BONUS – Jake & Jason Lean Series – Winning over the Craft

Building Trust by Seeing the Human First

When I think about winning over the workforce, the first thing that comes to mind isn’t a system or a tool it’s a person. On this project, I learned that leadership begins with genuinely seeing the people around me. I made it a personal goal to learn at least one interesting thing about everyone I interacted with. Sometimes it was whether they had kids, sometimes a hobby, sometimes just a small story from their life. I didn’t need their whole biography I just needed to show that I cared. And what surprised me was how quickly that simple effort opened doors. Respect grew, conversations deepened, and the team began to feel less like a group of workers and more like a community I belonged to.

Storytelling, Recognition, and the Power of Being Seen

I also learned the impact of storytelling. Whether I shared a story about my wife’s fall from a ladder during a safety meeting, or listened to Jason talk about General Patton or William Wallace during our morning huddles, these moments connected us in ways mere instructions never could. People came up afterward to ask questions not because they had to, but because something in the story resonated. Compliments, too, became a powerful tool. Passing along praise from upper management or from the owner lifted spirits instantly. Recognizing someone in front of the entire huddle was one of my favorite things to do. You can actually see a person stand taller when they feel seen. That pride transforms the way they work.

Raising Standards Through Example, Competition, and Honest Conversation

We found that modeling the right behaviors early made all the difference. Our electrician set the tone clean work areas, strong participation, great training, lean ideas, videos the whole package. Their example became the bar everyone else wanted to reach. Competition kicked in naturally, and other trade partners stepped up their game. And when things weren’t going well with a particular crew, we didn’t avoid it. We brought them into the conference room, had honest conversations, showed a clip or two to reinforce expectations, and created a space where everyone could speak freely. These discussions weren’t about blame; they were about alignment. Every time we held firm, people learned that our standards weren’t flexible and that consistency earned their respect.

Creating a Culture People Don’t Want to Leave

The real proof of success came from the workers themselves. In a market where laborers jump from job to job every week, ours kept coming back saying, “Please don’t make us leave. We want to stay here.” They told us the site felt different cleaner, safer, more fun, more respectful. Even subcontractors who hadn’t worked with us had heard about the standards we set and how committed we were to maintaining them. That consistency, even under pressure, created a culture where people felt proud to contribute. One owner described visiting our site as “walking into Disneyland” an environment full of energy, smiles, and respect. I couldn’t have asked for a better compliment.

Key Takeaway

When I focus on respecting people really seeing them, listening to them, recognizing them, and holding everyone to the same consistent standards the culture transforms. And once the culture transforms, the workforce doesn’t just work for me they choose to stay with me.