Best Intentions—Wrong Inputs

Doing Your Best with the Wrong Inputs

I’m going to talk about doing your best with the wrong inputs.

LeanTakt is doing great right now. We work with large general contractors in commercial construction, projects that don’t slow down right away when a recession hits. And because we help projects remain financially stable and successful, our service is still needed even in tougher economies.

Still, I’m already hearing from people on the West Coast whose businesses are struggling because of tariffs and paused projects. Things are getting chaotic. Our Lean Belt project is still moving forward, but now we’ve gone from “fun and exciting” to “hard and grindy.” And I know for many of you, especially in residential and multifamily sectors, the economic shift is hitting hard.

That’s why today’s topic is important, because whether it’s in business or in life, you can work incredibly hard but still get the wrong results… if your inputs are wrong.

The Problem with Wrong Inputs

Let me share a few examples.

• Example 1: A loving, considerate feminist debates her brother, an avid Andrew Tate follower who believes men should control women. Both are doing their best, but their “input” beliefs are completely different, one based on equality, the other on patriarchal control. The output? Endless arguments that never lead anywhere. 
• Example 2: A trade foreman storms into a meeting defensive and combative. His inputs? Years of being abused by general contractors, never being treated well, always feeling victimized. Yelling is the only thing that’s worked for him before. Wrong inputs, wrong outputs. 
• Example 3: Jordan Peterson’s public arguments. His data set focuses on male-driven environments and toxic religious underpinnings, excluding diverse and equal-opportunity contexts. He’s intelligent and persuasive but his inputs bias the outputs. 

Why Inputs Matter

Our beliefs, experiences, and learned habits form our “inputs.” These shape our actions, attitudes, and results, our “outputs.”

The good news? Inputs can be changed.

I learned this firsthand. Early in my career, I believed I could work endless hours, boss people around, use them like resources, and skip education and structure. That mindset nearly got me fired.

Then I replaced my inputs:

• The Hensel Phelps philosophy 
• Construction Surveying and Layout by West Crawford 
• Moral and ethical standards 
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie 
• Getting Things Done by David Allen 
• Tony Robbins, Jim Collins, Patrick Lencioni 

Better inputs led to dramatically better outputs.

Seeing Others Through Their Inputs

When someone is failing, struggling, or even being difficult, ask:

• What are their inputs? 
• Are they doing their best from a flawed or limited starting point?

If you can identify the wrong inputs and help change them, you can transform the outputs without manipulation, always aiming for a win-win.

The Big Picture

Human brains aren’t fixed-code computers, they’re advanced learning machines. They reflect the environment, systems, and beliefs they’ve been exposed to.

That’s why the woman raised in abundance may see stealing as immoral, while a woman in poverty may see it as a necessary act to feed her children. Different inputs. Different outputs.

Our job, if we want better teams, better projects, and better relationships is to engineer the right inputs for ourselves and for others.

Key Takeaway

You can work hard and still fail if your inputs are wrong. Success comes from consciously replacing flawed beliefs, habits, and information with better ones and helping others do the same.