influence skills combined Why companies need to plug the hole with fundamental builder training instead of just bailing water with poorly trained supers Stop letting grumpy, poorly trained superintendents who do not know how to schedule hold your company hostage. Build the next generation right from the start. 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

Many superintendents do not know what they are doing, and that is a reality you have to work around. If you are a foreman or trade partner waiting for an incompetent superintendent to map out your destiny on site, you cannot wait. Here is the secret nobody tells you. You are in trouble either way. Whether you blindly follow stupid requests or do it the right way, you are going to get in trouble. So why not be in trouble and make money? Create your own schedule, protect your trade flow, plan it first, build it right, and finish as you go. If you do not have a plan, you will find yourself as part of somebody else's plan. And most of the time, the superintendent does not have a plan. What you'll learn in this episode: The powerful principle: expect nothing, appreciate everything, do the right thing (versus expect everything, appreciate nothing, respond as victim) Why you are in trouble either way, so you might as well do the right thing and make money How to create your own schedule and protect trade flow when the superintendent has no plan Why most owner's reps and uneducated superintendents give terrible advice that destroys flow The James Madison lesson: if you do not have a plan, be prepared to be part of somebody else's plan You are in trouble either way. Do the right thing. Take care of the contractor. Make money. Protect your trade flow. 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

You cannot improve on chaos. Everything thrives in stability and standards, and you cannot have continuous improvement unless you stabilize first. If today is a five, tomorrow is a two, and the day after is a seven, you are not improving. You are just bouncing around in chaos. Cleanliness, organization, safety, just-in-time deliveries, and Takt planning are not about being nice or fair. They are about creating the stable foundation you need before you can optimize anything. When you strive for perfection, you get good. When you strive for good, you get okay. When you strive for okay, you get bad. And when you strive for bad, you go out of business. What you'll learn in this episode: Why you cannot have continuous improvement without stability and standards first The real reason Jason wants cleanliness, organization, safety, deliveries, and Takt planning (to stabilize before optimizing) The S-curve analogy: pushing the ball uphill from bad to okay to good to perfect Why good is the worst thing you can be and why you need to strive for perfection How the labor shortage will force construction to get smarter and leaner with the workers we have If you are good at your job or you run good jobs, that is the worst thing you can be. You have to stop being good and start striving for perfection. 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

If you keep giving up, it's because your why is not big enough. Jason and Brandon Monteiro dive deep into what it means to face your fears and live with purpose. Whether you believe in an afterlife or think this is all you get, the math is the same. You are wasting your time if you are not grinding toward something meaningful. People who retire early and do nothing wither away and become miserable. You cannot run away from weakness. You must fight it out or perish. And if that be so, why not now and where you stand? This conversation will challenge you to get uncomfortable, address your fears head on, and stop wasting the precious time you have. What you'll learn in this episode: Why if you keep giving up, your why is not big enough (Eric Thomas wisdom) How to introduce a "noticer" that observes your emotions before you react to them Why people who retire too early and stop grinding wither away and die within months The reality that it does not matter if there is an afterlife or not, you still cannot waste time either way Robert Louis Stevenson's powerful quote about facing weakness now instead of running from it You cannot run away from weakness. You must fight it out or perish. And if that be so, why not now and where you stand? 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 four zones in life: comfort, fear, learning, and growth. You cannot stay in your comfort zone forever or you will stagnate, regress, and make everyone around you miserable. But you also cannot live in your growth zone all the time or you will burn out. The key is pushing through the fear zone into the learning zone where you deal with challenges, acquire new skills, and extend your comfort zone. Everyone has fear. Even the bravest people in the world have fear. The difference is they push through it with courage into their learning and growth zones. That is where you find your purpose, live your dreams, and conquer your objectives. What you'll learn in this episode: The four zones and why you need range between comfort and growth to avoid stagnation or burnout Why 5 to 15 percent of people hate superintendent bootcamp (they stay in the fear zone and never break through) How pushing through fear into the learning zone is what separates those who grow from those who stay the same Why people who arrive at positions and stay in comfort zones create broken relationships, bad marriages, and career stagnation Powerful quotes from Helen Keller, Theodore Roosevelt's "The Man in the Arena," and "The Dash" by Linda Ellis When your eulogy is being read with your life's actions to rehash, would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent your dash? 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 not your typical solo podcast. Jason joins a live panel of lean construction leaders including Juan Sarastome, Adam Hoots, Jennifer Lacey, Spencer Easton, and Jesse Hernandez for an unscripted Saturday morning discussion about what needs to change in construction. The energy is high, the conversation is real, and the passion for improving the industry is contagious. From bashing CPM to celebrating Takt planning, from honoring trade workers to building cultures of caring, this panel proves that when lean thinkers get together, the conversation goes wherever it needs to go. No agenda, no script, just radical candor with respect and a shared commitment to making construction better for the people who actually do the work. What you'll learn in this episode: Why CPM is the McDonald's of scheduling and what needs to replace it How building a culture of caring creates the foundation for lean tools to succeed The difference between theoretical architects and practical builders who respect the trades Why continuous improvement means you have to build first before you can improve building What happens when lean construction leaders gather with no agenda and just let the conversation flow The only way to go is up when you're number one for suicide rates and not turning projects over on time. That's exciting because it means we know exactly where we need to head. 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

Too many people arrive at their leadership position, organize their desk, and enter a state of comfortable hedonism where they stop growing, stop stretching, and stop becoming who they were designed to be. Draw a line on a piece of paper from birth to when you die. On the left side, write down the beautiful moments that shaped you. On the right side, write down what you want to accomplish before you die. That right side is your why, and protecting it means you stop wasting time on things that don't get you there. Your future is so beautiful and your happily ever after is waiting for you, but nothing comes for free. You have to grind 100% to earn that remarkable life. What you'll learn in this episode: The timeline exercise that helps you find your why and stop wasting time Why so many leaders get stuck in hedonism after they arrive at their position How to identify what truly matters on the right side of your line before you die Why 85 to 95 percent success rate exists for superintendent bootcamp versus 95 plus percent for field engineers (stuck people who won't stretch) The reality that you have to grind Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday with no breaks to live that remarkable life If your career is not heading you toward the right side of your line, why are you there? What are you going to do about 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

Construction lacks kindness, and it's costing us more than we realize. There's actual science proving that kindness makes people healthier, more productive, and more resilient. Yet we treat trade partners like they're beneath us, we create toxic environments, and we wonder why our teams are struggling. Your job as a leader is not just to build projects. It's to create an environment where people are excited to come to work, where they know how to win every day, where they feel connected and relevant. At the end of your life, you will not look back at the buildings you built. You will immediately recognize the relationships you had, and you will hope those were positive. What you'll learn in this episode: The Rabbit Effect study that proves kindness makes people healthier on a molecular level Why the construction industry lacks kindness and what it's costing us How to create connection on your project team through measurement, clear expectations, and knowing people's families The true measure of courage: having hard conversations without getting mad or punishing people Why you need to be around kind people and step away from negative, destructive environments Are people excited to come to work on your project? Do they know how to win every day? Have you told them how special they are? 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

If you're managing six different scheduling systems and it's taking forever to update them all, you're missing the integration that makes everything work. Jason just had the epiphany that changes everything. The work steps in Takt planning translate directly into your weekly work plan and your sprint backlog. That means you're not recreating plans over and over. You're pulling from a collaborative flow system that already has the production rates, the trade sequencing, and the make ready work packaged. Instead of spending hours populating weekly work plans from scratch, you're pulling pre-planned work steps based on formulas and flow. This is the magic formula that will save you one twelfth of the time managing your schedule. What you'll learn in this episode: How Takt work steps translate directly into weekly work plans and sprint backlogs Why this integration saves you one twelfth of the time managing schedules The difference between planning far ahead in CPM (guessing what will happen) versus Takt (identifying what should happen based on production rates) How trades can actually commit in Last Planner meetings because supply chains are managed through the Takt system Why the current condition of managing six different scheduling systems is breaking down and what to do instead The current condition is it takes way too long to do our schedules and short interval planning. Now that we know how to integrate these systems, it's time to go. 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

You need to stop sounding like a professor and start using words that stick. Construction teams need simple, memorable phrases that rally them toward the right behaviors, not technical jargon that goes in one ear and out the other. A good buzz phrase gets everyone focused, re-centered, and moving in the same direction. When Jason created the rally cry "clean and steady" at the research laboratory, it worked because people could understand it, remember it, and repeat it. The question isn't whether you use buzzwords. It's whether you're using the right ones to create focus and drive the behaviors your project needs right now. What you'll learn in this episode: Why simple buzz phrases work better than technical jargon for rallying teams Jason's favorite lean construction rally cries and what each one means How "clean and steady" became a war cry that transformed behavior on the research laboratory project Key phrases like "plan it first, build it right, finish as you go" and "flow where you can, pull when you can't, don't push" Why "create flow" is the one word Jason would take if the whole lean house was burning down What's your buzz phrase? What's your rally cry? What does your project need right now to get everyone focused on the same thing? 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

Not all owner's representatives are created equal, and how you work with them can make or break your project. Some have high expectations that stretch you into becoming better, and you should thank them for it. Others create chaos, overburden your team, and slow the job down while thinking they're helping. And some are completely hands-off, which means you need to step up and take control. The question isn't whether your owner's rep is difficult. It's whether you're leading the project in a way that prevents problems before they ever need to get involved. What you'll learn in this episode: The three types of owner's representatives you'll encounter and how to work with each one Why reasonable owner's reps with high expectations are a gift that makes you better How unreasonable owner's reps destroy flow by overburdening your team and sympathy voting designers Why you can't just do what the owner's rep tells you if you know it's wrong—you're paid to get it done right How to take control of the project and prevent situations from escalating in the first place At the end of the day, it's not about what they told you to do. It's about whether you had the leadership to take charge and fix the job before they ever needed to step in. 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 records from Southern California while finishing the second edition of "Elevating Construction Takt Planning." Opens with story: superintendent on failing project wants coaching, "That's not coaching, that's project recovery." Key warning: if your project is struggling and you start pushing harder ("I need more material, more manpower, keep pushing, rush it"), you're just extending the overall duration. "The more busyness you have, the longer it's going to take and the more it's going to cost. Unless you create flow, unless you stabilize the project with Takt planning, you will not recover your project. That is scientific." How to visit projects with purpose: talk to all levels (craft workers, janitors, entry-level engineers, foremen, senior team), attend team meetings to assess energy and trust, do lunch with leaders to get real feedback, walk the job using Ono circles (stand and observe flow for 30 minutes to 2 hours), ask about their problems, assess if people's strengths match their roles, use team health surveys. Signs of a project in trouble: lack of flow, poor safety culture, high turnover, dysfunctional team, bad bathrooms with graffiti, cancerous people not removed, more than one trade not performing, unreasonable owner's rep. Distinction: Lorna Gray (University of Arizona) had high but reasonable expectations that made Jason better; unreasonable reps believe every area must be busy, default to adding manpower, undermine GC with trades. What you'll learn in this episode: The busyness trap: pushing harder when behind ("more material, more manpower, rush") scientifically extends duration and increases cost, only flow and stabilization recover projects How to visit projects effectively: talk to all levels (don't walk past everyone to PM's office and close door), attend team meetings to assess energy/trust/conflict, walk the job using Ono circles The lunch technique: creates mental trigger for looseness and real-time feedback, "if you see them having fun, good sign; if stuffy, there's issues" Ono circle method: find a perch, stand for 30 minutes to 2 hours, observe energy and flow or lack of flow, see the waste Signs of trouble: lack of flow, poor safety culture, high turnover, bad bathrooms with graffiti, cancerous people not removed, more than one major trade not performing Reasonable vs unreasonable high expectations: Lorna Gray held impossible-feeling standards but they were logical; unreasonable reps believe in overproduction, busyness everywhere, adding people as first default "You will not recover your project if you start pushing. The only way to do it is if you start flowing." 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 Chapter 17 of "Calumet K" by Merwin Webster, the final chapter. Planning postponed Christmas dinner, need big hall, weather too cold for distributing floor. Max, Pete, Bannon making tables from planks and boxes, decorating with flags and scalloped shelf paper. Bannon offers Max assistant position on Indianapolis concrete elevator project: "It's going to be concrete from the spiles up. There ain't anything like it in the country." Max wants to talk to Hilda first. Pete asks Hilda to be guest of honor, she refuses: "I only came to help." Awkward tension. Hilda sends Max for napkins—signal she wants to talk to Bannon alone. "Did you mean it? Did you mean the whole thing?" She slowly nods. They hang flags together. Bannon tells her about Indianapolis project, then realizes: "Can you go with me Monday?" She nods. "And you'll stay for the dinner, won't you?" She nods again. James tries giving speech praising Bannon—Bannon physically stops him: "We aren't handing out any soft soap at this dinner." James shouts: "How about this, boys? Shall we stand it?" Chorus: "No!" "All right then. Three cheers for Mr. Bannon. Now, hip hip—" Response unstoppable. End of Calumet K. What you'll learn in this episode: The apprentice-to-assistant pipeline: Bannon recognizes Max's growth, offers him assistant role on revolutionary concrete elevator project, investing in people who proved themselves Why Hilda initially refuses guest of honor seat: knows it will force public acknowledgment of relationship before she's decided, she wants control of timing The napkin signal: "Max, won't you go out and get enough napkins?", Hilda taking control, creating space to talk to Bannon, reversing her week of avoidance Bannon's forgotten promise: gets excited about Indianapolis project, forgets vacation entirely until she asks "When are you going to begin?", work comes naturally to him The Monday question: "Can you go with me Monday?", not the romantic St. Lawrence trip, just straight to next job together, she says yes Why Bannon stops James's speech: "We aren't handing out any soft soap. If you try that again, I'll throw you out the window.", protects both his reputation and Hilda's privacy "Three cheers for Mr. Bannon. Now, hip hip" There was no stopping that response. 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 Chapter 16 of "Calumet K" by Merwin Webster. After the proposal, Bannon exhausted but wanders elevator aimlessly. Carpenter finds him at top of marine tower: "I ain't on this shift. I just come around to see how things were going. We're going to see you through, Mr. Bannon." Finest tribute he ever received, reinvigorates him completely. Pete physically forces Bannon to bed around 10pm, literally picks him up: "I'm boss here at night and I fire you till morning." Bannon oversleeps next morning, first time ever, deeply humiliated. Final day: water buckets placed by every bearing. Bannon inspects everything four times, writes "Okay, CB Bannon" on stairway door in blue pencil. Big powerhouse siren signals start, men streaming in from everywhere. "Here's where we go slow. All machinery thrown in one thing at a time." Wheat pours in from cars and barges. Marine leg descends 90 feet into barge hold: "magnificent audacity, heavy enough to wreck the barge like birch bark canoe if it got away." Pete climbs down sleet-covered leg to patch leak. December 30th noon: clear they'll finish. Next morning: "She's full, Mr. Bannon. I congratulate you." McBride: "Do you want to sleep or talk business?" Bannon: "Sleep? I've been oversleeping lately." What you'll learn in this episode: The power of earned loyalty: carpenter not on shift, came just to watch, "We're going to see you through, Mr. Bannon"—tribute recharged Bannon completely after emotional exhaustion When the boss needs forced rest: Pete literally picks Bannon up and carries him, "I'm boss here at night and I fire you till morning", sometimes leadership means overruling the leader The signature of completion: Bannon writes "Okay, CB Bannon" on blank stairway door in blue pencil, simple mark of personal accountability and pride Starting big systems carefully: "Here's where we go slow. All machinery thrown in one thing at a time. Line shafts first, then elevators. She's got to run light 15 minutes." Risk-taking under pressure: Pete climbing down sleet-covered 90-foot marine leg over open barge hold to patch leak mid-operation, "playing his neck against half hour's delay as serenely as most men walk downstairs to dinner" The final accounting: December 31st morning, superintendent holds out hand, "She's full, Mr. Bannon. I congratulate you." "We're going to see you through, Mr. Bannon." The finest tribute he ever received. 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 Chapter 15 of "Calumet K" by Merwin Webster. The national wheat speculation fight explained: Paige Company vs "the click", if Paige can't deliver by December 31st, he loses everything. Storm arrives December 18th, northwest blizzard, 60 miles per hour, two feet of snow. Workers don't change shifts for 24 hours clearing snow. Days of biting cold where "carpenters who earned $3 a day envied the laborers whose work kept their blood moving." New delegate James points out drenched workers aren't productive, Bannon orders oilskin coat for every man, "they swarmed over the building looking like glistening yellow beetles." Christmas night: Bannon and Hilda in office, rain tapping on glass. "I've been thinking about my vacation. I've decided to go up to the St. Lawrence." They go to see completed belt gallery in the storm. Max realizes "for the first time in his life, another knew Hilda better than he did." In the belt gallery, rain driving through windows: "I don't believe we'd better write. You come along with me. Up to the St. Lawrence." Bannon proposes. Hilda silent, looking at him. "I think we'd better go back." He guides her back. "You don't mean that you can't do it." She shakes her head, hurries to office. What you'll learn in this episode: Understanding the stakes beyond the project: Paige's entire empire riding on Calumet K completion, "if Bannon should fail, Paige would be short 2 million bushels" with millions at risk Crisis leadership during natural disaster: 24-hour shifts clearing snow, no one takes regular hours option, "they felt as soldiers feel when led to the charge" The practical care principle: James points out wet workers aren't productive, Bannon immediately orders oilskin for everyone, not sentiment, just smart management Why the system works under pressure: "Division superintendents snapped out orders, conductors made flying switches in defiance of company orders", everyone aligned to single mission The proposal context matters: Bannon doesn't propose in comfort, he proposes in a rain-soaked belt gallery they just built together, in the middle of the biggest fight of his career Ambiguous ending interpretation: "She shakes her head", is it "no I can't" or "no, you don't understand, yes"? The text leaves it unresolved until next chapter "I don't want to go anywhere alone. I guess that's pretty plain, isn't 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 shares Chapter 14 of "Calumet K" by Merwin Webster. Victory's effect everywhere, Peterson won't sleep anymore this year, working harder than ever. Bannon has rare discouraged moment complaining about the job. Hilda diagnoses him: "You need excitement. The trouble today is everything's going too smoothly. You weren't afraid yesterday because you thought there was going to be a strike." Belt gallery challenge: railroad permits it but postcript says "not allowed to erect trestles or scaffolding in right-of-way", seemingly impossible. Bannon's solution: hang massive steel cable across tracks, suspend gallery construction from pulleys sliding along cable, build it hanging in midair. Brown finally sends silk hat, immediately blows into river, gets fished out thoroughly drowned. Christmas Eve: "Is tomorrow Christmas?" Bannon genuinely astonished. Makes audacious ask: "Can't we put it off a week? If you'll say Christmas is a week from tomorrow, I'll give every man a Christmas dinner you'll never forget." 48-hour build in northeast gale, gallery swaying wildly, men exhausted. Christmas afternoon 4:00pm: last bolt drawn taut, gallery done. Bannon worked 16 consecutive hours, ate two sandwiches. "She'll hold." What you'll learn in this episode: How victory changes everything: after Grady expelled, Peterson transformed from sulky afternoons to "I ain't going to sleep anymore this year, I don't like to miss any of it" The discouragement diagnosis: Hilda recognizes Bannon needs problems to solve, "if the elevator caught fire you'd feel all right again", some leaders thrive on crisis Engineering under impossible constraints: railroad says "no trestles, no scaffolding", Bannon hangs entire 150-foot gallery from cable suspended across tracks while building it The Christmas negotiation: asking men to work Christmas Day, offering fair trade, postpone celebration one week, everyone gets feast "you'll never forget, bring your friends" Why the ask worked: reciprocal commitment, Bannon's been working alongside them for months, proved he'll do what he asks of them, offers genuine compensation The final sprint execution: 16 hours straight Christmas Day, northeast gale shaking the structure, "sheer goodwill that drove the hammers" "Can't we put it off a week? If we work tomorrow and have her full of wheat a week from today, does that go?" 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 Chapter 13 of "Calumet K" by Merwin Webster. December 10th: three of four Koopala stories built, work progressing well. Grady appears with scout to reconnoiter. Bannon pretends to go home but stays hidden. Grady delivers ultimatum: "At 10:00, if your runway and dollies ain't working, the men go out." Bannon calls committee to office. "Have you voted to strike?" Murphy mumbles: "No, we ain't voted for no strike." Peterson and Max physically bring Grady in, dust on shoulder, torn collar, Pete's sleeve rolled up over bare forearm. Bannon reads Grady's blackmail letter aloud to committee. "Tonight he's ordered a strike. He calls himself your representative, but he's acted on his own responsibility. I'm through with Grady. I won't have him here at all." Grady tries oratory, committee silent. Bannon reveals trump card: "I laid this matter before President Carver. I have his word that if you hang on to this man after he's been proved a blackmailer, your lodge can be dropped from the Federation." Committee files out without Grady. Bannon marches him to property line: "This is where our ground stops. Now get out." What you'll learn in this episode: Strategic patience pays off: Bannon waits for Grady to overplay his hand by calling unauthorized strike, doesn't confront until the moment is perfect The pretend-to-leave tactic: Bannon announces he's "going home" loudly near laborers so Grady thinks coast is clear, actually stays hidden waiting for the move Why you prepare evidence before confrontation: typewritten copy of Grady's blackmail letter, conversation with President Carver, all groundwork laid before showdown The committee exposed Grady's bluff: "Have you voted to strike?" forces them to admit "No, we ain't voted", Grady acting without authority James (Carver's investigator) undermining Grady from inside: asking pointed questions in lodge meetings, presence in room makes Murphy tell truth instead of lie The boss doesn't negotiate with unauthorized strikes: "I'm sick of this. That's all. You can go.", clean, final, no debate "I'm through with Grady. I won't have him here at all. If you send him around again, I'll throw him off the job." 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 Chapter 12 of "Calumet K" by Merwin Webster. November 22nd telegram: Marine Tower added mid-project. Brown's letter: "This elevator will make or break them. You can have all January for vacation if you get it through." Bannon describes St. Lawrence River to Hilda, big, open country, forests that make Michigan pinewoods look like weeds. Grady has poisoned the injured hoist worker: "He thinks Max has been trying to buy him off." Hilda volunteers to handle the delicate negotiation: "If you let me go, I'll fix it. I know I can." Bannon recognizes what she saw at a flash, this was a case for delicate handling. Hilda successfully visits the injured worker, prevents lawsuit. Personal moment afterward: "I thought you don't think very much about the men. I thought so, too. And tonight I found out some things you've been doing for him. I knew it was you that did it and not the company. And I beg your pardon." Marine tower construction begins. Peterson working with renewed energy after reconciliation with Bannon. What you'll learn in this episode: Mid-project scope changes under deadline pressure: Marine Tower telegram arrives November 22nd forcing complete redesign of spouting house while maintaining January 1st completion Recognizing when someone else has the right touch: Bannon sees what Hilda saw instantly, this injured worker situation needs delicate handling, not his direct approach The danger of manipulation: Grady convinces injured worker that care packages are "all a part of the game to bamboozle him out of the money that was rightfully his" Why leaders do the invisible work: Bannon sending tobacco and personal touches to injured worker—not the company, not for credit, just because it's right The reconciliation effect on performance: Peterson's spirits rise with a leap once misunderstanding removed, "working as he had never worked before", night shift now matching day shift energy "I thought you don't think very much about the men. I thought so, too. And tonight I found out the truth. I beg your pardon." 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 Chapter 11 of "Calumet K" by Merwin Webster. Bannon holds council of war on wharf with Hilda, Max, Peterson. Explains Grady's blackmail won't deliver: "He'd call the men off just the same after he'd struck us for all he thought we'd stand." Can't reason with laborers directly, "they don't want facts or reason, what they like is Grady's oratory." Key principle: "Strike as high as you can. The biggest man who will let you in his office. It's the small fry that make the trouble." Tells Hilda railroad story: as alderman in Yoger, chained up BYP train to tracks until railroad paid $430 city debt. Visits RS Carver, president of Central District American Federation of Labor. Makes systematic case Grady is blackmailer: meets at night not office, wants Sunday meeting in Chicago not jobsite, gives oratory not specifics. Carver: "I don't see any reason why I should help you." Bannon: "If there's any chance what I said is true, better for your credit to settle quietly. Do your investigating in advance." Next morning "James" appears asking for job, Bannon recognizes him as Carver's investigator, hires him immediately. What you'll learn in this episode: Why you can't reason with manipulated crowds: "They don't want facts or reason. What they like is Grady's oratory. They'd resolve I was a thief and a liar and vindicate Grady more than ever" Strike as high as you can principle: "The general manager of a railroad is always easier to get on with than the division superintendent, it's the small fry that make trouble" Building systematic case against blackmailer: night meetings not office, Sunday in Chicago not jobsite, oratory not specifics, learns deadline/budget then sends warning letter The creative problem-solving story: chaining train to tracks to collect city debt shows Bannon's pattern of unconventional solutions Getting investigation started: Carver can't officially investigate but sends "James", Bannon recognizes him instantly and hires him to ground floor "Strike as high as you can. The biggest man who will let you in his office. It's the small fry that make the trouble." 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 Chapter 10 of "Calumet K" by Merwin Webster. Grady sees opportunity: rush job plus Peterson's leaked information equals blackmail leverage. Visits Peterson trying to manipulate him into ousting Bannon. Peterson refuses: "You was the boss here now, and I was only the foreman of the night shift." Peterson finally tells Bannon about Grady's visits. Bannon confronts Peterson directly: "Why don't we pull together better? What is it you're sore about?" Repairs relationship: "I want to feel that I've got you with me. Come around and tell me what I'm doing wrong." Peterson: "I never knew you wanted to consult me about anything." Grady sends note demanding Sunday meeting, Bannon ignores it. Grady waits in Bannon's room Monday evening demanding $5,000 to prevent strike. Bannon: "They'd be willing to pay fully that to save delay. Do you think you're going to get a scent of it? I'd have settled it up for $300 and a box of cigars right at the start. But as long as I knew you'd sell out again if you could, I didn't think you were even worth the cigars." Marches Grady to stairs: "I wish you were three sizes larger." What you'll learn in this episode: How leaked project information becomes blackmail leverage: Peterson's casual mention of January 1st deadline and "doesn't care what it costs" gives Grady exactly what he needs Direct confrontation repairs relationships: Bannon doesn't dance around Peterson's resentment, asks straight out "What is it you're sore about?" and invites consultation Spotting extortion early: "I had your size the first time you came around. Don't you think I knew what you wanted?" Why you never pay blackmailers: "I might pay blackmail to an honest rascal who delivered the goods paid for, but as long as I knew you'd sell out again if you could, I didn't think you were even worth the cigars" The reconciliation principle: "I want to feel that I've got you with me. Unless we pull together, we're stuck for sure" "I'd have settled it up for $300 and a box of cigars right at the start. But I didn't think you were even worth the cigars." 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 Chapter 9 of "Calumet K" by Merwin Webster. Riley returns with union business agent. Bannon handles professionally: "If you'd like to investigate, I'll give you all the opportunity you want." Agent leaves satisfied. Grady appears on distributing floor delivering speech to laborers about being "driven at point of pistol." Bannon forces Grady to ride the hoist rope down 90 feet, Grady terrified, workers grinning. Grady makes dramatic speech: "Who gave you the right to decide this man shall live and this man shall die?" Bannon calmly refutes: "Go ask that man if he has any complaint. McBride pays men for taking risks he's done himself." Tells Grady: "If you're looking for fair play, you'll get it. If you're looking for trouble, you'll get it." Peterson struggling with night shift isolation, brooding about being superseded, twisting everything Bannon does into evidence of jealousy. Encounters Grady who manipulates him into revealing: "Bins have to be chalk full of grain before January 1st, no matter what happens. He don't care how much it costs." Peterson realizes he talked too much, decides not to tell Bannon. What you'll learn in this episode: Professional union handling: invite investigation, offer transparency, treat delegates "half as well as you'd treat a yellow dog, they're likely to be very reasonable" Gallery play principle: forcing Grady to ride the hoist rope down shows workers the walking delegate is afraid, public demonstration of who's actually in control The calm confrontation approach: Grady's theatrical drama ("Who gave you the right to decide this man shall live?") vs Bannon's logic ("Go ask that man if he has complaints") How isolation breeds resentment: Peterson's night shift loneliness leads to brooding, twisting everything into grievances against Bannon Information security failure: Peterson reveals critical deadline to Grady (the enemy), realizes too late "he had talked too much", critical project intel now compromised "If you're looking for fair play, you'll get it. If you're looking for trouble, you'll 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 shares Chapter 8 of "Calumet K" by Merwin Webster. Saturday afternoon: every worker knows Bannon pulled a gun on Riley. Some angry, most relieved, "a good workman is surer of himself under a firm than under a slack hand." Max and Hilda disappointed, don't understand difference between dropping hammer (careless) vs overloading hoist (calculated risk). Bannon builds wooden elevator box to take Hilda up 90 feet to distributing floor. Max guides box from ladders with rope. Hilda tours the framing, sees Peterson working shirtless on high girders. Awkward dynamics: Peterson interested in Hilda, tension with Bannon growing. Reorganizing for three 8-hour shifts: midnight-8am, 8am-4pm, 4pm-midnight. Bannon takes 7am start (controls all three shifts during day), Peterson takes evening. Peterson moves out of shared room, sullen and defiant. New system runs smoothly despite Peterson's complaints. "Honest Hilda, I don't see how he does it. I don't believe he ever takes his clothes off." What you'll learn in this episode: Why firm authority improves morale: workers "cowed" initially, but majority relieved because "a good workman is surer of himself under a firm than under a slack hand" The elevator box principle: when you invite someone to see the work, build the infrastructure to make it safe and impressive, 90-foot wooden elevator instead of dangerous ladders Understanding calculated risk vs carelessness: overloading hoist to keep up with carpenters (calculated) vs dropping hammer into bin (careless), Max and Hilda don't see the difference Three-shift scheduling strategy: Bannon takes 7am start to control day work and oversee all three shifts, Peterson takes evening (operational control, not personal preference) Managing personal dynamics without explaining: Bannon knows Peterson thinks it's about Hilda, but "it was important that he should control the work during the day" "I don't see how he does it. I don't believe he ever takes his clothes off." 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 Chapter 7 of "Calumet K" by Merwin Webster. Bannon waits for clear insubordination case. Carpenter Riley deliberately drops hammer into bin where men are working below, laughs. Bannon fires him. Riley rushes at Bannon, Bannon pulls revolver, ends confrontation. Brown's letter arrives: 2.2 million bushels must be in bins by January 1st. "Never mind what it costs you." Peterson protests: "He can't expect us to do it." Bannon cuts him short: "He don't pay us to make excuses. He pays us to do as we're told. When I have to explain why it can't be done, I'll send my resignation in a separate envelope." Bannon calculates: 120 days of work divided by three (three 8-hour shifts per day equals 21 days per week). Builds in hard luck margin. Orders hoist to carry four to five sticks at once instead of two, Peterson objects, too risky. Bannon: "My god, don't I know it's a risk? We've got to do it somehow." Tuesday: hoist breaks. One man injured. Bannon rebuilds hoist in two hours. Orders: "Carry the same load as before." What you'll learn in this episode: Why waiting for clear insubordination beats halfway measures, Riley deliberately drops hammer, laughs about "accidents will happen," gets fired immediately with no debate The no-excuses principle: "He don't pay us to make excuses. He pays us to do as we're told", when you start explaining why it can't be done, resign Working backwards from impossible deadlines: 120 days of work, three 8-hour shifts per day, builds in hard luck margin for strikes and surprises Calculated risk management: ordering heavy loads on hoist despite danger because "we've got to keep up with the carpenters", then when hoist breaks, rebuild in 2 hours and continue same approach Why carrying a revolver matters: "Haven't been without one on a job since I've worked for the old man", not for one-on-one fights, for when "there's generally from 3 to 30" "My god, don't I know it's a risk? We've got something to do, and we've got to do it somehow." 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 Chapter 6 of "Calumet K" by Merwin Webster. Friday morning: 62 laborers show up (night work exhausted them), but work proceeds on elevator and annex. Hattie Vogle working through the books as new stenographer, produces clean balance sheet "as business-like as a metropolitan bank cashier." Bannon sends progress update to McBride Company: cribbing going up, Koopa timber ready for framing, 200,000 feet arrived by steamer. Asks about CNC railroad agreement, no papers found. Tells Hattie the Michigan wagon story. Bannon cleans up office: hires scrubwoman, brings doormat, posts sign "Wipe your feet or put 5 cents in the box." Leads by example: tracks mud himself, immediately drops quarter in box. Peterson acting strange, interested in Hattie, invited her to picnic, she declined. Peterson complains she's "stuck up" and thinks she's better than everyone. Bannon sharpens pencils in silence. Work progressing rapidly: annex growing, Koopa frame ready to start tomorrow. What you'll learn in this episode: Why cleaning the office matters: "It ain't a very cheerful house to live in all day" leads to hiring scrubwoman and implementing cleanliness standards immediately Lead by example principle: when Bannon tracks mud and violates his own rule, he drops a quarter in the box without excuses or exceptions Progress reporting template: update clients with facts (what's done, what's coming, timeline), ask direct questions (who's blocking us), keep it brief The importance of clear systems in chaos: Hattie produces clean balance sheet showing "hereafter there would be no confusion in the books" Managing personal dynamics: Peterson's interest in Hattie creates tension, Bannon listens but doesn't engage, sharpens pencils in silence "Well," he said, wiping his feet, but the whistle just then gave a long blast, and he did not finish the sentence. 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 Chapter 5 of "Calumet K" by Merwin Webster. The cribbing arrives by steamer earlier than expected, Bannon offers double pay and tells the men they're working all night to unload it. The railroad section boss tries to stop them from opening the fence to cross tracks. Bannon bluffs confidently: "We'll telegram the general manager right now." The boss backs down. Walking delegate Grady arrives demanding 10 men per heavy timber instead of 6. Bannon agrees immediately: "We aren't fighting the Union." When a train gets blocked by timbers on tracks, Grady won't let men clear it, Bannon negotiates by agreeing to relieve gangs every 2 hours. The railroad orders the fence replaced, blocking their path completely. Bannon improvises: stretch a cable trolley from the spouting house high over the tracks, slide timbers down to the other side. Works all night. Everything's unloaded by dawn. Max Vogle's sister Hattie becomes the new stenographer. Briggs (the fired clerk) brings the walking delegate to cause trouble, Max gives him a black eye. What you'll learn in this episode: Why "We aren't fighting the Union" is the right response when the walking delegate shows up, accommodate reasonable requests immediately, don't create unnecessary battles The improvisation principle: when the railroad blocks your ground path, build a cable trolley system in 30 minutes and slide timbers through the air instead How to bluff with confidence when challenged by section boss: "We'll telegram the general manager right now", know your authority and use it Why offering double pay and working all night beats waiting for perfect conditions, speed of execution compounds advantages Managing multiple stakeholders simultaneously: railroad, union delegate, workers, foremen, and keeping all of them moving toward the same goal without destroying relationships Before the work was finished and the last plank from the steamer's cargo had been tossed on the pile by the annex, the first faint color was spreading over the eastern sky. 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 Chapter 4 of "Calumet K" by Merwin Webster, a story that demonstrates resourcefulness, speed of execution, and creative problem-solving in construction. Bannon discovers the G&M railroad is blocking his cribbing delivery. Instead of waiting for lawyers and legal battles, he creates an alternative solution in one hour: organize farmers to haul lumber by wagon 18 miles to Manastagi, then transport by barge. Sloan wants to prosecute the railroad, Bannon wants the cribbing. They print circus posters calling farmers to action, post them at every crossroads, and drive through the rain to set up the operation. When they find a bridge out, Bannon arranges immediate repair by convincing a farmer to fix it overnight. The wagon procession becomes continuous as farmers grab the chance to get even with the railroad. When offered a chance to manipulate the wheat market for personal gain, Bannon refuses; his integrity matters more than getting rich. The chapter shows what execution looks like: identify the problem, create the solution, move immediately, and never compromise your principles. What you'll learn in this episode: Why "I want the cribbing" beats "I'll have the law on those fellows", execution over litigation when projects are time-sensitive The one-hour solution: how Bannon organized an entire alternative logistics system (posters, farmers, wagons, barges) in 60 minutes Creative problem-solving under constraints: when the railroad blocks you, use their enemies (farmers who feel discriminated against) to solve your problem The bridge repair principle: find the obstacle, fix it immediately, don't wait, pull down the farmer's house if necessary and rebuild it better Why Bannon refused to manipulate the wheat market even though he could have turned $15,000 to $50,000—integrity beats shortcuts every time "You don't want to get rich. That's the trouble with you," said Sloan. And he said it almost enviously. 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

Chapter 3 of Calumet K continues the story as Bannon refuses to accept "we don't have the cars" from anyone, working his way up from the lumber yard to the division superintendent to a message sent directly to the general manager himself. In this episode, Bannon pieces together that a wheat speculation scheme is behind the deliberate delay of his cribbing, and then immediately pivots to find an entirely different solution to get his materials to the job. This is what it looks like to refuse to be stopped. What you'll learn in this episode: How Bannon moves through every level of the supply chain obstacle without accepting a single dead end as a final answer Why going in person instead of calling ahead gives Bannon the information and leverage he needs to act How Bannon connects the dots between a railroad conspiracy, a grain corner and his own project deadline under real time pressure What pivoting under constraint looks like when a superintendent refuses to let one blocked path stop the whole project How the story of Calumet K continues to model the relentless problem-solving ownership that separates great superintendents from average ones When one road is blocked, a great superintendent does not stop and report the obstacle; they find another road and keep moving. 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

Charlie Bannon has arrived at a struggling project, assessed the situation in a single day and is already moving to solve the most critical constraint standing between his team and the finish line. In this episode, Chapter 2 of Calumet K continues the story as Bannon sizes up the two weeks of lost time, has a direct conversation with Peterson about what a superintendent's real job is, and then quietly packs his bag and gets on a train that night to go get the cribbing himself. This is urgency in its purest form. What you'll learn in this episode: How Bannon identifies the single biggest constraint on the project and moves to resolve it personally without waiting for someone else to act What Bannon's direct coaching of Peterson reveals about the difference between doing labor and directing work as a superintendent How a clear-eyed look at lost time and contractual consequence drives decisive field leadership Why knowing your material quantities, your schedule risk and your procurement status is a non-negotiable part of running a job How the story of Calumet K continues to illustrate the kind of urgency and ownership that every superintendent should bring to their project A superintendent's job is not to swing the sledge; it is to know everything happening on the job and move the right pieces at the right 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

About 30% of superintendents who come through Elevate Construction training say they struggle with developing a genuine sense of urgency, and this book is one of the most powerful tools to fix that. In this episode, Jason Schroeder introduces the continuation of the Calumet K audio series, a public domain story written nearly 100 years ago about an American superintendent named Charlie Bannon who steps onto a struggling project and immediately takes command. Chapter 1 sets the stage for one of the most compelling portraits of field leadership urgency in construction literature. What you'll learn in this episode: Why Jason recommends Calumet K as required reading for any superintendent serious about developing urgency and field leadership How Charlie Bannon asserts quiet authority on a chaotic project without a formal announcement or grand gesture What the story reveals about the difference between leaders who wait and leaders who move How to read historical field leadership stories through the lens of modern team health, psychological safety and personal balance Where to find Jason's earlier reflections and commentary on Calumet K in the previous podcast episodes Urgency is not about working yourself to death; it is about knowing what needs to happen next and moving without hesitation. 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

A day in pre-construction will save a week in the field, and most projects are crash landing right now because that time is simply not being invested. In this episode, Jason Schroeder walks through the complete pre-construction system, from the first planner system and Takt analysis to team building, workforce planning, contract inclusions and risk reviews, laying out every step needed to win the war before ever going to battle. This is the final episode in the integrated production control system series and one of the most important. What you'll learn in this episode: How the first planner system works and why creating a project strategy before opening a scheduling tool is non-negotiable How to perform a Takt analysis of major phases and use production rates to build a schedule grounded in production theory Why pre-construction is the only time to plan bathrooms, lunchrooms, worker huddles, barbecues and the full workforce respect plan How to buy out lean behaviors, just-in-time procurement by Takt zone and BIM coordination so the right systems are funded and contractually locked in Why a fresh eyes risk review meeting before going to GMP is one of the single most powerful steps any project team can take If you are not dedicating serious time to pre-construction, you have already crash landed your next 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

If you want lean behaviors on your project site, you have to buy them, not hope for them. In this episode, Jason Schroeder makes a direct and practical case for why every system, huddle, zero-tolerance expectation, and Takt zone delivery requirement must be written into trade partner contracts before the work ever begins. This is the principle that closes the gap between what you plan and what actually gets built. What you'll learn in this episode: Why lean systems fail when they are not contracted upfront and how to stop surprises that lead to costly change orders What a solid basis of schedule must include at a minimum to create clarity on budget, schedule, and operational systems Which specific lean behaviors and operational inclusions should be bought out in every trade partner agreement Why you cannot hold trade partners accountable to systems they never bid or planned for How contracting what you want in pre-construction is one of the most powerful steps in the entire integrated production control system If you want it on your project site, you have to buy it; lean does not fall out of the sky. 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

Takt planning is your long sword and the Last Planner System is your short sword, and the most effective superintendents and project teams know how to use both at the same time. In this episode, Jason Schroeder gives a clear and honest breakdown of the Last Planner System, what it does well, where it falls short on its own and exactly how it pairs with Takt planning to take production control to a completely different level. This is a challenge to stop treating these systems as competitors and start using them together the way they were always meant to work. What you'll learn in this episode: Why the Last Planner System and Takt planning are not in competition and how they fit together like peanut butter and jelly The key difference between a Last Planner only huddle and a Takt plus Last Planner huddle and why that difference changes everything The four things Jason would change about the Last Planner System to make it a true Last Planner 2.0 Why total participation of foremen and workers is not optional and what it actually means to respect the last planners in the system Why large complex projects cannot run on Last Planner alone and what has to be in place before the system can perform at its highest level If you disregard the Last Planner System, you do so to your own disadvantage; pair it with Takt and you have one of the most powerful production systems 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

If you can't draw it, you can't build it, and that one principle is the foundation of why prefabrication changes everything on a project site. In this episode, Jason Schroeder breaks down why prefabricating as much as possible is one of the most powerful moves a project team can make, from protecting workers by creating safer and more stable environments to finding coordination problems before they ever impact the work in the field. This is a challenge to stop tolerating stick-built as the default and start treating prefabrication as the standard. What you'll learn in this episode: Why the two non-negotiable reasons to prefabricate are worker safety and early problem detection through coordination How to use BIM coordination, typical prefab, advanced prefabrication and room kitting as a layered system on your project Why the rule should be that everything is prefabricated and stick-built work is by permission only How prefabrication enables Takt to move faster by turning field assembly into a predictable, flow-driven process like putting Legos together Why thinking outside the box on prefabrication, even when it looks counterintuitive, consistently produces fewer defects and shorter schedules When you prefabricate as much as possible, you are not just improving production; you are protecting the people doing the work. 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

You cannot expect workers to perform at a high level when the environment sends them the message every single day that they are not respected. In this episode, Jason Schroeder lays out exactly what it takes to win over the workforce, from remarkable bathrooms and lunchrooms to morning worker huddles, monthly barbecues and clean organized sites. This is not a soft topic; it is a direct challenge to treat the people building your project the way you would want to be treated. What you'll learn in this episode: Why winning over the workforce is one of the first things a superintendent must do when a team comes together on site The specific physical conditions every project site must provide before a superintendent has the right to complain about worker performance How morning worker huddles build a social group, create proximity and dramatically increase worker buy-in across the entire project Why clean bathrooms, good parking and smoking areas are not perks but foundational expressions of respect for people How creating an environment of reciprocity unlocks the hearts and minds of hundreds of workers and makes every other lean system on site more effective When you genuinely take care of your people, they will take care of your 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

A project team that is running in energy debt will struggle no matter how good the system is, and most teams never stop to realize that is exactly what is happening. In this episode, Jason Schroeder breaks down what it actually takes to build a high performance project management team, from personal organization systems and time blocking to team health grading and the meeting structures that create real capacity. This is the foundation that every other lean system on your project depends on. What you'll learn in this episode: What organizational energy debt is, why it silently kills project teams and how to get out of the red How personal organization systems, clarity documents and time blocking create the individual capacity that teams need to function What a healthy team meeting structure looks like across all levels from the team weekly tactical to the morning worker huddle Why grading team health monthly is one of the most important leading indicators on any project site How fun, coverage systems and intentional culture directly increase productivity and continuous improvement capacity You build your people first, and those people will build great things. 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

Orientation is not a box to check; it is one of the most powerful opportunities a superintendent has to win over the workforce before a single tool is picked up. In this episode, Jason Schroeder walks through what a remarkable orientation program actually looks like, why the superintendent owns it, and why sympathy-voting workers through without real comprehension puts families at risk. This is a direct challenge to raise the standard and treat orientation as the first critical investment in your project team. What you'll learn in this episode: Why orientation is the superintendent's responsibility and how it connects directly to the entire integrated production control system What a remarkable orientation includes, from testing and translation to personal walkdowns with the project superintendent Why self-perform workers and foremen deserve their own dedicated orientation experience separate from the general site orientation How longer, more intentional orientations directly reduce recordable injury rates on project sites What world-class companies like Toyota, Lexus and leading construction firms are doing with orientation that the industry needs to adopt Every worker that comes through your gate is a captive audience, and how well you orient them is one of the clearest signals of the standard you intend to hold. 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

Your interaction spaces are either setting your team up to win or silently working against them. In this episode, Jason Schroeder breaks down how to intentionally design every environment on your project site, from the office trailer to the worker huddle area to the site fence line, so that communication flows, teams collaborate, and every space sends the right signal about the standard of excellence you expect. If everything on your job site doesn't bring you joy, this episode is your challenge to fix it. What you'll learn in this episode: Why your office trailer layout is one of the most powerful communication tools on your project and how to design it intentionally How open office spaces, production pods and visual wall systems work together to increase team throughput The specific interaction spaces every project site should have, from orientation stations to worker huddle areas to delivery inspection decks Why the condition of your fence line, traffic control and bathrooms sets the mental standard for how workers treat the entire site How proximity, intentional communication patterns and remarkable environments are the foundation of a high-functioning project team Everything on your job site should bring you joy, and if it does not, that is a signal worth paying attention 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

Amateurs study tactics, armchair generals study strategy, but professionals study logistics, and that one principle explains why so many projects with good plans still fail in the field. In this episode, Jason Schroeder breaks down what a self-sustaining logistics system actually looks like on a construction site, from deputizing the crane, hoist and forklift operators to implementing zero tolerance for staging, cleanliness and material flow. If logistics are not locked in, no other system on your project will perform the way it was designed to. What you'll learn in this episode: Why logistics is the foundational layer that either supports or undermines every other system on the project site How to deputize your crane, hoist and forklift operators to become self-sustaining enforcers of your logistical standards The eleven logistical rules every project site should post, practice and hold to with zero tolerance How a daily GroupMe correction system keeps your logistics carpenters and laborers accountable and moving in the right direction Why just-in-time deliveries by Takt zone are impossible without a stable, visual and actively maintained logistics system underneath them You cannot win with Takt planning, Last Planner or any other production system unless your logistics are locked in and self-sustaining. 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

A well-designed meeting system does not steal your time; it gives it back by replacing fire-fighting with flow. In this episode, Jason Schroeder walks through the complete meeting system within the integrated production control system, from the team weekly tactical all the way to the crew preparation huddle, and explains exactly how each meeting scales communication further down the line until workers understand the plan as fully as possible. This is the difference between a project where the superintendent runs around telling people what to do and one where the whole system runs itself. What you'll learn in this episode: The full meeting system sequence and who belongs in each meeting, from the strategic planning and procurement meeting to the daily team huddle Why scaling communication all the way to the worker level can push plan understanding from 50% to 75% and what that means for production How Takt planning and the weekly work plan work together to make foreman huddles about roadblock removal instead of just status updates Why active visual information on the wall is the foundation of every effective meeting and what separates it from passive data buried in software How a remarkable meeting system creates the blank space that gives superintendents and project managers time for continuous improvement, career growth and leadership When your meetings are focused, visual and built to remove roadblocks, that is when stability becomes a 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

If your trade partners can't commit in the Last Planner meeting because their materials aren't there, the problem isn't the trade partner; it's the procurement system behind them. In this episode, Jason Schroeder makes a bold and necessary case for why superintendents own procurement, why Takt planning is the only path to true just-in-time deliveries, and what a fanatical weekly procurement meeting actually looks like. This is a field-level challenge to stop letting supply chains silently derail your project. What you'll learn in this episode: Why superintendents own procurement and cannot delegate it, just like safety and quality How Takt planning is the only scheduling method that makes just-in-time deliveries truly possible The six most common procurement failures Jason finds when auditing projects across the country What a weekly superintendent-led procurement meeting looks like and why it changes everything How stabilizing your supply chain is one of the most critical steps in the entire integrated production control system If the materials aren't there, nothing else on the project moves forward, and that supply chain is the superintendent's responsibility to own. 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

A quality program only works when it lives in the bones of your team, not buried in a spreadsheet. In this episode, Jason Schroeder breaks down what an effective quality program actually looks like on a project site, drawing from real examples at two remarkable lean construction projects. This is a practical, field-grounded challenge to stop letting quality be a passive system and start making it the active heartbeat of your team meeting. What you'll learn in this episode: How a point of release chart transforms quality from a forgotten checklist into the driving force of your weekly team meeting Why visual feature of work boards are the key to foremen and workers truly understanding what needs to be built How fanatical quality leads directly to fanatical safety, better flow and ultimately a more profitable project Why implementation fails without continuous training and accountability, and how to nourish the seed until it grows What two real project sites are doing right now that proves remarkable quality at scale is achievable Quality is not a process you run occasionally; it is a way of life you build into your team until it is in their bones. 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 continues the Integrated Production Control System series with daily issue correction, recording from the Rattlehog at 3:49 AM on day three of Super Boot Camp, heading to project tours. Every project needs a daily correction system to outpace entropy (the natural decay and chaos of construction projects). The system: two communication channels using GroupMe or WhatsApp, one for foreman, one for GC carpenters/logistics. Superintendents should do three things daily: read drawings 30 minutes, be in schedule 30 minutes, reflection walk. When you see issues during walks, take pictures/videos and text to the right person immediately. Projects from $5M to $80M will have at least 10-15 items per day that need correction. This helps everyone "see like you see", raises set point for cleanliness, safety, organization. After about two months, foremen start texting each other corrections without GC needing to chime in. Each item needs: picture/video, person/company to fix, location, definition of done. The feedback loop locks in when foremen send back pictures of corrected items. This daily correction system enables roadblock removal, zero tolerance, grading contractors, and continuous improvement. What you'll learn in this episode: Why entropy (natural decay/chaos) will overtake your project if you don't outpace it with daily correction—second law of thermodynamics applies to construction The two-channel texting system: GroupMe or WhatsApp for foreman and another for GC carpenters/logistics to communicate issues with pictures/videos How 10-15 daily corrections (pictures/videos) outpace entropy and raise everyone's set point to see cleanliness, safety, and organization like you see it Why you don't need Procore to track corrections when you walk the job three times per day and hold people accountable face-to-face within 24 hours The feedback loop that locks in the system: foremen send back pictures of corrected items, superintendent likes/comments, culture becomes self-sustaining after two months The prize goes to the team who can see and fix problems daily on the most addictive, practical, and relevant communication 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

Jason continues the Integrated Production Control System series with roadblock removal—the primary focus of any project team. Recording from the "Rattle hog" with his kids, Jason explains why roadblock removal is the main job of PMs, supers, and executives. The system: Create visual roadblock maps where foreman and project management teams huddle daily, track number of roadblocks found, average time before impact to production, and average time from identification to resolution. Use the six-week make ready look ahead to identify work that's not ready and bring roadblocks to the surface. Collect roadblocks in afternoon foreman huddle and morning worker huddle, then bring to team daily huddle as first priority. Roadblock removal is a leading indicator system, PPC and other metrics are lagging indicators. The escalation analogy shows how to scale issues appropriately: handle at location level first, escalate to superintendent/PM if needed, call in executives only for critical roadblocks. When you become fanatical about this and make it a science, you clear the path for work and create flow. What you'll learn in this episode: Why roadblock removal is the main job of PMs, supers, and executives—not just a side task The visual roadblock tracking system: what to track (number of roadblocks, time before impact, time to resolution) and where to huddle daily How commitment surfaces roadblocks: trades won't identify issues until they're committed to Takt plans, Last Planner weekly work plans, or visual schedules The escalation framework: handle at location level → escalate to superintendent/PM → call in executives for critical roadblocks (like cartel hierarchy analogy) Why roadblock removal is a leading indicator while PPC and performance metrics are lagging indicators If a project manager or super asks what's their main job: roadblock removal, baby. 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 continues the Integrated Production Control System series with continuous improvement, the most difficult but most important element. The BSRL story shows what's possible: gave everyone 5S and eight waste cards, reviewed daily in morning worker huddle, got 160 lean improvement videos (could have been 600-800 with better implementation). The system requires everyone to learn the eight wastes by memory, 5S/3S every day to see problems, afternoon foreman huddles that coordinate AND create flow, and a feedback loop that works on a daily basis so crews know exactly what they need to do to win more the next day. What you'll learn in this episode: Why everyone on site must memorize the eight wastes and how they work as a system The afternoon foreman huddle structure: coordination for 15-30 minutes, then quiet one-on-one sessions with superintendent to plan next day's production and improvements How to track interruptions (the "in betweens") and connect missed production to the eight wastes with before/after lean improvement videos Why current condition fails: we focus on commitments benefiting GC, not actual coordination/changing actions that improve production and remove roadblocks Felipe Engineer's principle: if you're implementing Last Planner or Takt and not picking up time, you're not doing it right Until you have a continuous improvement system on site with your crews, you won't make the massive production improvements you could be making. 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

Are you sure everyone will elevate on your project site to the needed standards for continuous improvement? In this Integrated Production Control System series episode on accountability, Jason unpacks the contractor grading system and why continuous improvement can only happen in stable environments. You'll learn the BSRL research lab story (graded all contractors with non-subjective criteria like foreman on time to huddles, deliveries on time, areas clean, everyone except electrician started C/D/F, all raised to A/B grades, owner's VP said "project felt like going to Disneyland"), why clear is kind and unclear is unkind, the Psycho-Cybernetics story about self-image and mental set points, why you need to stop playing "buddy buddy" or "savior" with trade partners (they need connection, relevance, measurement, not favors), the Bowl concept (grading system becomes the bowl so everyone addresses the problem instead of you using emotional currency), and why if you don't think it's good to hold others accountable, you're probably not accountable yourself. What you'll learn in this episode: Continuous improvement requires stable environments: Definition of lean—(1) respect for people/resources, (2) stable environments with flow that bring problems to surface, (3) total participation through visual systems, (4) continuous improvement and fanatical quality; can't have continuous improvement without total participation, can't have total participation without stable environments, can't have stable environments without respect for people BSRL contractor grading story: Graded all contractors with non-subjective criteria (foreman on time to huddles, making commitments, deliveries on time, areas clean/organized, crews have quality info, weekly safety reports); everyone except electrician was C/D/F when started grading, all contractors raised to A/B grades (one came from F to C), owner's VP said "coming to my project was like going to Disneyland" Cannot implement great system without grading: "If you do not implement a grading system, you will not achieve the results you want. I would rather you not tell people you're using the integrated production control system unless you're using a form of grading. You cannot implement a great system if you don't grade your contractors." Everyone wants clear expectations: Nobody wants you to fail, they're testing to see if your leadership is real; when people badmouth you and tear you down, they're waiting to see if you fall; eventually they'll say "thank you for staying strong, I wanted to believe in strong leaders"; need higher mental set points, imagine the project you want and the leader who'll get it there, then become that leader Stop playing savior with trade partners: Don't play "buddy buddy" or do favors expecting favors back; trade partners need connection (real human level), relevance (how they're relevant to project), and measurement (see what winning looks like), not savior relationship that doesn't get sustainable results "The grading system becomes your bowl. Everybody's looking at the grading and they're not looking at you. When you don't have a grading system, you're using your own emotional currency to influence people to perform. That takes a lot of effort and mental and emotional strain. Why not get that disassociated from you and associated with team goals so everybody can mutually hold themselves accountable?" 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

Are you creating a feedback loop at your most critical point in the system? In this Integrated Production Control System series episode, Jason unpacks how to create a continuous improvement system with daily feedback loops. You'll learn the BSRL research lab story (gave everyone 8 waste cards, reviewed daily in morning worker huddles, got 160 lean improvement videos, could have gotten 600-800), why everyone must memorize the 8 wastes by heart, the afternoon foreman huddle system (turn in daily reports, coordinate to reduce 8 wastes next day, quiet 1-on-1 sessions for target production and improvements), morning worker huddles with training on improvements from yesterday, the $200-$500 reward for reciting the 8 wastes by memory, and why we're focused on commitments that benefit the GC instead of actual coordination that improves production and removes roadblocks. What you'll learn in this episode: Everyone must memorize 8 wastes: Give cards, review daily, post signs, give substantial rewards ($200-$500 gift card) if they can recite by memory and explain why they're created; cannot underestimate this, people don't know what they should/shouldn't be doing if they don't know 8 wastes Afternoon foreman huddle system: First 15-30 minutes, turn in daily reports, coordinate on plan for next day, discuss what held them up, collectively ask "How can we create more flow for each other?"; Next 30 minutes, quiet session where superintendent works 1-on-1 with each foreman on target production for next day, improvements to make, things to teach crews Morning worker huddles: Training on how to change and improve from yesterday; each crew needs to know WHY they weren't winning, discuss how to win tomorrow, record video with improvement based on lean principles Daily feedback loop: Gather videos daily when crews don't meet production, deploy morning training to correct it with daily feedback loop working on daily basis Current condition vs challenge: We only focus on commitments that benefit GC, not actual coordination/changing actions/beliefs that improve production and remove roadblocks; we focus too much on task dates, not making work ready in flow and removing waste ahead of flow; Huddles should coordinate BUT also create flow, every foreman should know exactly what they'll do to win more the next day "If you're implementing Last Planner or Takt and you're not picking up time, then we're not doing it right. We need to be improving not only crew efficiency but more importantly flow efficiency of everything we're doing, picking up time and getting it faster to the customer. Every day foreman should see what's going on, correct that, and plan the next day." 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

Are you on the same page about lean beliefs? In this foundational episode before the Integrated Production Control System series, Jason delivers a comprehensive overview of the lean beliefs and concepts every construction team must understand. You'll learn why flow is the single most important condition we strive for, the difference between resource efficiency and flow efficiency (attach people to work, not work to people), the three types of buffers required for Takt planning (material, capacity, time), why overproduction and excess inventory are the mother and father of all wastes, the definition of lean in construction (respect for people/resources, stable environments with flow that see/fix problems, total participation with visual systems, continuous improvement and fanatical quality), and the 14 principles of the Toyota Way applied to construction. What you'll learn in this episode: Flow is everything: Single most important condition, path to increasing profits, employee satisfaction, customer delight, reduced durations; work on increasing and seeing flow every day Resource constraints are a gift: Lack of workers/materials forces us to respect people and resources like Japan (island, pay workers 54x China, rice culture); companies that don't start lean journey will fail with inflation and trained worker shortage The 3 buffers required for Takt: Material buffers (inventory just ahead of work, not excessive), capacity buffers (never plan 100% utilization, things break down), time buffers (1.5-5% contingency like financial); if you don't have visual schedule + crew/work flow + buffers + stabilized pace/one-piece flow/limited WIP, you don't have a Takt plan The 8 wastes: Overproduction and excess inventory are mother/father of all other wastes (transportation, motion, defects, overprocessing, waiting, not using team wisdom); when you overproduce you have inventory that needs transport creating motion, distraction creates defects, defects need fixing (overprocessing) creating waiting Definition of lean in construction: (1) Respect for people and resources, (2) Stable environments with flow in culture that sees and fixes problems, (3) Total participation with visual systems, (4) Continuous improvement and fanatical quality "About half the construction industry has these concepts wrong and are using them wrong—that's where most of our waste and lost productivity and financial losses are coming from. We have to believe the right things to act the right way. Usually if somebody isn't acting the right way, it's because they believe something that is causing them to do so." 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

Are you focused too much on resource efficiency when you need to focus on flow efficiency? In this final episode of the flow series, Jason unpacks the critical difference between optimizing individual resources (keeping equipment and people busy) versus optimizing the entire system (getting work to customer in shortest time with highest quality). You'll learn the Japanese principle ("Do not attach work to people, attach people to work"), why US manufacturing overproduces to keep tools busy while Japan produces only what's ordered just-in-time, The Goal book example (equipment at full individual efficiency creating bottlenecks from overproduction), the submittal process problem (batching through siloed departments vs one-piece flow to worker), and why everything should flow to the worker, not be leveled within individual departments. What you'll learn in this episode: Resource vs flow efficiency: Resource efficiency = optimizing individual resources (keeping them busy); Flow efficiency = optimizing entire system (work to customer in shortest time with highest quality); Takt planning lets you see and optimize both, but always prioritize flow efficiency Japanese principle: "Do not attach work to people, attach people to work", don't attach work to resources to make them busy, attach resources to work you want to flow from start to finish Manufacturing examples: US overproduces to keep factory tools busy (creates inventory, defects, motion, transportation, overprocessing, waiting); Japan produces only what's ordered (375 cars → make 400-450 just-in-time, then switch tools for next order) Submittal flow example: Trade partners batch all submittals at once → GC batches review → architect reviews when convenient → supplier queues by their efficiency = individual siloed companies optimizing themselves, causing inordinate waiting; Instead: send one submittal package at a time (central plant, then floors), swarm submittals with PM help, invite architect to tabletop review = flow to worker Everything flows to worker: Focus on new work starting in 2-6 week window (why Last Planner's 6-week look-ahead and weekly work plans work); manage flow of layout/information/quality/safety/materials/workers/equipment to starting scopes, then nail the handoffs "Everything should flow to the worker. Stop worrying about 'Is that loader busy? Is that blade busy?' Look at: Is work flowing from one end to the other as quickly as possible? Stop worrying about optimal individual crew efficiency even if you bury other people. Ask: How can I work in sequence to optimize the whole flow of the entire 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

Are you more confident in working overtime than you should be? In this episode, Jason unpacks the truth about overtime based on a Construction Industry Cost Effectiveness Task Force report from November 1980. You'll learn why overtime disrupts the local economy and reduces productivity (60+ hours/week for 2+ months delays completion beyond what 40-hour weeks could achieve with same crew), the productivity decline timeline (starts immediately, recovers briefly, then steady decline, at week 6 working 60 hours you're at 75% capacity, week 12 at 62% capacity), why light work takes 3 hours to produce 2 additional hours of output and heavy work takes 2 hours to produce 1 hour, the auction atmosphere created when one project goes to overtime, and why the return on investment disappears after 6-9 weeks depending on hours worked. What you'll learn in this episode: Overtime extends projects: 60+ hours/week for 2+ months causes decreased productivity that delays completion beyond what could have been realized with same crew size on 40-hour week; disrupts economy, magnifies labor shortage, creates excessive inflation without benefit to schedule Productivity decline is brutal: Light work, takes 3 hours to produce 2 additional hours output; Heavy work—takes 2 hours to produce 1 hour additional output; 8-hour day = 120 pieces/hour, 9-hour day = 100 pieces/hour Timeline of decline: Productivity drops initially, recovers by end of week 1, holds 2-3 weeks, declines next 2-3 weeks, further drop at 5-6 weeks, hits low point at 9-12 weeks; Working 50 hours/week: Week 6 at 85% capacity, Week 12 at 72%; Working 60 hours/week: Week 6 at 75%, Week 12 at 62% Auction atmosphere: When one project goes to overtime, other projects go to overtime to hold labor creating bidding process; local labor supply constant but additional capacity of transient workers offset by reduced productivity of all workers on overtime Return on investment disappears: 60+ hours/week = no ROI after 6 weeks, 50-60 hours/week = 7.5 weeks, 40+ hours/week = 9 weeks; at 65 hours/week you pay twice as much per unit hour; all negative conditions still happen within those weeks "The current condition is we throw money and manpower at things to try and fix them. All of the negative adverse conditions still happen. After 9 weeks there is no return on investment even from a productivity or completion standpoint. When we increase manpower and overtime, it increases costs, safety issues, fatigue, and in most cases we're extending the overall project duration." 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

What do construction professionals need to understand when it comes to their children? In this special episode recorded in the truck, Jason sits down with his 16-year-old daughter Effie Schroeder for an unscripted conversation about raising remarkable children in the construction industry. You'll learn Effie's advice to construction parents (listen, watch for problems, maximize moments, one meaningful moment worth an hour of meaningless time), the study showing children's connection to family culture depends on whether dad is approachable, why you shouldn't overthink parenting (kids love their parents deep down, want to hear about work), examples of involving kids in construction (slip sheeting drawings, posting RFIs, cleaning trailers, job walks, boot camps), and how making construction family-friendly preserves families and elevates the industry. What you'll learn in this episode: Listen and watch: Be attentive, know your kid, know when they need to talk (especially mental health), if you're not there listening, that could really hurt them; also kick their butt when they need it Maximize moments over hours: Never going to have as much time as you want, so focus on making moments meaningful, one meaningful moment worth an hour of meaningless time; reconnect intentionally after trips (connection goes away when you're gone) Don't overthink it: Deep down kids love their parents, they want to hear about funny things at work, cool new techniques; don't stress or everyone gets stressed Be approachable: Study shows children stay connected to family culture/traditions based on how approachable the father is; being loving but firm shapes kids to be better Involve kids in construction: Take them to job sites (Effie excited to wear PPE at age 8-9, felt "so swag" walking through store in hard hat), have them help (slip sheeting, posting RFIs, cleaning trailer, job walks, boot camps), make construction family-friendly and inclusive so you can invite your children to work "Don't overthink it. Kids love their parents. They want to hear about the funny thing that happened at work or this cool new technique you learned. Love your kid. Love yourself. If you bring them into your work, they'll start to take ownership of that, be proud of that, be proud of you, and it works for everyone." 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