The little things are the big things. A crew leader who can’t keep track of a list, show up looking sharp, or keep a good attitude on a hard day is not ready for the bigger assignments.
This is Part 5 of my walk-through of my book Elevating Construction Foremen. If you are just joining, start with Part 1. This part covers the foreman to-do list, handwriting, speech, appearance, and attitude.
Short answer: One of the first habits a crew leader should master is a to-do list, because your mind is for having ideas, not holding them. Next, clean up your handwriting, speech, and appearance, since you act like you look. And choose your attitude every day, because life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.
Why Should a Crew Leader Keep a To-Do List?
Do not start your day until your to-do list is finished on paper. Every great leader and construction professional keeps one. I love David Allen’s line: “Your mind is for having ideas, not for holding them.” Capture anything that is delegated, thought of, and volunteered for. If you don’t, you will have a distracted and chaotic mind, forget assignments, and be firefighting instead of leading. I break down the method in How to Make a Productive To-Do List.
I knew a crew leader in Austin, Texas, who never forgot what needed to be done. His to-do list was a scrappy, limp little pad of paper he got from one of our vendors, and he was never without it. He was also one of the most responsive and helpful crew leaders I ever worked with. When you need to do something and can’t do it in that moment, whip out your list. Don’t try to remember it, because you can’t.
How Do You Run a To-Do List That Works?
Capture everything in one place: things delegated to you, things you think need doing, ideas, and things you volunteer for. Then clarify each one with the Eisenhower matrix:
| Urgent | Not urgent | |
|---|---|---|
| Important | Do it now in one-piece flow. | Plan it for a specific deadline. |
| Not important | Delegate it. | Consider deleting it. |
Build the list with what you can accomplish that day, and try to finish it every day. If you keep pushing everything to tomorrow, it won’t help you or anyone else. The Crew Leader Personal Organization Planner has to-do pages built in.
Why Do Handwriting, Speech, and Appearance Matter?
You act like you look. Full stop. If you want to do neat, clean, and professional work, begin with neat, clean, and professional handwriting, speech, and appearance. These are patterns of behavior that affect your work, and you will need them to be promoted to general crew leader or superintendent. Dress for your next promotion. As Mary Quant said, “People like you better without knowing why.”
I once liked a crew leader so much that it overshadowed my impression of his abilities, and we made him a concrete superintendent on a job where I was the project director. After months of support, he kept defaulting to bad habits: not taking notes, escaping to Home Depot, yelling at the crews, and skipping quality checks. I called a general superintendent who knew him, and he said, “Jason, are you surprised? He doesn’t dress properly. His handwriting is poor. His desk is messy, and he’s not well-groomed.” He was right. The man had potential, but he was not ready for the big things because he had not made himself ready for the little things.
| Area | What to do |
|---|---|
| Dress | Choose your look, your armor, and own it. Get clean, sharp-looking blue-collar clothes. You should be able to walk into a meeting in the clothes you wear on site. |
| Speech | You manage people, not things. A crew leader who can’t work with people is like a hairdresser who can’t use scissors. Read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. |
| Handwriting | You use it for instructions, reports, and the Last Planner® System. If yours is poor, write in block capitals and practice one letter at a time. |
A few more tips from the book. Make your first impression good, because it is hard to change. Walk in with good posture, a sincere smile, and a firm handshake. Match your vocabulary to your audience. Listen and fix problems before they grow, and end every interaction with a sincere thank-you. Brandon Montero and I covered more in Dress & Appearance.
What Attitude Does a Crew Leader Need?
Attitude is your state, how you look at things. Nothing will dampen the spirits of a crew like a bad attitude. We are not here to prove we are the best. We are here to work with everyone, share expertise, build better products, and minimize waste. Jeff Moore said, “Having a positive attitude isn’t wishy-washy. It’s a concrete and intelligent way to view problems, challenges, and obstacles.”
Charles R. Swindoll elaborated: “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life… The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day… I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes.”
What Can Band of Brothers Teach Crew Leaders?
In the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, Herbert Sobel was the original leader of Easy Company. He ran the men up Currahee, screamed at and berated them, forbade them to help each other, and canceled weekend passes for petty infractions. Followers will tolerate harsh treatment from a competent leader, but Sobel was seen as incompetent in the field. When he brought Winters up on trumped-up charges, the NCOs mutinied, and Sobel was reassigned. Winters was honest, forward-looking, inspiring, competent, and fair-minded, and he held the respect of his men through the whole war.
How Can a Crew Leader Improve His or Her Attitude?
- Start with optimism. Crews that expect a fight usually get one, so expect good things.
- Think positively. Positivity helps you think creatively, cope with challenges, and work with people, and it reduces absenteeism and turnover.
- Be understanding, and make your intentions for your teammates sincere. Protect them when they aren’t in the room.
- Change the labels people carry, like the hothead or the detailer who never gets it right, by following these points again and again.
- Reflect in your truck on the way to work and on the way home: what you could do better, and what you did right.
- During the day, stop and check what you are thinking. If it is negative, refocus.
- Laugh, especially at yourself. Get healthy and active, because motion boosts morale.
- Surround yourself with positive people, even Pollyanna-ish ones, and practice positive self-talk.
If your attitude needs work, Emotional Range is a good place to keep going.
So here is the challenge. Start tomorrow with your to-do list finished on paper before the day begins. Look at your clothes and your last handwritten note, and ask whether they look like your next promotion. Then pick one area you usually think negatively about and approach it in a positive light for a week.
Bottom line: Keep a to-do list, look and sound like a professional, and choose your attitude, because the little things make you ready for the big things.
If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.
On we go.
Elevating Construction Foremen series:
Previous: Part 4: Who You Associate With, Owning Your Career, and the Habit Loop
Next: Part 6: Health, Energy, Flow, and a Clean Workspace
FAQ
Why should a crew leader keep a to-do list?
Your mind is for having ideas, not for holding them. A list captures everything delegated, thought of, and volunteered for, so you lead instead of firefighting and nothing gets forgotten.
How do you sort a crew leader to-do list?
Use the Eisenhower matrix. Do important and urgent items now in one-piece flow, schedule important items that aren’t urgent, delegate urgent items that aren’t important, and consider deleting the rest.
Why do handwriting, speech, and appearance matter for crew leaders?
You act like you look. Neat, clean, and professional handwriting, speech, and appearance are patterns of behavior that carry into your work, and you need them to be promoted to general crew leader or superintendent.
How can a crew leader improve his or her attitude?
Start with optimism, think positively, be understanding, want your teammates to win, reflect on the drive to and from work, laugh, stay active, and surround yourself with positive people.
People Also Read:
How to Make a Productive To-Do List
Dress & Appearance Feat. Brandon Montero – Workers & Foremen
Coaching – Dress & Appearance – Implementation Series
The Importance of Mindset
If you want to learn more we have:
-Takt Virtual Training: (Takt Virtual Training)
-Check out our YouTube channel for more info: (Elevate Construction on YouTube)
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Elevate Construction Podcast)
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Training Programs and Certifications)
-The Takt Book: (The Takt Book on Amazon)
Discover Jason’s Expertise:
Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction. As the company’s Founder and COO, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.