Are You Following the Commandments or Winging It?

You start your day. No task list. Haven’t studied drawings in weeks. Don’t review schedule daily. Never take reflection walks. Keep schedule in office, not on your person. Don’t visualize plan in your mind. Don’t communicate critical components to everyone. Never remove roadblocks as top priority. Work 70 hours every week. Wonder why project is chaos. That’s winging it. Different from superintendent who follows commandments. Starts day prioritizing task list. Studies drawings 30 minutes every day. Reviews schedule daily, sends out assignments to prepare work. Takes reflection walk daily, sends out assignments. Keeps schedule on person when in field. Updates scheduled notes while walking project. Visualizes plan daily in mind. Draws sketches. Communicates critical components of plan daily to everyone. Always keeps tape measure. Asks questions as form of habit. Transparent about everything. Copies on emails, communicates, tells truth. Reaches out for help from other builders. Learns monthly reading from books, training, going to events, visiting other projects. Removes roadblocks as top priority, keeps work moving forward. Ensures manpower, materials, needed permissions ready for work. Starts every day making sure project is safe. Always keeps workers at steady pace and project 100% clean. Returns all emails, texts, phone calls showing respect for their time. Places attention on safety, housekeeping, project flow, energy during all site walks. Gives and receives daily positive communication with project manager, works with them as equal accountability partner. Doesn’t work more than 55 hours. That’s following commandments. Different results. Different projects. Different life.

Here’s what most superintendents miss. They think commandments are suggestions. Guidelines. Nice to have. So they wing it. Start day without task list. Never study drawings. Never take reflection walks. Keep schedule in office instead of on person. Don’t visualize plan. Don’t communicate to everyone. React to roadblocks instead of removing them proactively. Work 70 hours proving dedication. But that’s backwards. Commandments aren’t suggestions. They’re requirements for success. Study drawings 30 minutes every day creates understanding preventing mistakes. Reflection walks create awareness identifying problems before they explode. Keeping schedule on person enables updating notes in real time instead of forgetting details by time you get back to office. Visualizing plan in mind creates mental model enabling seeing problems before they happen. Communicating critical components daily to everyone creates alignment instead of confusion. Removing roadblocks as top priority keeps work moving instead of stopping. Working less than 55 hours preserves family and prevents burnout. These aren’t nice to have. They’re required for well-run projects and sustainable careers.

The challenge is most superintendents never learned commandments are what separates successful from struggling. They think working 70 hours shows commitment when actually working more than 55 hours indicates poor planning and unsustainable pace. They think keeping plan in head shows intelligence when actually communicating plan to create success shows leadership. They think reacting to problems shows responsiveness when actually foreseeing and removing roadblocks shows competence. They never developed habits, wonder why projects chaotic when answer is they’re winging it instead of following commandments creating predictable success.

The 20 Superintendent Commandments

Following these commandments will ensure you will be successful as superintendent:

• Start your day by prioritizing your task list. If you don’t have task list, create one.
• Study the drawings for 30 minutes every day.
• Review the schedule daily and send out assignments to prepare work.
• Take a reflection walk daily and send out assignments.
• Keep the schedule on your person when in field. Update scheduled notes as you walk project.
• Visualize the plan daily in your mind. Draw sketches.
• Communicate critical components of plan daily to everyone.
• Always keep your tape measure on you.
• Ask questions as form of habit, and you will know everything you need to know.
• Be transparent about everything. Copy on emails, communicate, tell truth.
• Reach out for help from other builders and networks to be more effective.
• Learn monthly reading from books, training, going to events, visiting other projects.
• Remove roadblocks as your top priority and keep work moving forward.
• Ensure manpower, materials, and needed permissions are ready for work.
• Start every day making sure project is safe.
• Always keep workers at steady pace and project 100% clean.
• Return all emails, texts, phone calls. Show people you respect their time.
• Place attention on safety, housekeeping, project flow, and energy during all site walks.
• Give and receive daily positive communication with project manager and work with them as equal accountability partner.
• Don’t work more than 55 hours.

Superintendent Daily Tasks

Every superintendent must do certain things daily to be successful. Below is list you can measure daily to ensure you are winning:

• Speak up effectively in morning huddle about critical items for day.
• Really think minimum 10 minutes about safety and make effort to know there is plan to keep everyone safe that day.
• Study drawings for 30 minutes and send out snippets to people of things to watch for, order, or prepare.
• Update, modify, plan, add, or review schedule for 15 to 30 minutes and send out snippets or reminders to prepare all needed items.
• Take focused reflection walk, observe flow, energy, cleanliness, safety, and text, email, or call in assignments.
• Ensure work is taking place with correct crew counts by area according to day plan.
• Review quality focus for all new activities that day.
• Go home in proper mental state to care for your family.
• Do something to sharpen axe and learn: book, podcast, or training.
• Work less than 55 hours that week.

Superintendent Secret Sauce

Good superintendent sees the future. Doesn’t work more than 55 hours. Drives with urgency. Creates good habits. Leads with passion. Communicates vision. Does right thing even when no one is looking. Are accountable. Creates flow.

Doesn’t delegate safety, quality, and schedule. Takes ownership of project. Are equal to project manager. Welcomes feedback. Airs on side of action. Are team builders. Brings and maintains high energy on project. Fanatically follows up. Returns phone calls, texts, and emails. Stays calm when decisions are hard.

Are advocates for workers. Always protects finished work. Helps to make remarkable experience for whole project. Is willing to ask for advice and reach out and network with other supers. Respects workers, individuals, trade partners, and customers.

Focuses on foreseeing and removing roadblocks. Understands that motion does not equal value. Knows that overproduction and inventory is mother of all waste. Knows that deliveries and procurement management has to be preceded by solid plan.

Doesn’t keep plan in his or her head, they communicate to create success. Knows that learning and improvement is crucial. Shows respect for others by being transparent. Applies Genchi Genbutsu: understand situation, go and see.

The System Failed You

Let’s be clear. When superintendents wing it without commandments, it’s not entirely their fault. The system failed by teaching commandments are suggestions when actually they’re requirements for success. Nobody showed that studying drawings 30 minutes every day creates understanding preventing mistakes. Nobody explained that reflection walks create awareness identifying problems before they explode. The system taught wing it when actually follow commandments.

The system also failed by not teaching working more than 55 hours indicates poor planning. If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow. Working 70 hours doesn’t show commitment, shows unsustainable pace destroying family and health. Going home in proper mental state to care for family is requirement, not luxury. Working less than 55 hours that week is commandment appearing three times. The system taught work until done when actually work smart and protect family.

The system fails by not teaching to remove roadblocks as top priority keeping work moving forward. Don’t delegate safety, quality, and schedule. Take ownership of project. Foresee and remove roadblocks. Don’t keep plan in head, communicate to create success. Motion does not equal value. Overproduction and inventory is mother of all waste. The system taught react to problems when actually foresee and remove roadblocks preventing problems.

The Challenge

Here’s your assignment. Stop winging it. Start following commandments.

Study drawings 30 minutes every day. Prevents mistakes. Creates understanding. Send out snippets to people of things to watch for, order, prepare. Make it daily habit, not occasional activity.

Take reflection walk daily. Observe flow, energy, cleanliness, safety. Text, email, or call in assignments. Don’t sit in office all day. Get out walking project with eyes open seeing what’s actually happening.

Keep schedule on person when in field. Update scheduled notes as you walk project. Don’t wait until back in office to update. Capture details in moment while fresh.

Visualize plan daily in mind. Draw sketches. Mental model of how project should flow. Enables seeing problems before they happen.

Communicate critical components of plan daily to everyone. Don’t keep plan in head. Communicate to create success. Copy on emails. Tell truth. Be transparent about everything.

Remove roadblocks as top priority. Keep work moving forward. Don’t react to problems. Foresee and remove roadblocks preventing problems. Ensure manpower, materials, needed permissions ready for work.

Return all emails, texts, phone calls. Show people you respect their time. Fanatically follow up. No one wondering if you got their message.

Work less than 55 hours. Go home in proper mental state to care for family. Don’t work more than 55 hours that week. Protect family. Sustainable pace. Not proving dedication by destroying health and relationships.

Give and receive daily positive communication with project manager. Work with them as equal accountability partner. Not subordinate. Equal partner driving project success together.

Do something to sharpen axe and learn daily. Book. Podcast. Training. Culture we have is result of consequences of our actions, which are based on our beliefs. We will experience no improvement if we do not improve our beliefs.

On we go.

FAQ

What are the most important superintendent commandments?

Study drawings 30 minutes every day. Take reflection walk daily sending out assignments. Keep schedule on person updating notes while walking project. Visualize plan daily in mind. Communicate critical components to everyone. Remove roadblocks as top priority. Return all emails, texts, phone calls. Work less than 55 hours protecting family and preventing burnout.

Why study drawings 30 minutes every day?

Creates understanding preventing mistakes. Send out snippets to people of things to watch for, order, prepare. Make it daily habit. Prevents problems before they happen by understanding what’s coming and what’s needed.

What are superintendent daily tasks?

Speak up in morning huddle. Think 10 minutes about safety. Study drawings 30 minutes. Update schedule 15 to 30 minutes. Take focused reflection walk. Ensure correct crew counts by area. Review quality focus. Go home in proper mental state to care for family. Do something to learn. Work less than 55 hours.

What is superintendent secret sauce?

Sees future. Drives with urgency. Creates flow. Takes ownership. Welcomes feedback. Brings high energy. Fanatically follows up. Stays calm when decisions hard. Advocates for workers. Focuses on foreseeing and removing roadblocks. Understands motion does not equal value. Doesn’t keep plan in head, communicates to create success. Applies Genchi Genbutsu: go and see.

Why work less than 55 hours?

Go home in proper mental state to care for family. Sustainable pace. Working more than 55 hours indicates poor planning, not dedication. Protect family and health. Commandment appearing three times emphasizing importance. Work smart, not just hard.