A Mix of Topics

Who Really Speaks for the Trades

In this blog, I want to cover a few important topics and share some insights that can help you on the job site, whether you’re a worker, leader, or owner. Let’s dive in.

Feedback from Our Community

First, a huge thank you to everyone who’s participating in our project manager boot camps and engaging with the Elevate Construction community. One listener shared:

“Jason, I was in your project manager boot camp the past couple of days and I wanted to thank you for running such an awesome program. I plan on implementing quite a few of your theories and look forward to seeing some changes.”

It’s inspiring to hear that the content we produce is having a real impact on job sites. That’s exactly why we do this to provide value that spreads and scales throughout the construction industry.

Who Really Speaks for the Trades?

I’ve noticed on social media that some people advocating for trades are actually tearing down others instead of providing solutions. They may claim to “speak for the trades,” but if they’re just complaining, they aren’t actually creating change.

Think of the Dr. Seuss example of the Lorax, the Lorax speaks for the trees and acts to protect them. But someone who just complains without action is no better than the tree itself they aren’t creating progress.

At Elevate, we focus on changing the system from within. We work with general contractors, owners, and owners’ reps to create solutions that actually make a difference. The voice that fixes the system speaks louder for the trades than the voice that simply complains.

Everything Starts with Paul Akers

If you want to truly understand Lean, it all starts with Paul Akers. His book 2 Second Lean is a must-read, and it’s worth reading twice and putting into action. While there are many Lean experts, Paul is the foundation of how the construction industry has adopted Lean practices. Last planner systems and pull planning are great, but the principles Paul teaches are where it all begins.

Rethinking Pull Plans

There’s a lot of debate about pull plans: should they be in-person, with printed stickies? My experience shows that virtual pull plans often work even better, even when teams are together in person.

The key isn’t the physical format its how you declare, control, and visualize the work. Clear, typed stickies in tools like Mural can improve readability, streamline communication, and avoid messy handwriting or pre-formatted distractions.

A Simple Communication Hack

At boot camp, we explored a concept called gray boxing. This technique involves lightening contextual information in schedules, emails, or drawings so the main focus stands out.

For example, when pull planning a phase of work, you can gray out other phases for context but highlight the current focus. It’s a small adjustment that dramatically improves communication and speeds up decision making.

Closing Thoughts

This blog is a collection of smaller insights rather than a deep dive into a single topic, but these ideas can help improve collaboration, leadership, and Lean practices on your projects.

Future blogs will cover modular construction, builder interfaces, leadership approaches, managing roadblocks from trade partners, and techniques like diggers and sketching ideas.

At Elevate, our mission is clear: to elevate the construction experience for workers, leaders, and companies across the country. Let’s lean in, collaborate, and fix the system together.

Key Takeaway

Action speaks louder than complaints. If you want to advocate for the trades or make any meaningful change focus on creating solutions from within the system, not just repeating the problems. Clear communication, Lean principles, and practical tools like gray boxing will amplify your impact.