Building Better Careers and Smarter Schedules in Construction

I recently received some incredible listener feedback that really made my day. A new HR professional in the construction industry shared how much they appreciated the leadership training courses and podcasts, and how those resources helped them flatten the learning curve in their early days. They even recommended a book called Employality by Joe Mull, which focuses on employee engagement and retention. It has a perfect 5.0 rating on Amazon, which is almost unheard of. I am excited to dive into it because keeping people engaged and happy at work is one of the most important things we can do in our industry.

This feedback led me to reflect on the concepts of hiring for life, something Simon Sinek talks about, and the lessons Paul Akers often shares about Japanese workplace culture. These ideas resonate strongly with me because they emphasize people as the foundation of sustainable success.

Next, I tackled two great listener questions. The first was about 4D scheduling versus CPM and takt. Here is my take: CPM is not effective. It creates schedules that look good on paper but collapse when tested in the field. Takt, on the other hand, is a time by location system that naturally flows into 4D scheduling. When you model schedules in tools like Synchro, CPM falls apart because it cannot tie to real model geometry. But takt does. That makes the true foundation for creating meaningful 4D schedules that actually represent how work flows in the field.

The second question came from a young professional who had just graduated with a construction management degree and already completed six internships. They wanted to know the best path to becoming a well-rounded project manager and whether spending time as a superintendent was necessary. My answer was yes. If you want to be a truly effective project manager, you need field experience. Being a superintendent connects you directly with the flow of work, teaches respect for the trades, and locks in the builder mindset. Without this, it is easy to get lost in paperwork and miss the reality of how construction truly operates.

I also emphasized that there is no rush. Taking a year to serve as a superintendent can prevent bad habits from forming and help create a much stronger career foundation. Estimating and project management are important roles, but combining them with field experience will make you one of the strongest leaders in the industry.

At the end of the day, the principles are simple. Put people first. Use scheduling systems like takt that actually work in practice. And if you want to be a remarkable project manager, make sure you spend time in the field so you never lose sight of the flow of work.

On we go.

Key Takeaway
Success in construction comes from combining people-first leadership with real field experience and reliable scheduling methods like takt that create flow and predictability.