Your Project Is NOT Unique

I hope you’re doing well. Before I dive in, I want to read some feedback I recently received from a follower who said my content has provided clarity in an industry that can feel overwhelming. They told me the relatability makes it feel like a conversation with a trusted mentor. Comments like this energize me to keep writing and sharing ideas, even when I wonder if people want to hear my thoughts. The truth is, I’m only here because of you, and I’m grateful for every one of you.

Now, let’s get into the topic: your project is not unique.

Whenever we talk about lean systems, tact planning, last planner, or operational excellence, people often push back with excuses: “We don’t have enough people,” “We don’t have enough money,” “My leaders aren’t doing it,” or the most common one, “That doesn’t apply to me.”

Let me be clear, it absolutely does apply.

I’ll share an example. Years ago, Weston Woolsey and I were talking to a team about operational excellence on a tilt panel project. The superintendent said, “You don’t understand, this is different.” Weston and I both had extensive tilt panel experience, and the truth is, there was nothing unique about that job. It was the same principles, the same flow, the same need for excellence.

I hear this all the time:

• “You don’t understand, this is an active airport.”
• “You don’t understand, this is a hospital.”
• “You don’t understand, this is a lab.”

Here’s the reality: I do understand. Your project is not special. It has been done before. Whether it’s a dam, a bridge, a hospital, or even something like the Guggenheim Bilbao, it’s not new. It’s not unique. And it’s not exempt from the systems of operational excellence.

Tact applies. Last Planner applies. Scrum applies. The fundamentals of team building, planning, supply chain management, safety, organization, culture, and training all apply. Every time. Everywhere.

Some people argue that “one size fits none,” but that confuses tools with systems. The Integrated Production Control System, which combines First Planner, Takt, and Last Planner, works everywhere. It’s not a one-size-fits-none model. It’s a proven, universal system of operational excellence.

Thinking your project is different is a mental block. It’s a diseased thought that keeps you stuck. The truth is, you can change things right now:

• You can implement takt on your jobs.
• You can use Last Planner once takt is in place.
• You can pull your schedule in properly.
• You can manage your supply chain effectively.
• You can build a happy, balanced team.
• You can train your people and improve your department.
• You can create a quality product.
• You can achieve work-life balance and take care of your family.

It all starts with changing your mindset. Stop believing that your project is different. Stop thinking you’re the exception. Operational excellence fits all.

So ask yourself: what would it take for you to shift your thinking, embrace proven systems, and unlock new levels of performance on your projects? Because nothing is stopping you except the belief that your project is special. It isn’t. And that’s the good news, it means you can start improving today.

On we go.

Key Takeaway

My project is not unique. Operational excellence applies everywhere and the only barrier is the belief that it doesn’t.