Differences in Our Bodies, Feat. Kate Schroeder

Posted on September 10, 2025September 10, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 10 min

Merging Men and Women in the Workplace with Compassion

Recently, while in Guadalajara with our team, I had a conversation with Katie that opened my eyes to something I had not thought deeply enough about, the differences between men and women in the workplace. What started as a lighthearted discussion quickly turned into a deeper realization about compassion, individuality, and how we support people on our teams.

Our company runs at a 50-50 ratio of men and women, something I am proud of, but I admit I have often found it difficult to fully understand all the nuances that come with merging men and women in the workplace. Katie had been reading the book Eve, which explores the evolutionary differences between male and female bodies. She shared insights that challenged me to think differently.

One point struck me immediately. Most scientific studies that inform everything from sleep recommendations to medication dosages were conducted on men. As a result, workplace norms are often built around male baselines. For example, men typically need around eight hours of sleep. Women often require more, sometimes up to ten or even eleven hours during certain phases of their cycle. Add to this the time spent on hair, makeup, and childcare responsibilities, and the picture becomes clear. The rhythms of men and women’s lives differ in meaningful ways.

This realization made me ask a bigger question. If our bodies are different, should our work environments reflect that? Not in a way that singles anyone out or invades privacy, but in a way that simply acknowledges reality. Imagine flexible start times, built in opportunities for breaks or naps, or the ability for parents, fathers and mothers alike, to pick up their kids without stress.

Katie made a valuable point in response. She reminded me that what I was really describing was not just a gender issue but a human issue. Men and women alike need flexibility, rest, and compassion. Fathers also benefit from more flexible schedules. Workers of all types have different body rhythms and capacities. Compassion for one person benefits everyone.

That shifted my perspective. At first, I was focused on the biological differences between men and women, but Katie helped me see that those differences should only be a starting point. The bigger truth is that one size fits none. Men are not the same as other men. Women are not the same as other women. Every individual has unique needs, rhythms, and circumstances.

As leaders, our responsibility is not to force everyone into the same mold but to create systems that care for people as individuals. This means asking, “What do you need to thrive?” and being willing to adapt schedules, break times, or work hours to help them succeed.

It is a matter of compassion, and compassion has practical benefits. When you take care of people, they bring greater focus and energy to their work. Something as simple as providing good bathrooms or shaded areas on a jobsite sends a powerful message: you matter. That message translates into commitment, effort, and ultimately, results.

This is especially important in an industry like construction, where traditional culture often values toughness over wellbeing. Katie pointed out that men are suffering most under this system. Construction has alarmingly high suicide rates, overwhelmingly among men. The cultural narrative of “no pain, no gain” and “suck it up” has led many men to push themselves past healthy limits. The burden of being the provider and caregiver, without permission to ask for help or show vulnerability, is burning men out.

It is ironic that it took women joining the conversation for us to finally start taking better care of ourselves. But here we are, and we have the chance to change. If we recognize that no two bodies are the same and build workplaces with compassion and flexibility at the center, we can support both men and women. We can improve retention, reduce burnout, and create environments where people want to stay and grow.

For me, this was a humbling realization. I had gone through much of my career without thinking deeply about what women face in the workplace. For example, how does a woman manage her period in a porta potty on a construction site? I had never considered it. That lack of awareness means I still have a lot to learn, and I am committed to doing better.

The takeaway is simple but profound. Let us not assume that everyone’s experience mirrors our own. Let us not design workplaces based on one size fits all standards. Instead, let us care enough to listen, adapt, and meet people where they are. Because when we do, we do not just improve lives, we elevate the entire industry.

Key Takeaway
One size fits none. The best workplaces recognize individual needs, show compassion, and create systems where both men and women can thrive.

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Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, 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.

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Reference Class Forecasting

Posted on September 10, 2025September 10, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 11 min

Using Reference Classes to Keep Projects on Track

I recently had an eye opening experience during a planning bootcamp we are running in Guadalajara with our team of 35. We had all read the book How Big Things Get Done as pre-work, and it introduced us to the concept of reference classes. This idea has been bouncing around in my mind ever since, and I realized we are not doing nearly enough to leverage it in construction planning.

During the bootcamp, Kate challenged me on this topic, and I am grateful she did. She asked if we had really done enough research for the reference class of our upcoming 58 million dollar project with Lean Build, our first major project under this approach. My instinctive answer was yes, we had looked at similar projects, gathered experience, and thought through a macro plan, a norm, and a backup. But Kate pressed further. Were these projects recent enough? Did they involve Elevate’s influence or were they before our team had refined our systems? Were we accounting for the fact that our trade partners in Phoenix were new to working with us?

Her questions revealed something uncomfortable but true. I had not dug deeply enough into reference classes. I had taken the surface level comfort of having some data but had not critically analyzed whether it was robust enough to forecast our outcomes with confidence.

So what exactly is a reference class? In simple terms, it is a collection of similar past projects used to understand the likely outcomes for the project you are about to start. By studying how much those past projects overran on budget or schedule, you create a realistic dataset for forecasting. Instead of relying on optimism or assuming our project is unique, we ground our promises in evidence.

This matters because as much as we would like to think otherwise, our projects are not special. Nothing in construction is truly unique. Nearly everything we build has been done before, somewhere, in some form. And we almost always have data if we are willing to look for it. The real danger comes when we fall into the trap of wishful thinking, believing our project will magically outperform the average without a proven reason.

Ideally, a reference class includes dozens of similar projects. Fifty is a dream number, but even having 25 projects from your local region provides powerful forecasting insight. Imagine the advantage of walking into a hospital building knowing that historically these projects overrun by 12 percent on schedule and 8 percent on cost. You would then build those expectations into your promise and use your planning tools to actively reduce those risks.

At Elevate, we have already built our systems to accommodate this mindset. Our macro level tact plan serves as the promise, the slowest reasonable speed aligned with contractual milestones. This should be tied directly to the reference class so the owner gets a promise rooted in reality. Then we have a norm level plan, our target, which aims higher by removing risks, increasing flow, and applying lean techniques. Same plan, different speeds. One is the conservative promise. The other is the stretch target that reflects what is possible when the team executes well.

The key is discipline. When building the macro plan, we must resist the temptation to think our project is different. We must not shortcut reality. Reference class data gives us the average, the normal distribution, the baseline. That is what we promise. Then, with lean tools like Last Planner, tact planning, and production control, we can improve upon the baseline and aim for the target.

Of course, this only works if we are actively collecting and storing reference class data. This is where the industry is sorely lacking. Too often, companies say they want to track production rates, but they make it overly complex and try to measure activity by activity. In my experience, that has never worked. What would work is a simple database. For each program type such as hospital, lab, multifamily, or power plant, we record the baseline budget, the baseline schedule, and the actual outcomes. We calculate the variance. Over time, this database becomes our most valuable tool for forecasting.

If we know, for instance, that a certain program type consistently experiences delays in switchgear procurement, we do not just shrug and hope our project will be different. We plan ahead, confront the risk, and take action to prevent it. This is how we respect the data while still striving for better results.

So here is my challenge to you. Start by identifying your own reference classes. What types of projects do you typically build? Gather as much data as possible about past performance. Then, when you plan, separate your promise and your target. Use the reference class to ground your promise, and then use lean techniques to aim for a better target. And above all, do not assume you are unique or exempt. The data tells the story. Our job is to listen and act.

This is the future of reliable planning. If we start collecting and using reference class data, we will stop overpromising, stop underdelivering, and finally build a culture of trust and predictability in construction.

Key Takeaway
Reference classes stop us from making wishful promises. By grounding project plans in real data and then targeting better outcomes with lean methods, we can protect our commitments and still strive for improvement.

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What, When, What For, and What about Crystal Balls

Posted on September 10, 2025September 10, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 10 min

Seeing the Future with Crystal Balls in Construction

I recently finished watching The Rings of Power, and one of the things that struck me was the Palantír, those legendary seeing stones or what we might call crystal balls. They allowed leaders to look into the future, anticipate what was coming, and make decisions accordingly. While that may sound like pure fantasy, the truth is we already have our own version of crystal balls in construction. They are not magical stones but tools, processes, and habits that allow us to see ahead and prepare for what’s coming.

The purpose of a crystal ball is vision. It helps you look into the future, see what could be ahead, and take steps to prepare. In construction, the equivalent is the set of practices, plans, and tools that reveal where risks, opportunities, and needs will arise before they hit you in real time. For superintendents, this might include the production plan, logistics plan, zone maps, weekly work plans, day plans, and field walks. For project managers, crystal balls could be budgets, forecasts, project status reports, procurement logs, or risk and opportunity registers. Each of these is a lens into the future, showing what could go wrong, or right and what actions need to be taken now to influence outcomes later.

But having these crystal balls is not enough. The real question is, when will you use them, what will you look for, and what will you do once you see the future? In The Rings of Power, the queen regent and the king spent time regularly looking into the Palantír. They didn’t just have it; they used it. That’s the model we need to adopt in construction.

Take the six habits of a builder, for example. Studying drawings is one of them. When you sit down to study the drawings, that’s you gazing into your crystal ball. What are you looking for? The next areas of work, the methods of installation, and the potential roadblocks. What do you do with that knowledge? You make sure trade partners are ready, resources are secured, and the path is clear for work to flow.

Another habit is reviewing the production plan daily for 15 to 30 minutes. That’s a crystal ball too. When you look into it, you are searching for what’s coming up and when. What do you do with that? You prepare everyone for upcoming tasks, remove roadblocks, and trigger needed actions early.

Field walks serve the same function. When you walk the site, you are not just observing current conditions. You are looking into the future of how work will progress and where support will be required. Then, you take action by communicating needs, removing barriers, and warning others of potential issues.

The long-term habits are also crystal balls. Pull planning, for instance, allows you to see three months ahead. You confirm sequence, commitments, and alignment with milestones. What do you do with that? You ensure trade buy-in, level work across zones, and build a plan that actually supports flow.

Quality pre-construction meetings are another. Held three weeks before an activity, they are a crystal ball that allows you to preview the expectations, visuals, and standards required to build right the first time. What you do with that knowledge is ensure everyone is aligned, trained, and resourced before starting.

And of course, weekly work planning sessions are crystal balls too. You use them to identify upcoming roadblocks, make work ready, and support trade partners in securing what they need. Then you act immediately to remove barriers before they stall progress.

The challenge is not just to know what your crystal balls are, but to schedule when you will use them, clarify what exactly you are looking for, and predetermine what actions you will take based on what you find. Without this discipline, having the tools is no better than fantasy. They only work if you look into them regularly and act on what you see.

I once worked with a mentor who had me list every possible problem that could be discovered when reviewing project KPIs. The exercise wasn’t just about identifying issues, it was about pairing each issue with a specific action. That is the secret. If you do not know what you will do with the insight your crystal ball provides, then you’re just staring into it without direction.

So here is my challenge. Identify your crystal balls. Schedule the time to use them. Define exactly what you are looking for, leading indicators, not lagging ones. And most importantly, decide in advance what actions you will take when you see problems or opportunities.

Construction may not have magical stones, but we do have tools that can show us the future. Use them, and you will keep your projects flowing, your people prepared, and your outcomes remarkable.

On we go.

Key Takeaway

Crystal balls in construction are not magic, they are your plans, processes, and habits. The key is to use them consistently, look for leading indicators, and act quickly on what you see.

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If They Can’t Wear Safety Glasses, They Can’t Do Anything

Posted on September 10, 2025September 10, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 9 min

Safety Glasses Are a Non-Negotiable

The other day Kevin was out on a project site and found himself in a familiar debate with a superintendent. The pushback sounded like this: “It’s just safety glasses.” But Kevin, with his usual energy and passion, made a powerful point. Not wearing safety glasses is never about comfort or preference. It is a symptom of a deeper problem.

I often hear excuses like “It’s not that big of a deal,” “They’re just workers,” or “That’s their responsibility, not mine.” Sometimes it is framed as, “Jason, you don’t understand what it’s like in our region.” I do understand. What I also understand is that these are simply weak excuses for leaders who are unwilling to do their jobs.

There is not a single project anywhere in the United States where full safety glasses should not be required. This is not about whether eyes are at risk during a specific task. It is about setting and enforcing core values. Safety glasses are to a construction site what core values are to a company: the baseline that identifies who fits and who does not.

If someone cannot or will not wear their safety glasses, there is always an underlying problem. It might be an attitude problem, which has no place on a job site. It might be a memory problem, which makes construction a dangerous environment for them. It might be a training problem, which can and should be fixed. Or it might be a cultural or behavioral issue that needs to be addressed before they can safely work. Whatever the cause, the outcome is the same. If you cannot wear your safety glasses, you are not ready to be on a construction project.

I grew up watching carpenters who wore heavy tool bags, understood complex plans in their heads, and executed their craft with skill. They wore their harnesses every day, had their lanyards inspected, wore full PPE, and often worked in extreme conditions. These were superhuman people doing extraordinary things. Against that backdrop, hearing complaints about something as simple as wearing safety glasses feels ridiculous.

And let’s debunk the common objections. “I can’t see through my glasses.” The answer is simple: put them on, take them off, it’s the same. If they fog, get defogging wipes. These aren’t unsolvable problems. When someone argues about safety glasses, it is not about logic, it is about emotion. They simply do not want to wear them, and they try to justify it after the fact.

Think about what powerful litmus test safety glasses provide. If a worker refuses to wear them, in thirty minutes you will likely find them without fall protection, standing on top of a ladder, or exposed at a leading edge without guardrails. The same mindset that refuses basic eye protection will inevitably lead to bigger and more dangerous risks. Safety glasses are not just about protecting eyes. They are a visible, measurable indicator of whether a worker has the attitude, training, and commitment required to stay safe on site.

I once came across a Hensel Phelps quote that I love so much I made it into a decal for my truck. It said, “There is no job or duty so urgent and important that it cannot be done the safe way.” That principle is timeless. Leaders must hold the line. Allowing someone to work without safety glasses signals that safety is negotiable, and once you compromise in one area, the entire culture erodes.

This is not about discarding people. If the issue is skill, we train. If it is, we give them the chance to adjust. But until they are ready, they are not safe to work on the project. Leaders cannot afford to spend endless time cajoling and persuading when hundreds of people need supervision. The standard must be clear and enforced.

The truth is simple. How people do small things is how they do big things. If someone will not wear their safety glasses, they will not be safe in anything else. Make safety glasses mandatory. Enforce it without exception. And recognize that something so simple is the most powerful tool you have to protect lives and elevate the culture of safety in construction.

On we go.

Key Takeaway

If someone refuses to wear safety glasses, it reveals a deeper issue. How people handle small things is how they handle big things, and safety cannot be compromised.

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Manliness in Construction, Feat. Brandon Montero

Posted on September 10, 2025September 10, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 7 min

Getting Rid of the Tough Exterior in Construction

In construction, there has long been a culture of toughness, one where showing emotion is seen as weakness. Brandon Montero and I sat down in Guadalajara after a boot camp to talk about that very mindset and the damage it does to people and our industry.

Brandon shared a story from training about someone in an OAC meeting who started to show signs of emotion under pressure. Instead of offering support, the superintendent pulled him aside and said, “If you can’t grow a thicker skin, then this industry probably isn’t for you.” Hearing this made my blood boil. That mindset is not leadership. It is a dismissal.

We have to be human beings in this industry. People cuss, meetings get heated, emotions run high. But instead of telling people to get out if they cannot take it, leaders should be asking how they can create better environments, how they can protect and support their people, and how they can bring harmony to a workplace that too often normalizes aggression.

Construction today is not just a place for hard exteriors and so-called grit. It is a place for diverse people with different strengths, backgrounds, and ways of working. If our only standard is “be tough or leave,” we exclude talented people who could thrive if given support. Leaders should not be adding to the belittling but instead creating environments where individuals can be their authentic selves.

We talked about the false sayings that often float around construction like real men do not cry, suck it up, pain is weakness leaving the body, or complaining is for the weak. These phrases are toxic. They are lazy substitutes for true leadership. They create environments where people shut down instead of speaking up, where fear overshadows vulnerability, and where inclusion and empathy are replaced by bravado.

True strength is not about how much emotion you can hide. It is about how much authenticity you can bring. Vulnerability is not weakness. It is one of the most powerful tools a leader can have. Looking back on my own career, the one thing I wish I had embraced earlier was vulnerability. Instead of masking concern with threats or anger, I could have said, “I am worried about this and I need your help.” That simple act of honesty builds trust, strengthens teams, and creates space for people to show up as their whole selves.

Brandon put it perfectly. Vulnerability means being confident enough to be transparent and honest, to let others see the real person behind the exterior. It does not diminish strength, it proves it. And when leaders model that behavior, they give others permission to do the same.

If we want to elevate construction, we must let go of the false toughness that has been passed down for generations. We must replace it with empathy, inclusion, and vulnerability. We must stop tolerating toxic behavior and start protecting people. If we continue clinging to the outdated idea that only the toughest survive, we will push away the very people who could transform our industry for the better.

Key Takeaway
Construction does not need more hard exteriors or empty toughness. It needs leaders willing to show vulnerability, create supportive environments, and replace toxic sayings with genuine care and empathy. True strength is protecting people, not tearing them down.

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Prepare Your Kit

Posted on September 10, 2025September 10, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 10 min

The Power of Kitting: Unlocking Flow in Construction

In construction, we talk a lot about flow, efficiency, and removing waste. Eli Goldratt’s work has influenced much of this thinking, and his daughter Efrat Goldratt has expanded on it in her book The Rules of Flow. One concept that stood out to me while reflecting on her work is kitting. While kitting may seem simple or even familiar, it has profound implications for how we prepare, plan, and execute in construction.

Most people already understand kitting in some form. We know the IKEA experience of opening a box that contains all the pieces and instructions needed to assemble a piece of furniture. We also see it in prefabrication or room kitting, where materials and tools are bundled together so a crew can complete a task without stopping to search for missing items. But Goldratt’s insight took it further: kitting is not just for materials. It can apply to almost anything.

A personal story helped me connect this idea more deeply. Recently, I started playing Minecraft with my kids. At first, I did not understand the game. It looked like blocks and random buildings. But my son wrote out an entire eight-page guide detailing how he wanted us to play together, and my heart melted. That is when I jumped in with him. Soon I found myself becoming a parent not only in real life but also in Minecraft. I gathered resources, built houses, farms, and even storage chests. I set up everything they needed so that when they logged on, they could focus on the fun part of the game rather than running around hunting for supplies.

Then it hit me. I realized I was creating kits for them. I labeled steps with signs, put the necessary items in chests, and laid everything out so they could jump right into their mission. If they wanted to build a skeleton farm or explore an underwater monument, all the tools, resources, and instructions were waiting for them. My preparation unlocked their ability to play and have fun without frustration. That is exactly what kitting does in construction.

When Kate and I talked about this in the context of The Rules of Flow, we connected it back to our work with project teams. In lean planning, we often meet weekly with superintendents, project managers, and trade partners to align on short interval planning, pull plans, and weekly work plans. Sometimes teams struggle because the preparation feels overwhelming. Kate suggested a different approach: what if we kitted the planning sessions? What if, before coming back for the next session, we had gathered everything needed—updated pull plans, RFIs answered, material statuses confirmed, and constraints identified?

Think about what that would mean. Instead of wasting half the meeting chasing missing information, the team would walk into a fully prepared environment. Everything they need would be in place, like the chest of items in Minecraft or the IKEA box of parts. The kit itself would serve as the gatekeeper. Until the kit is complete, you do not move forward. That discipline ensures flow and eliminates the wasted time and frustration of showing up unprepared.

This principle applies far beyond planning meetings. It applies to field work, leadership meetings, training sessions, and even personal tasks. A crew should never start work until their kit is complete, meaning materials, tools, and information are all ready. A leadership team should not hold a meeting until they have the data, decisions, and updates they need. Trainers should not begin until participants have all the materials in hand. And on a personal level, none of us should start a task until we have prepared the environment for success.

The consequences of skipping this step are real. Without a complete kit, we end up searching, improvising, or waiting. Waste multiplies, flow breaks down, and unevenness spreads through the system. People feel rushed and overburdened. Kitting prevents all of this by ensuring that every step begins with clarity, preparation, and readiness.

What makes this even more powerful is how it ties into one piece flow. When we complete a step fully, we can prepare the kit for the next step. The process becomes smooth and predictable because each gate only opens when the kit is ready. This mindset changes the way we view preparation. It is not an afterthought or extra work. It is work.

Kitting may seem like a simple idea, but it is transformational when applied consistently. It allows teams to start strong, stay in flow, and reduce wasted effort. It prevents the scramble of missing items, unanswered questions, and chaotic meetings. Most importantly, it respects people’s time and energy by setting them up for success before they even begin.

When I look at my kids diving into their Minecraft missions with everything prepared for them, I see joy, focus, and momentum. That same feeling is possible in construction if we embrace the discipline of kitting. Before you start the next task, meeting, or project, ask yourself: do we have our kit? If not, wait until you do. The kit is the key that unlocks the gate to flow.

Key Takeaway
Kitting is more than gathering materials. It is the discipline of preparing everything needed before starting any step. When teams adopt kitting, they eliminate waste, unlock flow, and set themselves up for success from the start.

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The 8 Wastes of Starting Lean

Posted on September 9, 2025September 9, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 11 min

The Eight Ways of Starting Lean

Lean construction is built on timeless principles that help us eliminate waste, increase flow, and respect the people who make projects possible. We often reference the eight wastes of lean: overproduction, excess inventory, transportation, defects, over-processing, waiting, unused talent, and unnecessary motion. These wastes are powerful to learn and apply, but I have come to realize that before teams even get to practicing lean, they face other barriers that keep them from starting.

These are what I call the eight ways of starting lean. They are not meant to replace the traditional eight wastes. Instead, they are obstacles that block the very beginning of the lean journey. If we do not address them, no amount of sticky notes, pull planning sessions, or improvement videos will get traction.

I first shared this idea on LinkedIn, and it resonated with thousands of people. The conversation showed me that the industry is ready to talk about what really gets in the way of continuous improvement. Some critics pushed back, saying we should not alter or expand the sacred lists of lean. But in my mind, that is the opposite of lean thinking. Lean is about adapting, innovating, and tailoring systems to meet the unique needs of teams and projects. If we refuse to grow and evolve, we risk turning lean into the same rigid bureaucracy it was designed to disrupt.

So here they are: the eight ways of starting lean.

Ignorance
Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is projects delivered late, families missing time with loved ones, injuries on jobsites, and frustration on teams. Too many people in leadership positions proudly state that they have not read a book in decades or that they do not need training. Would you trust a doctor who bragged about not studying since medical school? Construction leaders carry the same responsibility for human lives, and ignorance is unacceptable. Continuous learning is the antidote.

Fixed mindsets
Fixed mindsets can appear in anyone, even lean consultants. Learning one tool or method and then clinging to it forever is a dangerous trap. Some people learn pull planning and suddenly declare themselves lean experts. But lean is much more than sticky notes on a wall. True lean thinking requires constant growth, questioning, and humility. If you believe you already know it all, you have stopped learning and therefore stopped being lean.

Racism and sexism
Lean cannot thrive in toxic soil. Racism and sexism are destructive to human potential and collaboration. If you believe certain people are less capable because of their gender or race, you are not only harming individuals but also blocking the possibility of team unity and respect for people, which are cornerstones of lean. This is a simple litmus test: if you cannot treat others as equals, you are nowhere near ready to implement lean.

Unchecked egos
Ego is often the loudest barrier to improvement. The ego wants significance, recognition, and comfort. It resists change because change threatens identity. It creates excuses about time, relevance, and certainty. True progress requires presence and humility. Lean can only take root when the ego is set aside and leaders open themselves to learning, listening, and adapting.

Procrastination
Procrastination convinces us to delay improvement until later, when conditions are perfect or when we have more information. But there is never a perfect time. Imagine a carpenter refusing to adopt a better way of cutting wood until next month. That would be absurd. The right time to improve is always now. Continuous improvement is not a scheduled event. It is a way of life.

Lack of discipline
Some teams believe lean will implement itself with little effort. They expect culture to shift by mere mention of the word or by a single workshop. That is not how change works. Lean requires discipline, consistency, and resilience. It demands leaders who model the behaviors, push through resistance, and stay the course long enough for the system to take hold. Without discipline, lean becomes just another buzzword.

Poor time management
This one is critical. Many people say they are too busy to improve. They chase emails, jump from fire to fire, and stay late at the office. In reality, poor personal organization and lack of capacity prevent them from focusing on what matters most. Lean requires time to reflect, to learn, and to plan. Without mastering time management, teams will never create the space needed for improvement.

Blaming others
Perhaps the most destructive of all is the habit of blaming others. Leaders say trades do not care anymore, workers have no work ethic, or young people are lazy. The truth is that this complaint has been around for centuries. Records from the 1930s, the 1950s, and every decade since show people making the same claim that “nobody wants to work anymore.” It is a lazy excuse that distracts from real accountability. In reality, most trades and workers are highly skilled and motivated, often in spite of the poor systems they are forced to work in. Leaders must take extreme ownership instead of pointing fingers.

When we face these eight ways of starting lean, we prepare ourselves and our teams to adopt the traditional lean principles with clarity and commitment. It is not enough to know the eight wastes. We must also remove the barriers that prevent us from even beginning. Ignorance, fixed mindsets, racism and sexism, unchecked egos, procrastination, lack of discipline, poor time management, and blaming others must be addressed head-on.

Lean is not frozen in time. It is alive, growing, and adaptable. If we want our industry to thrive, we must be willing to evolve and innovate. That is the true spirit of learning.

Key Takeaway
Starting lean requires more than understanding the eight wastes. It demands that we confront the human and cultural barriers that keep us from even beginning. By overcoming ignorance, fixed mindsets, ego, and blame, we create the space for lean principles to take root and transform our projects.

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Goldratt’s Rules of Flow

Posted on September 9, 2025September 9, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 10 min

Today I want to share something that has transformed the way I look at projects: the rules of flow. These rules come from Eliyahu Goldratt’s work, and they are as relevant to construction as they are to manufacturing or any other complex system. They focus on fixing real problems, eliminating waste, and ensuring that people and resources are used in the most effective way possible.

The first rule is to avoid bad multitasking and control your work in the process. On a project site, it is tempting to chase every open area or jump on every opportunity to get something done. But spreading crews across too many tasks at once eats up capacity. Equipment like forklifts, cranes, and hoists get overused, management attention gets diluted, and the team loses focus. Even if it looks like progress on the surface, it creates hidden waste. The discipline is to stay focused on what is truly needed, limit work in process, and protect the flow.

The second rule is to verify the full kit before starting. You would not expect a craftsman to begin work without their tools, materials, and information. Yet in construction, crews are often mobilized without everything they need. This leads to delays, frustration, and rework. Full kit readiness means ensuring that information, approvals, layout, and materials are all in place before work begins. Like a Minecraft chest that has every item needed to build, a complete kit is the key that unlocks flow.

The third rule is triage to ensure the right priorities. In healthcare, triage means treating the most critical patients first so the hospital does not collapse under its workload. On a jobsite, triage means focusing on the most urgent bottlenecks rather than spreading energy evenly. The bottleneck defines the pace of the project. If you resolve that constraint, everything else improves. Leaders must be willing to make tough calls, assign resources wisely, and focus on the priorities that truly drive outcomes.

The fourth rule is to ensure synchronization between tasks, people, and resources. Construction is a team sport, and it rarely goes smoothly when departments or trades operate in isolation. Synchronization means aligning the work of multiple groups so that handoffs happen cleanly and the overall system moves forward together. Sometimes this requires shifting people away from one area even if it slows local progress, because the bigger priority is optimizing the whole. A jobsite where everyone works at 100 percent capacity without coordination is far less effective than one where resources are balanced in service of overall flow.

The fifth rule is to increase the dosage when problems repeat. In construction, we often treat symptoms rather than causes. If the same issue arises over and over, adding more temporary fixes only hides the waste. Increasing the dosage means committing more effort to preplanning, preparation, and problem solving. Instead of sending crews to clean up messes or work overtime, invest the time and focus upfront to prevent those issues from recurring.

The sixth rule is to avoid unnecessary rework by finding and addressing the root cause. Every time rework happens, it drains resources and morale. Leaders must resist the urge to patch problems quickly and instead step back to ask why they occurred. Root cause analysis allows us to eliminate the underlying issue and protect future flow.

The seventh rule is to standardize when improvising is costly. While flexibility is sometimes useful, too much improvisation introduces chaos. Standardization stabilizes processes, creates consistency, and lays the foundation for continuous improvement. As Charlie Dunn often says, improvement is the house that standardization built. A stable environment gives people confidence and makes innovation sustainable.

The eighth rule is to abolish local optimization and focus on global optimization. Suboptimization happens when departments or trades try to maximize their own efficiency without regard to the overall system. It may feel productive in the moment, but it harms the project as a whole. Global optimization means directing resources to bottlenecks, aligning with overall priorities, and judging success by the flow of the entire project rather than individual output.

When I look back at my own career, every major breakthrough I experienced in construction tied back to understanding flow. From learning at the Bioscience Research Laboratory to reading Goldratt’s The Goal, these principles have consistently reshaped the way I see projects. They cut through complexity and simplify the focus: avoid distractions, prepare fully, prioritize wisely, synchronize efforts, eliminate root causes, standardize where it counts, and always optimize for the whole.

Construction does not have to be a struggle against chaos. By applying the rules of flow, we can build projects that are more efficient, safer, and more rewarding for everyone involved. These rules are not theoretical. They work on real jobs, with real people, and they deliver real results.

Key Takeaway

Flow in construction is created by focus, readiness, and alignment. When we stop multitasking, prioritize bottlenecks, and optimize the whole, projects move faster and smoother.

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CPM is a Poison That Ruins Everything

Posted on September 9, 2025September 9, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 9 min

I want to talk today about something that I believe is deeply damaging to our industry: advocating for systems that hurt people. Specifically, I am talking about CPM scheduling. At first glance, it may look like an effective tool, but when you peel back the layers, it becomes clear that it exploits workers, creates waste, and fuels many of the problems that plague construction today.

I did not come to this conclusion lightly. I started out as a worker and a field engineer. I even played a role in hurting my father-in-law’s company by unfairly treating trade partners, and that realization hit me hard. I saw firsthand how systems can crush people, and that is when I made the commitment to change course. The truth is, CPM has been normalized in construction, but normalization does not equal right. Just because it is common practice does not mean it is acceptable.

Some argue that the system is fine and it is people who misuse it. I fundamentally disagree. Saying the system is perfect, but people are the problem, is an excuse. People are not inherently broken. People adapt to the systems they are placed in, and when the system is destructive, destructive outcomes follow. You cannot blame workers for failing inside of a broken process.

Let me compare this to a broader point. There are those who believe human beings are inherently evil, pointing to children bullying each other in preschool as proof. But what really happens in preschool? Kids are placed in a confined environment with limited resources, away from their parents, and expected to navigate complex social hierarchies. They learn behaviors from adults who model taking, controlling, or forcing their way through situations. The problem is not the child’s nature, it is the environment. The same principle applies in construction: if you create scarcity, pressure, and unrealistic expectations, people will react in ways that look negative, but really they are just trying to survive.

This is why I say CPM is not a neutral tool. It is destructive by design. It locks teams into baselines that ignore real-world dynamics. It forces recovery plans that mean trade partners must work unsafe hours, stack crews, or burn out their people. It creates environments where rework, material waste, and inefficiencies multiply. And when you zoom out, you realize it fuels the very mental health crises our industry struggles with, including high rates of depression and suicide.

If you think that is dramatic, let me draw a stronger comparison. I once looked at how cartels operate, and while the severity is different, the conceptual similarities are alarming. Cartels thrive on addiction, exploitation, corruption, intimidation, and violence. CPM, in its own way, feeds similar cycles. It becomes addictive to rely on schedules that look precise on paper but fail in practice. It exploits workers through unrealistic demands. It fuels corruption when owners and lawyers weaponize schedules to withhold payment or shift blame. It creates intimidation in OAC meetings where trade partners are grilled against an impossible baseline. And it leaves destruction in its wake when projects pile up waste, burnout, and mistrust.

The point is not that CPM is equal to organized crime, it is that advocating for CPM while knowing its consequences is perpetuating harm. Leaders in construction have a responsibility to stop supporting systems that damage people. Saying you will change it from within is not good enough if the foundation is already broken.

If you are a leader, it is your job to examine the systems you run. Look at the process, the culture, and the behaviors they drive. Do not fall into the trap of blaming people. When workers, foremen, and trade partners are exhausted, unsafe, and demoralized, the root cause is the system, not their character.

I know I am being direct here, maybe even blunt. But I believe this matters too much to water it down. You can have a blog, a career, or even an entire consulting business built on CPM. That does not make it right. That does not make it harmless. It is wrong, and we need to stop normalizing it.

As an industry, we can and must build systems that respect people, elevate human nature, and enable better outcomes. We must hold ourselves accountable to choose approaches that heal rather than harm. I am calling on you, as a builder and as a leader, to refuse to advocate for systems that are destructive, no matter how common they are. We owe it to our people, our industry, and our future.

Key Takeaway

Systems, not people, are the problem. Leaders must stop advocating harmful methods like CPM and instead build processes that protect workers and elevate the industry.

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Random Topics

Posted on September 9, 2025September 9, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 10 min

In leadership and construction, the way we focus our attention can either build a culture of excellence or quietly destroy it. Over time, I have noticed that success comes when we choose to highlight and reward the right people, set a standard for fairness, and embrace the challenges that make our work meaningful.

One of the most important concepts I have learned is to make winners famous. In any organization, you usually have three groups of people. The top third are highly engaged and committed, the middle third are somewhere in between, and the bottom third are resistant or negative. Too often, leaders spend most of their energy trying to fix problems in the bottom group, but this creates the wrong incentive. When you reward negativity with attention, human nature encourages others to drift in that direction.

The opposite is also true. When leaders focus on their best performers and most bought-in team members, others begin to strive toward that level of excellence. What you measure and reward is what people will naturally become. If you want a culture of winners, you must reward your winners.

Making winners famous does not mean overworking them or assigning them to fix every problem on every struggling project. That is a quick way to burn out your strongest people and dilute their impact. Instead, give them the best opportunities, invest in their training, and create an environment where they can shine. Care for them by listening to their input, involving them in meaningful decisions, and ensuring they feel valued. Most importantly, give them recognition and visibility. Highlight them in meetings, celebrate their achievements publicly, and create opportunities for them to share their success with others.

When you make your top performers the standard, the rest of the organization sees what is possible. Jealousy may appear at first, but eventually people realize that tearing others down will not elevate them. The only way forward is to rise to the level of the best. This creates a culture where everyone is striving to improve.

Another concept that has been on my mind is how power and privilege can lead to abuse if not managed carefully. The bigger you get, the easier it becomes to take advantage of others. I see this often in the construction industry with large general contractors. Their size gives them influence and privilege, but too frequently, that privilege is used in ways that harm trade partners. For example, I once worked with a large contractor that took nine months to pay a simple invoice. When a company grows and knows that people need them, the temptation is to leverage that position unfairly.

This principle extends beyond business. On a personal level, I have noticed similar patterns in everyday life. For instance, I often see privilege in action during small moments like traveling. As a white male, I experience situations where I am treated differently than others around me. Security checks are shorter, scrutiny is less, and space is often assumed rather than negotiated. These may seem like small things, but they reveal how unearned privilege can shape behavior and expectations. The point is not to punish people for privilege but to recognize that with it comes a responsibility to treat others fairly and respectfully.

The same applies to large construction firms. Size and influence should not be an excuse for abuse. Instead, they should carry the responsibility of setting the standard for fairness, respect, and timely collaboration. Being bigger should mean being more considerate, not less. Leaders and companies alike should be mindful of the space they take up, the influence they wield, and the way they treat others who may not have the same advantages.

Finally, I want to address the idea that lean methods or tact planning are too hard. I hear this complaint often, but I challenge that mindset. Nothing worthwhile has ever been achieved by choosing what is easy. The reason construction planning systems like tact or lean feel difficult is because they demand discipline, commitment, and change. Yet it is exactly this difficulty that makes them valuable. Growth, progress, and excellence are not found in what is comfortable but in what stretches us.

Think about it: would you be excited to go to work every day if it were just easy and predictable? Probably not. It is the challenge that makes the work fulfilling. The obstacles and complexities of construction are what give us the chance to learn, adapt, and ultimately achieve something remarkable.

If we want to elevate our industry, we must embrace this truth. Make your winners famous, recognize and manage the responsibility that comes with privilege, and lean into the difficult systems that create flow and clarity. Success is not about doing what is easiest, it is about doing what is right and meaningful.

Key Takeaway

Focus on celebrating top performers, use privilege responsibly, and embrace the challenges of lean systems because growth only happens when we rise to meet what is hard.

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