First of all, I’m excited to be with you all. In this blog, I want to talk to you about what happens when our field plans are misaligned with reality.
I’ve got a little analogy for you, so stick with me. On a recent trip to West Palm Beach, Florida, I was using Apple Maps to navigate. And let me tell you, it was a nightmare. Wrong turns, missed lanes, detours everywhere. Nothing lined up with reality. The maps showed four lanes, but there were six. It showed two forks, but there were four. It was chaos.
That’s when it hit me: if you don’t know where you are, you don’t know where you’re going. And that’s exactly what happens in construction projects when the look ahead plans and weekly work plans don’t align with what’s actually happening in the field. All your tools, all your systems, tact, CPM, whatever become worthless if you’re not aligned.
The best projects are the ones where field conditions and the plans actually match. You know where you are, you see progress in real time, you catch problems right away, and you can anchor your path forward. Without that? Everyone’s moving in different directions, wasting time, and causing delays.
I’ve seen this too many times. I’ve even jumped into field walks with teams just to get alignment, to make sure everyone’s anchored in reality, that the trades are protected, and that the plan forward is actually achievable. Because scheduling isn’t just about creating a future path, it’s also about identifying problems in real time and fixing them.
And let me say this straight: too many people are quick to badmouth tact or last planner because they don’t understand it. They’ll make excuses, wrong industry, wrong project size, wrong examples. But the truth is, CPM isn’t working either. Most CPM activities don’t even finish on time. The system itself fails projects, stresses people, and creates chaos.
So, don’t blame the tools. The real issue is alignment. If you’re not aligning your plans with reality, nothing will work. And if you’re making excuses, you’re just wasting time, yours and everyone else’s.
I know I got a little snarky here, but it’s because I care. Alignment matters. It’s not optional. It’s the difference between wasting months in detours or actually getting where you need to go.
Love you all. On we go.
Key Takeaway
When reality and the plan don’t align, projects fall into delays and frustration. Success comes from constantly adjusting plans to match real conditions on the ground.
If you want to learn more we have:
-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our YouTube channel for more info: (Click here)
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here)
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)
Discover Jason’s Expertise:
Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.
On we go