Why I Focus on People First

Why I Focus on People First in Construction

There’s a natural pull in construction toward satisfying the client, pushing production, and chasing profits. But if you truly want to fix what’s broken in this industry, the solution starts with focusing on the resource side of the equation and by that, I mean people.

Lately, I’ve been appalled at what I call the good fight being lost, putting people second to profits and production. We’re prioritizing trade flow over actual workflow and it’s hurting us. Worse, I’ve seen so called lean experts talking about “value receiving units” in ways that show a deep lack of responsibility.

Let’s break this down.

The Real Flow, People, Not Just Zones

Some argue we should prioritize “value receiving time” and focus on optimizing the work. But here’s the truth: if you optimize only for the zone or the value received without caring for the workers who install that value you enter a downward productivity spiral.

You can’t build sustainable flow by ignoring the trades. If you overburden your people or sacrifice their wellbeing for the sake of “efficiency,” you’ll not only hurt your outcomes you’ll hurt people. Period.

The right way? Focus on merging resource efficiency and work efficiency. Respect the trades and the work. Optimize the entire system, not just what the client sees.

A Dr. Seuss Analogy That Fits Too Well

Remember The Lorax? The Onceler destroyed a thriving forest to build his business empire, ignoring every warning along the way. He prioritized production and profits over sustainability and it all came crashing down.

In our industry, the “Truffula trees” are our tradespeople. If we push them past the breaking point for speed or revenue, we’ll end up in a barren wasteland too burnt out workers, bankrupt trades, unsafe jobsites, and ultimately failed projects.

If the Onceler had focused on sustainability first, he could’ve built both a thriving forest and a sustainable business.

The Real Cost of Prioritizing Efficiency First

Let’s play this out.

If you prioritize people first, worst-case scenario, your project runs a little slower than target.
If you prioritize efficiency first, worst-case scenario, you overburden your trades, burn out your foremen, increase mental health risks, damage relationships, delay schedules, and lose money. Everyone suffers.

It’s not even a close call.

What “People First” Looks Like on the Job

If you want to build faster, stop obsessing over zones and charts. Instead, focus on:

• Training trades and field leadership better

• Preparing trade work packages with care

• Designing for flow, not just cost

• Equipping teams with the right tools

• Adjusting takt time based on real needs

• Collaborating through Last Planner and pull planning

• Removing constraints instead of ignoring them

This is what real lean construction looks like. It’s built on respect for people, not exploitation of them.

A Word to Lean Professionals

Some lean advocates claim they’re prioritizing value-adding time because they’re focused on the end goal. But we’ve always known the goal, take care of the client, deliver efficiently, and support people.

The question isn’t the goal it’s how we get there.

And if your approach doesn’t involve caring deeply for the trades that build your projects, you’re not doing lean. You’re just doing production dressed up with buzzwords.

Final Thoughts

If you ever hear someone say, “We need to prioritize the flow unit (zone) over the resource,” be very careful.

We don’t build projects by optimizing zones. We build projects by supporting and empowering people.

I’ve proven this works time and time again from superintendent to field director to project director. And now, through our construction company, we’re showing that it’s not just possible it’s the future.

Key Takeaway

In construction, people must come before profits. Prioritizing production and efficiency at the expense of workers leads to burnout, inefficiency, and long term failure. Sustainable success happens when we respect and support trades, protect the workforce, and then build lean systems around that foundation. The best way to build faster and better is to focus on the people doing the work because when they thrive, projects thrive.