Elevate Construction

Jason answers a listener question head-on: how should field superintendents actually spend their 9–10 hours per day, and why do they keep taking on the trade partners' work? In this unfiltered coaching episode, he exposes the real reason supers run to Home Depot, jump in forklifts, and pump water — it's escapism, rooted in the wrong human needs. Jason draws a hard line between "security guard" superintendents and true field generals, and lays out exactly what real leaders should be doing on site instead. What you'll learn in this episode: Why superintendents get addicted to doing trade partners' work — and the six human needs behind it How to invert the hierarchy so workers are on top and leaders operate in a true support role The three builder habits every superintendent should do every single day — drawings, schedule, reflection walks Why the industry doesn't have a people problem — it has a process and culture problem How to set boundaries, grade trade partner performance, and stop playing savior on site If you're running around like a chicken with your head cut off, the question isn't whether you're busy — it's whether you're actually leading. 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 ready to get schooled on production laws? In this special interview episode, Jason sits down with Hal Macomber (lean guru, chief operating officer at Nenan Company who did first Takt plan in 1999) and Felipe Engineer-Manriquez to unpack the production laws that govern construction. You'll learn why the order matters (overburdening, variation, then waste, not the reverse), Little's Law and small batch sizes (batch of 10 means 9 are idle, batch of 5 means 4 idle, batch of 1 means nothing idle), the law of bottlenecks (establish pace based on what bottleneck activity can do, everyone else falls in line), why variation stacks and compounds with dependence (0.9 reliability to 7th power is really small number, painter at end of long chain can't make up early slow starts), Kingman's formula (cycle time affected by capacity utilization and variation, if 5-day cycle time at 90% capacity with variation might become 8.5 days), how Taiichi Ohno purposely told Americans system focused on waste to maintain competitive advantage when real focus was flow, and the highway lane analogy (right lane high variation, left lane high utilization, middle lanes better because lower utilization can absorb variation). What you'll learn in this episode: Why order matters: Muda/Mura/Muri (waste, variation, overburdening)—Hal told Jim Womack "you got it backwards, need to do overburdening first, then variation, then waste"; in construction there's already systemic pressure on people (Deming: worker trying to do best but system operating against them), remove overburden first to get capacity to look at variation, then remove waste to enable flow Little's Law and small batch sizes: Batch of 10 means at any point only working on 1 so 9 are idle; drop to batch of 5, only 4 idle; get to batch of 1, nothing idle—same number of people, goes through faster; implication: prepare work (make work ready for people, make people ready for work), when work ready and people ready, you have flow AND high productivity Law of bottlenecks: Every system has bottlenecks (capacity aspect—how much effort, how effective); with Takt establish pace based on what bottleneck activity can do, everyone else falls in line; Toyota Camry line ~90 seconds Takt time, only 15% of 100 operations operate at ~72 seconds, many in low 60s, some below 60, improving below-60 doesn't help flow, improving the dozen at 72 seconds improves speed of line Variation stacks and compounds with dependence: If reliable at 0.9 (90% PPC), 0.9 to 7th power is really small number; painter at end of long chain (20-25-28 operations) can't be high because of all that variation; superintendents mistakenly think slow start in year 1 of 4-year job can be made up in years 2-3-4—no, variation compounds, painter at end can't make up; Takt is countermeasure (train arrives every 2 days in different spot—no variation, no compounding) Kingman's formula: Waiting time = cycle time affected by capacity utilization and variation; 5-day cycle time at 90% capacity with variation might become 8.5 days; need to look at not just cycle time but cycle time with utilization and variation effects; Sellen Industries at Pentagon had 5.5 days but needed 5-day Takt, learned prefabrication to always get done in 4.5 days to absorb variation "Variation stacks. Variation compounds with dependence. If you're reliable at 0.9, that's 0.9 to the 7th power, really small number. When you see PPC below 50% and people early in process are high, there's no way painter at end can be high because of all that variation. The painter bids the job based on experience, they don't lose money because they know it won't happen as planned." 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 and Felipe Engineer discuss Brooks's law from software development. Brooks worked at IBM, found on thousands of projects that adding more people or spending overtime when behind schedule doesn't make projects finish earlier, data doesn't support it. Short-term overtime (less than 2 weeks) can make gains, but long sustained overtime or adding manpower up and down is detrimental. Why adding people doesn't help: communication channels increase exponentially using formula n(n-1)/2—two people have one channel, three people have three channels, ten people have 45 channels, 200 people on $20M job have 19,900 channels. Context switching: if interrupted while at 100% productivity, you lose 20% of time just switching back to task, interrupt someone writing email, watch delay before fingers start typing again. Multitasking decreases IQ temporarily. Brooks's law noticed dramatically at end of projects when construction adds manpower. Punch list rework takes 4-25 times more effort to fix versus fixing at time it's noticed, remobilization costs huge. Kingman's formula: cycle time multiplied by capacity utilization multiplied by effects of variation equals overall duration. If electricians can do overhead in 3,000 sq ft area in 5 days at 100% capacity with no variation, but overtime drops them to 60% capacity, that's 8.33 days, then add variation from context switching and communication complexity, now 9-10 days. Felipe's advice: "Fret not if you're getting behind. There are things you can absolutely do and the answer is not just throw more people at it." What you'll learn in this episode: Brooks's law from IBM software projects: adding more people or spending overtime when behind schedule doesn't make projects finish earlier, data doesn't support it; short-term overtime under 2 weeks can work, but long sustained overtime is detrimental Why communication channels explode exponentially: formula n(n-1)/2 means 2 people have 1 channel, 10 people have 45 channels, 200 people on construction site have 19,900 channels, complexity increases faster than headcount Context switching productivity loss: if interrupted at 100% productivity, you lose 20% of time just switching back to task, interrupt someone writing email and watch the delay before their fingers start typing again Punch list rework reality: fixing defects after the fact takes 4-25 times more effort than fixing at time it's noticed, remobilization and correction costs are massive compared to doing it right the first time Kingman's formula proves Brooks's law: cycle time × capacity utilization × effects of variation = overall duration; electricians doing 5-day task at 60% capacity from overtime = 8.33 days, add variation = 9-10 days Felipe's closing advice: "Fret not if you're getting behind. There are things you can absolutely do and the answer is not just throw more people at it." "The answer is not just throw more people at it. Stabilize the project so you can optimize 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 Keith Cunningham meme from Tony Robbins Business Mastery: chalkboard shows math on left, "and then a miracle happens" in middle, results on right, professor says "I think we need some more detail around step two." Point: can't say "1 plus 2 plus miracle equals financial success", need optics, measurement, numbers to make good decisions. Same applies to construction scheduling: when variation occurs, can't dissolve logic in P6/Asta/Microsoft Project and fake a plan, that's wishful thinking. Must intelligently adjust following production laws: Little's law, law of bottlenecks, law of effect of variation, Kingman's formula, Brooks's law. Concrete production example from Weston Woolsey at Oakland: smaller batch sizes, smaller crew sizes. Key question: when variation happens on decks, do you just shift deck schedule or shift everything together (columns, walls, decks)? Analyzes through each law, Kingman's formula says keep cycle times consistent in rhythm; law of bottlenecks says isolating deck schedule increases variation so you can't see/optimize bottlenecks; law of variation says changing just deck schedule creates different handoffs, crane schedules, procurement, manpower cycles; Brooks's law says shifting manpower between areas slows production. Learned from Germans (Yanosh and Marco): sometimes better to move everything together in variation and keep workflow/trade flow/logistical rhythm consistent instead of creating little ripples of variation and inconsistent handoffs. Patton: "A good plan violently executed today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow"—but he didn't say "no plan violently executed." Final message: anything that increases variation will increase project duration. What you'll learn in this episode: Keith Cunningham's miracle meme: chalkboard with math on left, "and then a miracle happens" in middle, results on right, professor says "need more detail around step two"; can't rely on wishful thinking in finances or schedules Why dissolving logic in scheduling software is like saying "1 plus 2 plus miracle equals success"—must show reality of impacts, then make plan following production laws, widen circle, get help The critical concrete scheduling question: when variation hits decks, do you shift just deck schedule or everything together? Most people shift decks alone, but that violates production laws How isolating deck schedule fails Kingman's formula: need consistent cycle times in rhythm, but shifting only decks breaks rhythm for columns/walls/decks working together Why shifting decks alone violates law of variation: creates different handoffs, different crane schedules, different procurement times, different manpower cycles—moving crews everywhere causes context switching losses The German insight from Yanosh and Marco: sometimes better to move everything together in variation and keep workflow/trade flow/logistical rhythm consistent instead of creating ripples throughout system Patton's principle correctly applied: "A good plan violently executed today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow", but he didn't say no plan violently executed; everything requires a plan "Anything that you do that increases variation will increase your 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

Jason talks about accountability and getting right people in right seats. Fundamental principle: blame process and behaviors, not people, but invite people who don't fit culturally to work somewhere else. Culture is microactions and beliefs (behaviors) of a group. Paul Acres' two second lean journey: half the people left, didn't want to improve. Large companies identify core values and get firm: droves leave. Jason's projects (clean, safe, organized, perfect): 5-10% of workforce and maybe one trade don't want to elevate to those standards. "You are being held hostage by people not bought in." Companies running lean on manpower/staff/PMs/supers make huge mistake, should have one or two or three extra, always hiring/developing/training. If someone's not cultural fit, invite them to work elsewhere, put bench people in those spots. Must quadruple or sextuple training amount. "Expand your capacity before you expand your workload." Jim Collins' Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 (page 16): number one metric is percentage of key seats filled with right people—target 90%. Key seat definition: person has power to make people decisions, failure could expose enterprise to risk, and success would have outsized impact. When to shift from develop to replace (pages 18-19): Are you losing other people by keeping this person? Values/will/skills problem? Window vs mirror (do they blame others or themselves)? Confidence up or down? Bus vs seat problem? How would you feel if they quit today? Examples: removed cancerous foreman and superintendent, project started jamming, finished on time; removed PM and PX on $250M project, new leaders came in, team started hitting dates. What you'll learn in this episode: Why you're being held hostage by people not bought in, and why running lean on manpower/staff/PMs/supers is such a mistake; companies should have bench people earning value and expand capacity before workload The pattern across all lean transformations: Paul Acres lost half his people when he started two second lean, large companies lose droves when they identify core values and get firm, Jason's projects lose 5-10% who won't elevate Jim Collins' #1 metric from Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0: percentage of key seats filled with right people (target 90%), towers above sales, profitability, cash flow, or any other metric Three conditions that make a seat "key": power to make people decisions, failure could expose enterprise to catastrophe, success would have outsized impact on company success Seven questions for when to shift from develop to replace: Are you losing other people by keeping this person? Values/will/skills problem? Window vs mirror? Confidence up or down? Bus vs seat problem? How would you feel if they quit? Real project examples: removed cancerous foreman and superintendent, project started jamming and finished on time; removed PM and PX on $250M project, new team started hitting dates and project turned around The ironclad principle: if you're recruiting, hiring, and training at accelerated rate, being clear about culture, not tolerating bad behavior, and holding people accountable, Jason has never seen companies be short-handed "Holding people accountable will not leave you short-handed as long as you are recruiting, hiring, and training." 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 Milwaukee doing organizational health consulting. Takt book update: finished writing, now called "Takt Planning and Integrated Control", editor said "got a lot more technical mathy sort of or maybe physics," exactly what everyone's been looking for. Project directors build people, not just projects, most don't show up the way teams need. Project director role: own strategy from start to finish across multiple projects, curate people to build well-functioning teams, ensure teams have organizational health fundamentals (build team first, create clarity, communicate clarity, and reinforce clarity). Project director check-in phases: pre-sell through proposal/interview/award, preconstruction (stay with design/precon/estimating, ensure good plan including Takt), design development (set up team composition, who are the GCs/GRs, review Takt plan/logistics/zone maps, prepare fresh eyes meeting, pull superintendent and PM in early even if on different projects). What doesn't get done well: using Takt for correct overall duration, bringing supers/PMs in early enough so it's their plan, right team size, right trailer layout, right budgets for worker bathrooms/lunchrooms, right logistical support. Daily standard work: scale communication, receive scaled roadblocks, prompt owner communication, ask safety questions, remove roadblocks fanatically, be positive example, rally team, participate in huddles. Weekly: team health check-in, roadblock tracking, safety/financial check-ins, meaningful mentoring for PMs/PEs together, check in with superintendent. Monthly: meaningful check-ins with supers, team health assessment, provide three things, connection, relevance, measurement. Current condition: most leaders never around, don't provide mentoring, don't help careers, supers say "haven't heard from a leader in years." What you'll learn in this episode: Project director core role distinction: not just managing projects, but curating people across multiple projects to build well-functioning teams with organizational health fundamentals What gets missed in preconstruction: using Takt for correct overall duration, bringing supers/PMs in early so it's their plan, right team size, right budgets for bathrooms/lunchrooms, right logistical support Project director daily standard work: scale communication to teams, receive scaled roadblocks to create flow, prompt owner communication, ask safety questions, remove roadblocks fanatically, rally team with good energy Weekly responsibilities beyond technical: team health check-in, meaningful mentoring for PMs/PEs together, participate with superintendent (don't assume they have it under control), assess meetings, teach and coach Monthly engagement framework: provide connection (connect with each team member), relevance (communicate why they matter), measurement (give keys to success so they know what winning looks like daily) The devastating pattern Jason observed: operations manager walks through office, goes straight to PM's office, shuts door, talks without rallying team, "I've always remembered that example as what not to do" Superintendent boot camp reality check: most supers say "haven't heard from a leader in years", project directors should check in at least monthly, even remotely by Zoom "Project directors build people, not just projects. Leaders build the team first, have hard conversations, manage, coach and mentor their direct reports." 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 reads from the Elevating Construction Superintendence book, Principle Two: Steadiness and Flow, explains how superintendents should interact with Takt planning. Creative Trades game: seven participants represent contractors (concrete, steel, facade), 35 chips must move through to last contractor. Players roll dice, pass chips forward. Red team finished in 26 weeks with 380 people and material inventory of 10. Blue team finished in 21 weeks with 280 people and material inventory of 5—5 weeks ahead with 100 fewer people and half the material. Secret: red team had normal 1-6 die (variation), blue team had die that only rolled 2s, 3s, and 4s (steady flow). Lesson: flow has very little variation, when variation eliminated, work flows without getting held up by overwhelming rush of rolling 6 or painful crawl of 1. Industry pushes: "advance schedule whenever possible," "bring all materials now," "I am a pusher," "keep pushing everything." These people try to roll sixes, which later causes mess of ones. Movement equals production is false, movement is waste. Throughput example: four factory machines producing at 4, 2, 4, 4 items per hour. Throughput is not 2, it's actually 1.25 or 1.5 because inventory piles up between first and second machines, manpower allocated to manage inventory, space diminishes, waste increases. Cost difference: 26 weeks with 380 workers = $21.7M; 21 weeks with 280 workers = $12.9M, that's $8.8M difference from lack of flow. "Only flow will shorten durations, decrease costs, respect workers, create balance for families." What you'll learn in this episode: Creative Trades game reveals flow beats pushing: blue team with steady 2-3-4 die finished 5 weeks faster with 100 fewer people and half the material vs red team with random 1-6 die Why "movement equals production" is dangerously false: movement is waste, pushing creates variation that requires twice as much material, 100 more people, and 5 more units of inventory The throughput trap: factory with machines at 4-2-4-4 items/hour doesn't produce 2/hour, it produces 1.25-1.5/hour because inventory piles up, manpower manages materials, space diminishes Real cost of pushing vs flow: 26 weeks with 380 workers costs $21.7M; 21 weeks with 280 workers costs $12.9M, that's $8.8M saved by eliminating variation and creating steady flow Why superintendents must protect flow: when supers won't hold dates, trades keep more people and materials on site, production slows because workforce manages/moves/fixes/replaces instead of installing The steadiness principle: don't roll sixes and ones when you can roll threes, flow will always reduce materials, manpower, mistakes, and time "Only flow will shorten durations, decrease costs, respect workers, and create balance for families." 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 talks about mental discipline and superintendent standing orders. Research shows we have an exhaustible, not inexhaustible, supply of self-discipline, study where people remembering eight numbers were twice as likely to eat donuts at end because mental discipline was exhausted. Judges after lunch are three times as likely to convict criminals. You can white knuckle habits or change your circumstances—your mind will either fix the problem or justify you having it, won't stay in contradictory gap. To change: get clarity on what you want, know when you're not on track, interrupt the pattern, fill void with good things, get accountability partner. Change space and time to support good habits. Superintendent standing orders: if you have Takt planning, you need Takt control. Superintendent must use Takt plan daily to plan, execute, and adjust work, simulate what changes do to all three flows (workflow, trade flow, logistical flow). Hold schedule start and end dates to reduce variation, don't randomly move trades early just because first wagon finishes in 3 days instead of 5, it ripples variation through everyone's plans. "If a superintendent can't run a clean site, they can't do anything else. Cleanliness plus organization equals safety." Production laws: Little's law (small batch sizes, improve cycle times), law of bottlenecks (optimize and improve), law of effect of variation (variation increases throughput times), Kingman's formula (cycle time affected by capacity utilization and variation). What you'll learn in this episode: Why mental discipline is exhaustible, not inexhaustible, study shows people remembering 8 numbers twice as likely to eat donuts because discipline was depleted; judges after lunch 3x more likely to convict White knuckling vs changing circumstances: your mind will either fix the problem or justify you having it, won't stay in contradictory gap, so change space and time to support good habits The 5-step habit change system: get clarity on what you want, know when you're off track, interrupt the pattern, fill void with good addictive things, get accountability partner Superintendent standing orders for Takt control: use Takt plan daily, simulate changes against all three flows, hold start/end dates to reduce variation, don't randomly move trades early Why holding dates matters: if first Takt wagon finishes in 3 days instead of 5, don't move second wagon from Monday to Thursday, ripples variation through everyone's plans and slows team The clean site foundation: "If a superintendent can't run a clean site, they can't do anything else. Cleanliness plus organization equals safety.", this is where everything starts Production laws superintendents must follow: Little's law (small batches), law of bottlenecks (optimize constraints), law of effect of variation (variation increases duration), Kingman's formula (cycle time formula) "If a superintendent can't run a clean site, they can't do anything else. Cleanliness plus organization equals safety." 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 talks about boundaries and how they differ from emotional responses. Most people use anger to manipulate others and assert control, true maturity means having difficult conversations without getting angry. The key shift: expect nothing from people, but maintain certain standards and appreciate their best while still doing the right thing. When disappointed, instead of emotional responses, ask what failed in the process. Boundaries are different from emotions. they're dispassionate standards you enforce without drama. Jason's trade boundaries: keep site clean and organized, follow safety standards, complete daily reports, and meet basic legal requirements. Contractor grading is a formal boundary system: cleanliness, campus care, safety plans, on-time attendance, scheduled deliveries, and material readiness. Critical boundary: workers will not be forced to go fast to compensate for project failures—they work at steady, safe pace. Superintendent boundaries: wonderful bathrooms, lunch areas provided, quick safety response, clear daily plans, reduced roadblocks, clean site, planned deliveries, and visual management. Time boundaries: trades must research drawings, coordinate with other trades, write their own RFIs, call their own office before asking superintendent. Eric Thomas principle: if you let people disrespect you that becomes your culture. Final principle: "The success of any organization is determined by the worst behavior that you or the leader is willing to tolerate." What you'll learn in this episode: Why emotional responses (anger, sadness) are often manipulation tools to assert control, and how mature leaders have difficult conversations without anger by doing the right thing regardless of circumstances The boundary mindset shift: expect nothing from people but maintain standards, appreciate their best, and dispassionately enforce what's right, blame the process, not the person Jason's non-negotiable trade boundaries: clean and organized site, safety compliance, daily reports completed, basic legal requirements met, these standards protect everyone Contractor grading as a formal boundary system: evaluates cleanliness, campus care, safety plans, on-time attendance, delivery coordination, and material readiness The critical worker protection boundary: teams will not be forced to work fast to compensate for project failures, they work steady and safe, never rushed into unsafe situations Time boundaries for superintendents: trades must research drawings, coordinate with others, write their own RFIs, and call their own office before asking for help, protects your time at the helm "The success of any organization is determined by the worst behavior that you or the leader is willing to tolerate." 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 talks about the healing power of forgiveness for individuals, families, and teams, unusual topic for construction podcast, but shows up constantly in people's lives. Finished Takt and Last Planner training with Construction Accelerator. Personal story: leader ignored crucial issue to protect innocent people, wasn't transparent, and hid information, Jason standing in bedroom angry. Katie: "You need to forgive. Go call him." Jason: "I don't agree with how this was done, but I forgive you." Burden lifted immediately. Shares two stories from James E. Faust talk: October 2006 Amish school shooting, milkman killed 5 girls, wounded 5, and took own life. Amish forgiveness was immediate. Neighbor wrapped arms around shooter's father: "We will forgive you." Half of mourners at shooter's funeral were Amish. Shooter's family statement: "We are overwhelmed by the forgiveness, grace, and mercy you've extended to us." Second story: 1985 Salt Lake City, Bishop Steven Christensen killed by bomb. Father Mack: "This thing will destroy my family if we don't forgive. Venom and hatred will never end." Dr. Sydney Simon definition: "Forgiveness is freeing up energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, nursing unhealed wounds." Application: co-workers, bosses, owners, foremen, family members who hurt you, unless consequences needed, let forgiveness in. What you'll learn in this episode: When you don't forgive, you only hurt yourself: bitterness spirals, affects work, relationships, children, family—"it just eats and eats and eats away" The Amish example of immediate forgiveness: shooter's neighbor to his father "We will forgive you," invited shooter's family to victims' funerals, shared donated money with shooter's widow Why waiting for wrongdoers to repent delays your healing: "We forfeit the peace and happiness that could be ours"—folly of rehashing long-past hurts Forgiveness doesn't eliminate consequences: "Mercy cannot rob justice"—society still needs protection, justice takes its course, but then we let go Dr. Sydney Simon's definition: forgiveness is freeing up energy once consumed by grudges, rediscovering strengths we always had, relocating limitless capacity to understand others Construction applications: when individuals partner with teams, work with people who make mistakes, superintendents with owners, PMs with foremen who hurt feelings, let forgiveness in "Forgiveness is freeing up energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds." 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