There Is No Substitute for Fundamentals

Backing Up Boats and the Illusion of Equipment

I have had a busy stretch lately. Between YouTube recording sessions in Salt Lake City, multiple channels of content, LinkedIn posts, blogs, books, and podcasts, it has been a lot. Honestly, I was feeling a little drained today, but I wanted to share something that hit me pretty hard and turned into a lesson I could not ignore.

A listener recently asked me if they should take on a school renovation project as lead superintendent, even though they have never built a school before. My response was simple. If you have the process, you can build anything. I learned that at Hensel Phelps. It is not about the specific type of building. It is about the approach you use, the systems you follow, and the way you work with trade partners.

If you rely only on past experience without a process, then yes, you should be worried. But if you are focused on the process, you will figure it out. A school, a multifamily building, a hospital, or a warehouse, they all have phases, details, and challenges. The materials may differ, but the system carries you through.

Joel Hamilton shared a great perspective with me that ties into this. He reminded me that every project is unique because of the people, the site, and the circumstances. At the same time, he pointed out that projects are like Legos. They are built from standardized blocks and processes. I realized Joel and I are speaking from two sides of the same coin. He is focused on uniqueness through configuration and materials. I am focused on sameness through process and scaffolding. Both mindsets matter, but without process, uniqueness becomes chaos.

That brings me to a story I could not resist sharing. I may not be the best at everything, but when it comes to backing up a boat, I have got it down. My dad and father-in-law were truckers, so I grew up learning how to use mirrors, control trailers, and handle vehicles under pressure. When we got our own little boat a few years ago, it all came back naturally.

Here is the problem. Every time I go to the lake, I see people doing it all wrong. They drive nose first down the boat ramp, jackknife their trailers, and end up in accidents. I have watched ramps get shut down because someone’s expensive boat pulled their truck right into the water. It is chaos and it is dangerous. The right way is simple: back slowly, use the lanes, have a spotter if needed, and stay in control.

I have taught my kids Reno and Ava to back up the boat properly, and they are already better than most of the people I see at the lake. But here is the bigger point. These folks show up with half a million dollars’ worth of equipment, big trucks, expensive boats, flashy setups, and they do not even know how to use it.

And that is the analogy I want to land today. The size of your equipment, the technology you buy, or the title you carry does not mean you know how to use it. I see it in construction all the time. Someone gets a robotic total station, but they do not know how to run the layout. A foreman gets a crew but does not know how to lead. A superintendent has the job but does not know how to schedule. We assume that buying or being given the tools makes us capable. It does not.

The truth is, there is no technology that is going to save us. There is no shiny piece of equipment that will do the work for us. Fundamentals matter. Training matters. Learning how to use what you have matters.

I have seen this play out over and over. We offer the best training in the world for superintendents, but people resist. They would rather skip the learning and hope their new tools will solve the problem. They want aspirin instead of vitamins. But without the fundamentals, without knowing how to back the trailer down the ramp, it does not matter how expensive the boat is, you are still going to wreck.

So here is the takeaway. Do not mistake new equipment, technology, or titles for capability. Capability comes from fundamentals, process, and practice. Learn the basics. Master them. Then, and only then, let the tools amplify your skill.

On we go.

Key takeaway
New technology or expensive equipment does not equal capability. Fundamentals, process, and training are what make the difference, and without them, tools are just wasted potential.