I believe we are on our computers way too much, and that the answer is to go to the Gemba. This is a very impactful point for me, so if I do not explain it perfectly, please give me some grace. It came out of a hard experience, and then I saw the same thing on jobsites around the world.
Short answer: Go to the Gemba, because most of us are on our computers way too much. Being behind a screen is addictive, like a video game, and it feels like work. Meanwhile, procurement logs are not done, schedules are not on the wall, and trades are waiting in the field. Use computers only for what you absolutely need, design your systems so you can be present, and lead where the work happens.
A Hard Night at the Animal Emergency Room
My daughter brought home guinea pigs from a teacher who could not care for them anymore. One of them, Olivia, became my guinea pig. She was really my daughter’s, but every day when I got home, the kids would bring her to me because they knew how much joy she brought me. We would let the guinea pigs eat grass in the yard inside a safe cage. Then a dog broke in. I fought it off, but it attacked them.
I took the two that survived the attack to the animal emergency room. I signed everything and said I did not care what it cost. They put the guinea pigs in an incubator for oxygen and warmth. Then, for about 30 minutes, the nurses were on their computers while I was the one opening the incubator to hold Olivia and comfort her. Later that night, I got the call that they would have to put her down.
I am thankful for the nurses, and it was not their fault. It was my fault for not finding a way to keep that dog out of our yard. But it made me start paying attention to how much time people spend on computers instead of with the people and the work in front of them.
What I See in Construction Offices
Then I started traveling, and I walked into a construction office where everybody was on their computers. And yet:
- The procurement log was not done.
- The schedule was not up on the wall.
- The trades did not have what they needed.
- People out in the field were waiting on deliveries.
Everyone looked busy. But the real work was not getting done.
Is Time on the Computer Real Work?
Not always. That night turned into a conviction: we are too addicted to computers. We are off messing around doing things because it is addictive. It is addictive to be behind the screen. It is addictive to send emails. Having a computer is like playing a video game.
I do not want to be one of those people who says stay away from the internet and new things. But we are on our computers too much. We need to get out in the field and do real things. Project managers, project engineers, field engineers, and superintendents should be actually leading and having real conversations, instead of playing the construction version of video games on their computers.
What a Leader Without a Computer Got Done
Then I went to Budapest, Hungary. The senior construction leader I was meeting with had left his computer back at his main office. He was with us the entire time, focused on the work, and we got so much real work done. In two days, he got far more done than a person on a computer would get done in weeks.
| Behind the screen | At the Gemba |
|---|---|
| Looks busy | Gets real work done |
| Emails and logs pile up while the field waits | Problems get seen and solved with the people doing the work |
| Feels productive, like a video game | Present, focused, and leading |
How Do You Go to the Gemba More Often?
Yes, we need computers. I have a computer. But I also know where I am supposed to be. I have designed my systems so that when I am with someone, out on a walk, or doing something real, I am there and I am present.
Use computers, phones, and iPads only for what they are absolutely needed for, and then actually go to the Gemba. Monthly field walks are one way to build that habit into the whole company. Our jobsites will be a lot better for it.
So here is the challenge. Look at how you spent your last week. How much of it was behind a screen, and how much was out where the work happens? Take this for what it is worth, look at it for yourself, and see if I am right.
Bottom line: Use computers for what you absolutely need, and then go to the Gemba, be present, and lead.
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.
FAQ
What does it mean to go to the Gemba?
It means going to where the work actually happens, the jobsite, and being present with the people doing the work, instead of managing from behind a screen.
Are construction leaders on their computers too much?
I believe so. Being behind a screen is addictive and looks busy, but procurement logs, schedules, and deliveries still fall behind while the field waits.
Should construction teams stop using computers?
No. We need computers, and I have one. Use them for what you absolutely need, and design your systems so you are present when you are with people or out in the field.
What happened when a leader left his computer behind?
In Budapest, a senior construction leader left his computer at his main office, stayed with us the entire time, and got far more real work done in two days.
People Also Read:
The Construction Gemba Walk Route Map
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