Elevate Construction

CPM does not obey even one of the production laws, and Takt obeys and encourages all of them. This is probably the single most important information Jason has ever shared. The four production laws prove mathematically and scientifically why CPM will never work and why Takt planning is not magic but eternal truth. Little's Law says throughput time increases when you have too many flow units in process. CPM loads everything at once. Takt limits work in process. The Law of Variation says variation is the enemy. CPM has no rhythm. Takt creates consistency and continuity. Stop pushing manpower, materials, information, and variation onto your projects. You need rhythm, consistency, and continuity based on production laws, not guesses and critical paths that change 17 times. What you'll learn in this episode: Why CPM gets an F on all four production laws and Takt gets an A plus How Little's Law proves you need to limit work in process and reduce cycle time to go faster Why variation is the enemy and CPM creates it while Takt eliminates it How optimizing bottlenecks increases throughput for the entire system (not chasing random critical paths) Why Kingman's Formula shows waiting time equals cycle time times utilization times variation (Takt optimizes all three) Stop pushing. You need rhythm, consistency, and continuity. This is not magic. This is law. This is eternal truth. 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 are going to make mistakes, and you need to be okay with that. Striving for perfection is beautiful, but thinking you need to be perfect now is damaging. It makes you hide who you really are, prevents you from asking for help, and makes you less human. Jason shares the major mistakes he made in his career. Installing a duct bank where a sewer line should go and costing $350,000. Flooding a basement with four inches of water. Almost getting fired for being siloed and stubborn with a fixed mindset. The more transparent and open he was about mistakes, the less painful they became and the more people rallied to help him. If you are not okay with making mistakes, you will not take risks, fulfill your potential, or have the confidence you need to lead. What you'll learn in this episode: Why thinking you need to be perfect now is damaging and makes you hide who you really are How Jason shifted from fixed mindset to growth mindset in six months and went from almost fired to training nationwide The science of momentum: peak state, find passion, commit, take massive intelligent action How to reduce friction and increase addiction to build new habits that stick Why being transparent about mistakes makes them less painful and gets the team to rally around you Everybody makes mistakes. Get used to it. It is how we show up in those moments that matters. If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊). Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels: · Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg · LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt · LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured · LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw

Jason sits down with Joe Donnarummo to talk about generating curiosity in lean construction instead of intimidation and overwhelm. The skeptical superintendent who has been successful for 30 years will tell you there is nothing wrong with the way he runs work. But the industry is not the same as it was 30 years ago. The tools that made superintendents successful back then do not work today. Are you tired of working 80 hour weeks and dragging projects across the finish line at the expense of your family, health, and quality of life? Finishing a project well is not just about being on time and making money. It is about taking care of careers, preserving families, delivering quality and safety, and creating raving fans. What you'll learn in this episode: How to generate curiosity in skeptical superintendents by tying lean to current state pain points Why the construction industry today requires different tools than 30 years ago The new definition of finishing well: on time, profitable, owner happy, AND careers protected, families preserved, quality delivered Jason's challenge: consider master scheduling systems that create workflow, trade flow, and logistical flow Joe's challenge: let the job speak to you and fix something small that bugs you Are you tired of working 80 hours a week and dragging projects barely across the finish line to the expense of your family and health? There is a better way. 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, Brandon Monteiro, and Adam Hoots dive into the four production laws that govern construction whether you know it or not. Fighting against these laws is like fighting gravity. You cannot win. When you want to cut a schedule, everyone throws manpower and materials at the problem, which is exactly what Satan would tell you to do if he wanted to extend your duration. The truth is you need to optimize bottlenecks, reduce variation, and reduce batch sizes. Companies using Takt planning are cutting 20 percent off schedules just by following production laws. The construction industry has been saying the word production for decades and nobody actually knows what it means. What you'll learn in this episode: The four production laws: Little's Law, Bottlenecks, Variation, and Kingman's Formula Why limiting work in process reduces cycle time (do not work on all four floors at once) How optimizing the bottleneck increases throughput for the entire system Why throwing manpower and materials at a problem is exactly the wrong response to schedule pressure How companies are cutting 20 percent off schedules by following production laws through Takt planning We have been saying the word production for decades and nobody has any idea what it means. If you want to cut a project, stop throwing manpower and materials at 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

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