The Joys of Boot Camp

Building a Winning Team: The Power of Total Participation in Construction

At Elevate Construction, we focus on more than just hitting deadlines and budgets. Success in construction requires a solid foundation of people and processes. Without building a team that functions seamlessly, even the best tools, software, and technical knowledge are useless. In today’s post, I want to take you through an essential leadership principle that makes or breaks a project: total participation.

The Power of Total Participation

When we think about successful construction projects, what stands out? It’s not just the concrete laid or steel beams raised it’s the strength of the team. A team that communicates, collaborates, and drives forward together. But what happens when the team falls apart? What happens when the communication falters and people operate in silos? It’s a disaster, plain and simple. The real question is, how do we build and maintain a winning team?

At Elevate Construction, we don’t just talk about technical skills. Sure, technical know-how is crucial, but without total participation, a project is just a collection of isolated tasks. Think about it like this: if a team member doesn’t have ownership of the project’s success, how can they possibly perform at their highest level? How can we expect quality, safety, or efficiency without a group that is fully bought in?

Learning from Wisdom or Sad Experience

I remember a specific experience during boot camp, where we were tasked with working through a tough problem as a group. The challenge was to build a solution in a situation where every team member had different perspectives, experiences, and ideas. It was a mess at first. People were stuck in their silos, unwilling to collaborate, and the whole thing could have easily fallen apart.

But we didn’t let that happen. We broke it down step by step, giving each team member the opportunity to speak up, share their thoughts, and contribute to the decision-making process. Slowly but surely, we worked together, and by the end of the day, we had a plan in place. This wasn’t just about solving the problem it was about learning the importance of total participation.

You see, there are two ways we can learn: through wisdom or through sad experience. Wisdom comes from listening to others, learning from their experiences, and leveraging the team’s collective intelligence. Sad experience, on the other hand, comes when we make mistakes ourselves, fail to communicate, and struggle through the burden alone.

As I’ve learned over the years, we don’t need to live in a world of sad experience. If we have the strength of the team, the wisdom of the team, and the willingness to collaborate, we can overcome any obstacle.

The Framework for Team Success: Plan-Do-Check-Act

So how do we implement total participation? How do we ensure that our teams are working together effectively, every step of the way? It’s simple: we follow the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, a proven methodology that we teach and live by at Elevate Construction. Here’s how it works:

1. Point Person: Appoint a leader or coordinator to guide the process. This person is responsible for facilitating collaboration and keeping everyone on track.
2. Collaboration: The entire team collaborates to define the problem and come up with solutions. This isn’t a one-person job it’s about gathering input from everyone.
3. Decision Making: Once everyone has had their say, it’s time to make a decision. This is where leadership plays a key role, but everyone must be bought in.
4. Clear Understanding: Ensure that everyone fully understands the decision and the next steps. If people aren’t clear on the plan, how can they execute it effectively?
5. Implementation: Execute the plan together, as a team. Everyone must take responsibility and act in unison.
6. Check and Adjust: The job’s not done until we check and assess our progress. Did the plan work? If not, what adjustments need to be made? And this is where the magic happens: a team that checks their progress together can make continuous improvements.

When each member of the team is actively involved, contributing ideas, and taking responsibility for their part of the process, you achieve something greater than individual effort you get total participation.

Building the Culture of Total Participation

Building a culture where total participation is the norm takes work. It’s not about forcing people to act it’s about empowering them to take ownership and responsibility. And that starts with the right leadership practices.

Here are a couple of tips for implementing total participation on your projects:

• Create Clear Roles and Responsibilities: Everyone on the team should know what is expected of them. They should know how they contribute to the success of the project. This can be done through clearly defined roles, regular check-ins, and a culture of shared responsibility.
• Encourage Open Communication: Encourage everyone to speak up. It’s not just about hearing from the loudest voices in the room it’s about getting input from everyone, including the introverts. Give everyone the chance to weigh in on the decisions that affect them.

Leadership and Teaming

If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow. Implementing total participation starts with good leadership. As leaders, we must:

• Foster an environment where feedback is welcomed, and communication is open.
• Give team members the authority to make decisions and take ownership of their tasks.
• Empower individuals to act independently, but also as part of the group.

This is how we create a team that doesn’t just work together but succeeds together.

Lead with Purpose

At the end of the day, successful projects are driven by purposeful leadership and total participation. It’s not enough for the leader to make all the decisions and do all the thinking real success comes when everyone is contributing to the solution.

As we continue on our mission at Elevate Construction, I encourage you to lead with purpose, build strong teams, and implement practices that foster collaboration and ownership. When we get this right, we’ll create a culture where every person is bought in, working towards a shared goal, and driving the project to success.

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” – Phil Jackson

FAQ Section:

How do I foster better communication among my project team members?
Creating an environment where open communication is encouraged is crucial. This can be achieved by holding regular huddles, making feedback a part of the daily routine, and ensuring everyone feels comfortable speaking up.

What is the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle and how does it apply to construction projects?
The PDCA cycle is a method for continuous improvement, ensuring that teams plan their actions, execute them, review the results, and make adjustments as needed. It’s a systematic approach to problem-solving that can be applied to any phase of the construction process.

How can I get my team to fully participate in decision-making?
Ensure that each team member understands their role, has a voice in discussions, and is empowered to make decisions. Fostering a culture of trust and transparency is key to achieving total participation.

Why is it important to have a clear team leader or point person?
A clear leader or point person helps guide the team, facilitates collaboration, and ensures that decisions are made efficiently. They provide the structure needed for the team to function effectively.