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How to Disagree Effectively

Posted on August 8, 2025August 8, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 8 min

How to Disagree Well: Principles for Effective Disagreement in Construction

Today, I want to talk about an important topic that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves how to disagree well or effectively.

Disagreement is inevitable in any business, especially construction, where so many moving parts and personalities intersect. But there’s a right way to do it that helps keep relationships strong and conversations productive.

The Builder’s Code on Planning and Communication

One of my favorite quotes recently says:

Doing strategic and tactical planning but not getting it all the way to the worker is like swimming across a mile-wide channel and drowning five feet from shore.

This reminds us that our plans only matter if the workers and foremen on the ground can understand and act on them daily with full clarity.

A Listener’s Feedback and My Journey

I received some amazing feedback from a site manager in Australia who has been following my work for years. They shared how practical advice from my books and workshops helped improve their site conditions, from porta potties to break areas. Hearing that validates the mission and motivates me to keep improving.

On that note, I’m working hard on my next book, which might even be a multi-volume project given the amount of content. The process is humbling and exciting especially with AI tools helping me organize everything.

Effective Disagreement: Why It Matters

I don’t believe there’s a single “right” way to disagree. Different people have different communication styles, whether neurotypical or neurodivergent, and that’s beautiful. But from a practical standpoint, disagreeing well is a skill that can be learned and sharpened.

I found a helpful guide online by Will Matigue (credit to him) outlining 10 scripts for disagreeing without burning bridges. Here are some highlights comparing less effective vs. more effective ways to disagree:

Less Effective	More Effective
You always/never…	I’ve noticed recently…
You made me feel…	When you did X, I felt Y…
We need to talk	Can we talk about something on my mind?
What’s your problem?	What concerns you most about this?
Here are my issues	My goal is to find a solution together
That’s not my fault	Let me explain my part and take ownership
Let’s resolve this now	Could we discuss this tomorrow after reflecting?
Look, you have to admit…	We both want the same outcome, right?
Let’s see how it goes	Let’s agree on next steps

Why These Differences Matter

Approaching disagreement with empathy and clarity reduces the chance of triggering ego-driven defenses. It invites collaboration rather than confrontation. It’s about taking ownership, acknowledging concerns, and focusing on shared goals. Personally, as a business owner juggling many responsibilities and an incredibly diverse family, I receive a lot of feedback sometimes critical. Learning how to receive and respond thoughtfully has been crucial to sustaining my energy and relationships.

Final Thoughts

Disagreeing is a natural part of work and life. It can even be a sign of healthy engagement. But doing it effectively without burning bridges or shutting down communication requires intentional practice.

So next time you find yourself in a disagreement, try to use these scripts and approaches. Be curious, take ownership, focus on solutions, and remember that the goal is progress, not winning.

Key Takeaway:

Effective disagreement is not about winning it’s about communicating with respect, clarity, and purpose. In construction and beyond, the ability to disagree well fosters stronger teams, better collaboration, and more thoughtful problem-solving. By using language grounded in observation, emotion, ownership, and shared goals, leaders can navigate conflict without damaging relationships ultimately driving progress and unity across the team.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our Youtube channel for more info: (Click here)
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here)
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

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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Comfortable in Detail, & Less so with the Art Form

Posted on August 8, 2025August 8, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 9 min

Getting Comfortable in the Detail and the Art of Construction Planning

I hope you’re doing well and staying safe out there. I want to start by sharing a quick personal story. Recently, I took a couple of days to visit a lake house with my family. It was a perfect trip great weather, no breakdowns with the boat or trailer, and the kids enjoyed snorkeling for hours. It reminded me of the importance of appreciating smooth moments when everything just works as planned.

But back to construction, where things aren’t always so smooth. Let’s jump into a core concept I want to explore today, being comfortable in the detail and more importantly, balancing that with being comfortable in the art form of construction planning.

The Builder’s Code: Supervision Is Mostly Execution

One of my favorite quotes that guides me is about the role of supervision: the actual giving of orders represents only about 10% of your responsibility. The other 90% is personal supervision being on the ground to ensure proper and vigorous execution.

That sets the tone for what we want to focus on.

Feedback from the Field: Embracing AI

A listener from Australia asked about the use of AI tools like ChatGPT to improve productivity in construction roles. Honestly, AI is already a huge part of my day. I use it for everything from writing books, responding to comments, sequencing tact plans, to business decision research.

We’ve even brought in an AI consultant to help automate summaries and KPIs from project data, and soon, we’ll be teaching AI to identify proper sequences directly from drawings. The takeaway? Don’t fear AI. Jump in and embrace it this technology is here to stay and will dramatically change how we work.

The Challenge: Comfort in Detail vs. The Art Form

Here’s where it gets interesting. There was an old superintendent who submitted extremely detailed schedules some as long as 120 pages with thousands of activities down to trivial tasks like moving trash cans. The owner liked it because it was detailed, so it must be good, right?

Not quite.

One of the biggest problems with traditional CPM scheduling is that the overwhelming detail creates an illusion of control but can actually cause wasted time and inefficiencies. When schedules batch work into large chunks, they mask the true flow of production and lead to wasted weeks or months.

The trap? Getting too comfortable in the detail and less comfortable in the art form of strategic planning.

What Is the Art Form?

The art form means understanding enough about the project’s sequence, zoning, and interdependencies to create a macro-level plan that sets the right overall milestones and durations. It means strategically planning phase by phase, then pulling detailed plans only when you’re close to execution, involving the real builders in the process.

This approach avoids the pitfalls of overburdening the team with premature detailed pull plans and allows the project team to focus on strategy first.

Why This Matters

Trying to detail everything upfront leads to stress, lost focus on the big picture, and often poor outcomes. But leaning into the art form, knowing when to zoom out for strategy and when to zoom in for execution, is a skill and yes, an art that every construction leader should cultivate.

When schedulers try to put everything in CPM schedules thinking that detail equals control, they’re fooling themselves. There’s no way to predict all details that far in advance. Instead, get comfortable with doing the right things at the right time.

Final Thought

Stop being neurotic about chasing every detail too early. Trust the process, lean into strategic planning, and develop confidence in the art of construction sequencing. When you do, your projects will run smoother and your teams will be more effective.

Key Takeaway

Mastering construction planning means balancing detail with strategy being comfortable not just in the specifics but also in the art of sequencing and timing. Embrace macro level planning early and reserve detailed pull plans for when they truly add value. This balance leads to smarter schedules, less wasted effort, and better project outcomes.

If you want to learn more we have:

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On we go

If You Trained Someone, It Was Worth It

Posted on August 8, 2025August 8, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 8 min

Experience Is What You Get When You Didn’t Get What You Wanted

In the construction industry, we’re often faced with challenges that don’t go as planned projects get canceled, teams shift direction, and outcomes sometimes fall short of expectations. But one powerful way to reframe these setbacks is to remember that experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.

Keeping Leaders Close to the Field

One principle I always emphasize is keeping command posts and leadership as close to the frontline work as possible. The less time leaders spend traveling back and forth from the office to the field, the more efficiently they can supervise, plan, and support the team.

For years, I’ve dreamed of having a compact, mobile command post a mini office rigged with internet, printer, and everything needed to plan on-site and be right where the work happens. I never quite pulled it off, but I admired those who did, like Brent Elliott at DPR Construction, who could oversee basement construction from his plan desk under an umbrella. That kind of leadership proximity helps teams stay connected and projects move faster.

Handling Complex Production Planning

One listener shared a common challenge: managing ductwork that runs transverse to other trades across multiple areas of a build. Their question was how to accurately plan durations when ductwork spans several zones.

Here are a few approaches:

Assign multiple wagons (teams) for the mechanical work, giving more time overall.
Extend durations for the ductwork to accommodate its cross zonal nature.
My preferred method: ask the mechanical team to fabricate and phase their spools according to the defined zones (A, B, C, D), then schedule accordingly.

Mechanical contractors often prefer to work in a certain sequence out of convenience, but sometimes this mindset slows overall progress. In construction, flexibility is key. For example, civil contractors sometimes insist on installing sewer lines starting from a connection point, but this isn’t always necessary. Projects like bridges and tunnels are built from multiple access points simultaneously.

If a trade resists adapting to the flow of the broader team, it can cause sub optimization where one contractor’s convenience harms overall progress. Lean construction principles focus on optimizing the whole project, not just one trade’s preferences.

Embracing Experience Through Setbacks

Projects get canceled. Funding dries up. Partners change. It’s natural to feel disappointed when these things happen. But one of our project managers shared a great perspective: even if he knew a project would get canceled, he would still move forward with it because of the invaluable experience gained.

This mindset is critical. If your team learned something new, grew stronger, or developed skills even through mistakes the time spent was never wasted. Experience is a form of progress, even if the outcome isn’t exactly what you wanted.

Final Thoughts

Remember, every project, every task, and every setback holds value. Training someone, solving a scheduling challenge, or adjusting plans on the fly are all ways to gain experience. That experience builds your team’s resilience and capability for the next opportunity.

So the next time things don’t go your way, try this mindset: Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted. Use that experience as a foundation to elevate your work and your team’s future success.

Key Takeaway

Great construction leadership means staying connected to the field, embracing challenges, and turning setbacks into valuable learning opportunities. When leaders foster collaboration among trades, promote flexibility in scheduling, and encourage teams to align with the overall project flow, they create a more efficient and supportive work environment. This not only strengthens team performance but also drives continuous improvement and moves the industry closer to truly lean, high-performing construction practices.

If you want to learn more we have:

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Empowering Women, Feat. Gretchen Gagel, PhD

Posted on August 8, 2025August 8, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 11 min

Empowering Women in Construction: A Real Conversation with Gretchen Gagel

In this blog, we sit down with Gretchen Gagel engineer, professor, consultant, author, and internationally respected voice for women in construction. Gretchen’s story isn’t just about her success it’s about what it really takes to build a more inclusive and effective construction industry.

Breaking Barriers from the Start

Gretchen’s career didn’t begin with a mission to champion women in construction. It started with resistance.

When she chose engineering over Harvard, her own father disowned her. She later became the first female operations manager at a manufacturing plant 62 men and her. Since then, she’s worked with industry giants like Starbucks, General Motors, and Marriott. But after relocating to Australia and earning her PhD, she felt the universe pushing her toward something new: helping women in construction succeed.

“I Wasn’t Trying to Be a Trailblazer”

Gretchen never set out to be the face of women’s leadership. But her journey naturally led there. After years in executive leadership and consulting, she embraced the opportunity to help women navigate the unique challenges of a male-dominated industry. And with a growing labor shortage in both the U.S. and Australia, she’s adamant: we need more women in construction and they can thrive here.

Should We Say “Women Leaders”?

Jason asks a question many men quietly wonder: Is it okay to say “woman leader”? Gretchen’s answer is clear yes, context matters, but language shouldn’t erase identity. Saying “Gretchen is a woman leader” isn’t wrong; it’s real. What does need to change? Gendered defaults like “chairman,” “man hours,” and “foreman.” Language reflects culture and culture determines who feels seen.

Why Diversity Isn’t Just Political It’s Strategic

Jason shares his frustration with the current political climate and how some react negatively to discussions of diversity. Gretchen addresses the fear behind the resistance: scarcity thinking. People fear that empowering others means giving up their own seat at the table. But diversity isn’t a threat it’s an advantage.

She cites research proving that diverse teams, especially those with women, outperform homogenous ones in problem solving. Still, construction often rewards only loud, dominant personalities a system that unintentionally sidelines capable but quieter leaders, many of whom are women.

Everyday Bias, Unseen Experience

Gretchen describes being asked if she was a flight attendant while traveling for work, in a suit. Small? Maybe. But it’s one of countless micro-moments that chip away at how women are perceived. These experiences can’t be fully understood by those in the dominant culture but they can be acknowledged.

Empathy, Gretchen explains, often comes from lived experience. When she lived in Australia without permanent residency, she felt a small glimpse of what it means to exist on the margins. That insight drives her advocacy.

“Most of the Time, There’s No Malice Just Blind Spots”

The biggest micro aggression women face? Being spoken over. Gretchen recalls watching a young female APM repeatedly interrupted by her male PM. The fix is simple and powerful: Call it out, kindly. Say, “Can we go back to the point she was making?” That’s ally ship. Not showy, just respectful.

How to Create Environments Where Women Thrive

Gretchen emphasizes that all leaders’ men and women need safe spaces to build confidence. Women’s leadership programs are one way to create that. Coaching and direct feedback matter too. Many men hesitate to give women feedback out of fear of emotional responses, but Gretchen reminds us: emotions aren’t weakness unchecked emotions are.

Leaders must foster emotional intelligence and understand how to give feedback in a way that builds people up instead of holding them back.

Men Have a Role in This Too

Jason brings up an important point men have to talk to other men. Whether it’s calling out an offhand sexist comment or redirecting a conversation, it starts with one person speaking up. As Gretchen puts it: Would you want someone talking about your wife, daughter, or mother that way?

She also notes the dangers of “mean girl” behavior women tearing down other women. Everyone has a role to play in changing the culture.

Normalize Women in Leadership

In Australia, top construction firms made it mandatory to appoint a female co-director to their boards. At first, it felt like forced inclusion. Now, it’s normal. That’s what progress looks like intentional at first, then accepted, then expected.

As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg famously said, when asked, “When will there be enough women on the Supreme Court?” she answered: “When there are nine.” We’ve normalized 100% male leadership for centuries. It’s time to flip the script.

Don’t Be Afraid of Safe Spaces

Jason admits he was initially skeptical when his team created a women-only leadership chat. But the results? Better connection, better communication, and a better company. Gretchen confirms this: safe spaces allow authenticity. Sometimes, thriving means simply being allowed to be yourself without performance, posturing, or fear of being misunderstood.

Final Words:

The takeaway from Gretchen’s journey isn’t that women need special treatment it’s that they need fair opportunity, safe environments, and conscious leadership. Bias isn’t always malicious but it is everywhere. And until we face it head on, we’re limiting the full potential of our teams, our projects, and our industry.

Key Takeaway

Transforming the construction industry starts with intentional awareness and a commitment to equity not blame. When we challenge unconscious bias, support ally ship, and create space for women to lead authentically, we unlock the full potential of our teams. Empowering women isn’t just the right thing to do it’s a strategic move that drives innovation, strengthens collaboration, and builds a more inclusive and high performing industry for everyone.

If you want to learn more we have:

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What Is A Grading Plan In Construction?

Posted on August 8, 2025August 8, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 9 min

Mastering the Grading Plan in Construction: Mindset, Logistics, and Best Practices

What is a grading plan in construction?

It’s been a while since I’ve tackled this topic, and this time I want to approach it from a different angle. In the past, I’ve focused heavily on the technical aspects. Today, we’re going to look at the mindset behind a great grading plan because the way you think about it will dictate how well you execute it.

Logistics: Why Grading Plans Matter So Much

In The Art of War, Master Sun talks about terrain. In military history, logistics often determined victory or defeat. The same is true in construction.

Two years ago, a renowned stadium builder told me just how critical logistics are, and from that conversation came the logistics rules, a complete checklist, and a new level of focus on this foundational step.

A grading plan is a major part of that. It lays out:

Elevations.
Slopes.
Structures on the site.
Dimensions, coordinates, distances, and bearings.
How the site must be prepared before any vertical or horizontal construction begins.

If you don’t see coordinates on your grading plan, something’s wrong.

Impact on the Construction Schedule:

Grading plans aren’t just nice to have, they’re often mandatory before you can even get a building permit.

From a scheduling standpoint, grading work sits at a critical juncture. In most production plans, you mobilize and make ready, then move to foundations, then superstructure, then interiors. Time is often lost in two places:

Site preparation: clearing, grading, and drainage work before foundations start.
Interior work: especially rough-ins and finishes.

Getting the grading right, and zoning it intelligently, means you can start your first building and foundation work immediately. I now use AI to optimize zoning sequences, and it’s a game-changer.

The Cost of Ignoring the Grading Plan:

Neglecting your grading plan can cause:

Excessive dust in dry climates.
Lack of access in wet climates due to poor stabilization.
Frozen sites in northern regions, stopping work and concrete placement.
Settling issues from improperly prepared soil.
Drainage failures impacting concrete work.

Your building’s performance starts with how you prepare the soil. A poor grading plan affects everything that follows.

What Winning Looks Like:

An effective grading plan means:

Grading in the right segments (phase by phase if allowed).
Proper site stabilization and drainage.
Stormwater pollution prevention best practices in place.
Building pads compacted and certified to avoid settling.
Footings cut in cleanly with correct elevations.
Site access that prevents mud tracking into interiors.
A “customer-ready” environment where the buildings are treated like the end client.

Logistics is the heartbeat here, get the grading right, and you’ve already won half the battle.

Checking Feasibility Before You Start:

The best way to ensure your grading plan is realistic? Build a strong relationship with the civil designer.

Visit their office.
Review the plan together.
Understand their design concerns.
Add your builder’s perspective and coordinate with trade partners.

Collaboration solves most problems before the first machine hits the dirt.

Who’s Responsible for Accuracy?

In short, you.

Yes, surveyors, field engineers, and crews all play a role, but it’s ultimately the general contractor’s job to:

Verify the basis of bearings and onsite control.
Establish and confirm secondary control points.
Perform as-builts of existing structures.
Pothole and map underground utility connections.
Double-check building pad accuracy with surveyors and field engineers.

I’ve seen top superintendents personally lay out buildings on-site to ensure property line compliance and avoid conflicts like a caisson landing in the middle of a duct bank. The earlier you catch issues, the less they cost you.

Final Thoughts:

Your grading plan is your foundation literally and figuratively.

You need it to secure permits.
You need it to start foundations.
The better you prepare it, the smoother the entire project will run.

Shape the environment, maintain the rhythm, and you’ll set your team up for success.

Key Takeaway:

A well-planned and properly executed grading plan is the foundation of a successful construction project. It affects permits, schedules, site access, drainage, and building performance. Invest the time to verify accuracy, collaborate with designers, and sequence work intelligently because when you get the grading right, everything else flows smoothly.

If you want to learn more we have:

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

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Everyone Can Improve, with Jake & Jason

Posted on August 7, 2025August 7, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 7 min

How a Virtual Job Walk Taught Me a Humbling Lesson in Safety Awareness

In this blog, Jake Smalley shares a deeply personal story that turned into a powerful teaching moment for construction safety and leadership. After a nasty bike crash left him bruised and concussed but thankfully alive he rebounded with a renewed focus and an innovative idea.

Jake wanted to walk a group of 50–60 superintendents through his job site in Tucson to highlight the often overlooked hazards that lead to soft tissue injuries, like pinches and cuts. But logistics made a physical walk-through nearly impossible. That’s when inspiration hit: a Matterport virtual scan.

From Zillow to Jobsite Insight

Jake had been browsing Zillow, intrigued by the real estate platform’s virtual home tours. That led to the realization: Why not use the same technology to do a virtual safety walkthrough of a live jobsite?

He Matterported his site on a regular workday no cleanup, no prep, no warning to trades and captured a realistic snapshot. Then, at the superintendent meeting, he handed out real pre-task plans from different trades and asked the supers to review the scan. Their job? Identify soft tissue hazards the crews should have noted on their pre-task plans.

The Unexpected Audit

Jake’s intention was to encourage specificity in hazard identification. Too often, terms like “pinch points” or “cuts” are written vaguely. He wanted crews to call out exactly what could cause harm like the sliding platform on a scissor lift or bulky ladders that pinch fingers. Specificity leads to awareness, and awareness leads to prevention.

But when the superintendents reviewed the footage, the feedback wasn’t what Jake expected.

Instead of focusing on soft tissue hazards, they zeroed in on every safety violation they could see no gloves, no glasses, workers on their phones. It quickly morphed into a surprise safety audit.

Jake admitted it was humbling and honestly, a bit embarrassing. But it also sparked a massive realization: There are always things happening on your job that you don’t see. And if you really want to improve, you have to be willing to look even if it stings.

The Lesson in Transparency

The takeaway wasn’t just about how to use Matterport as a safety tool. It was about embracing transparency and humility. Jake saw things he and his team had walked past daily. A floor drain that hadn’t been addressed. A safety behavior that went unchecked.

The experience taught him and the rest of us that even clean, safe jobsites can hide risks in plain sight. Sometimes we need a fresh perspective or a 3D scan to see the truth.

And here’s the real challenge: Can you do the same?

Jake dares all construction professionals to scan their sites during real-time operations. No prep. No polish. No warning. Just raw honesty. What you’ll see might surprise you and push you to lead better, safer teams.

Key Takeaway:

True jobsite safety goes beyond general awareness it requires both clear visibility and specific identification of risks. Tools like Matterport allow teams to see the site with fresh eyes, uncovering hidden hazards that might otherwise go unnoticed. But recognizing danger isn’t enough; crews must also move beyond vague terms and clearly name the specific risks tied to their tasks. This combination of visual insight and precise hazard identification transforms safety from a checklist exercise into a culture of real accountability and proactive injury prevention.

If you want to learn more we have:

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People Won’t Work Anymore, Feat. Scott Beebe

Posted on August 7, 2025August 7, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 8 min

“Nobody Wants to Work Anymore” Or Do They?

Featuring Scott Beebe of Business on Purpose

In today’s blog, Jason Schroeder sits down with Scott Beebe, founder of Business on Purpose, to tackle one of the most common and controversial statements heard in the construction industry: “Nobody wants to work anymore.”

Scott doesn’t just disagree with that narrative he dismantles it. Backed by his years of experience helping contractors systematize their businesses, Scott shares how chaotic company’s not lazy workers are the real problem. Below, we break down his most actionable insights from the conversation.

Let the Business Burn

Scott’s first book, Let Your Business Burn, was inspired by the idea that not every fire in your business needs to be put out. Most “emergencies” are ego-fueled distractions. The constant firefighting robs owners of their time, and it prevents teams from learning how to solve problems on their own. His challenge? Let it burn. If the issue is real, it’ll force change. If it isn’t, it’ll die out without draining your energy.

“Nobody Wants to Work Anymore” A False Narrative

The idea that younger generations are lazy isn’t new. Scott found references to this sentiment dating as far back as 1894. But blaming workers isn’t the answer especially when there are plenty of young people out there working incredibly hard. Instead, Scott flips the script:

“It’s not that nobody wants to work people just don’t want to work for you… if your company is chaotic, disorganized, and reactive.”

The Real Issue: Lack of Structure

Most small to midsize construction businesses lack systems. They operate on instinct, gut feel, or brute force. Scott’s team helps companies build their operations around four pillars:

Purpose
People
Process
Profit

Once these are aligned, businesses stop reacting and start scaling intentionally.

Build a Culture That Attracts People to Do Hard Things

Instead of fighting to “fix” younger workers, build a culture they want to be part of. Here’s how:

1. Create an Anchor

Use a simple spreadsheet to list the cultural activities you want embedded into your business like weekly meetings, trainings, or team events. Then map those across all 52 weeks of the year. Review it in every team meeting to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.

2. Learn From Younger Generations

Start with something simple:
Ask, “What’s the #1 song in your Spotify, playlist?”
It might sound small, but it opens the door to understanding what motivates the next generation. Building a relationship starts with listening, not lecturing.

3. Implement the “Big 5” Feedback Loop

Every successful construction business needs five consistent communication rhythms:

Weekly Team Meetings
Agenda driven, no more than one hour. Focused on big wins, updates, and culture not task solving.
Weekly Department Meetings
Project and task specific. Kept tight and targeted.
Monthly Executive Meetings
For leadership to align on strategy and vision.
Annual Performance Reviews
50% from the manager, 50% self-evaluation. No compensation talk just development.
One-on-One Check Ins
15 minutes, Same five questions every time:
1. What’s a big win this week?
2. What are you seeing and thinking?
3. What blind spots do you notice?
4. What do you need from me?
5. Here’s what I see in you and what I need from you.

Final Thoughts

If you’re struggling with finding and keeping talent, take a hard look in the mirror. Are you giving your team structure, purpose, feedback, and consistent leadership? Or are you fueling a business that runs on chaos?

As Scott puts it, “Vision without implementation is hallucination.” Start embedding systems that reinforce your culture, and you’ll stop chasing people because they’ll want to stay.

Key Takeaway:

The problem isn’t that nobody wants to work anymore it’s that too many businesses are chaotic, reactionary, and unstructured. If you want to attract and keep great people, build a culture where hard work has purpose, systems support the team, and feedback is regular and real.

If you want to learn more we have:

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Excess Inventory Is A Response to Variation

Posted on August 7, 2025August 7, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 5 min

Trade Inventory Isn’t the Problem, Lack of Rhythm Is…

In today’s blog, I want to share a realization I had during a Foreman Bootcamp that completely reframed how I think about trade inventory on site.

I used to look at trades bringing out massive amounts of materials and think, “This isn’t helping anyone. We’ve got cluttered floors, wasted space, and inefficiency everywhere.” But today, it hit me: they’re not doing this because they want to they’re doing it because the system is broken.

Let me explain.

When a project doesn’t have a rhythm when there’s no predictable flow, no takt time, no stable sequence, trade partners don’t know when or where they’ll be working. The GC can change the plan last minute: “move up two days,” “switch to another area,” “wait here.” In that chaos, the only thing the trades can control is making sure they have the materials on hand… just in case.

So what happens? They stage everything. Too much stock. Too much equipment. And that overproduction of materials gives birth to every other form of waste on site, motion, defects, overprocessing, waiting. It’s all there because of one root cause: lack of rhythm.

I told the group, “This is like the mommy and daddy of all jobsite waste. Overproduction and excess inventory have all the other waste babies.”

And they laughed, but it’s true. If you’re seeing trades overstocking, don’t blame them blame the system.

The solution isn’t yelling or pushing. It’s creating rhythm. Takt planning. Predictable sequences. Reliable buffers. When we build rhythm into the system, we reduce fear and reaction, and that’s when trade inventory naturally stabilizes.

Key Takeaway:

Trade partners don’t hoard materials because they’re careless they do it because they don’t trust the rhythm of the project. If you want less clutter, less chaos, and fewer delays, fix the rhythm first. Inventory is just the symptom. The system is the problem.

If you want to learn more we have:

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Roadblocks & PPC

Posted on August 7, 2025August 7, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 6 min

Stop Rushing Into Walls: Why Roadblock Removal Matters More Than Tracking PPC

In this blog, I want to talk about something I see too often in our industry: the obsession with tracking Percent Plan Complete (PPC) instead of focusing on the one thing that truly drives progress removing roadblocks.

Let me give it to you straight. Too many teams are taught to rush forward, push the work, and track what percentage they completed. But what happens when they hit a wall? We log the failure, analyze it, call it a root cause, and move on… only to hit another wall. Again and again.

That’s madness.

The Concrete Analogy

We’ve adopted a weird habit in construction of calling everything a “constraint.” That came from manufacturing (Theory of Constraints), but in construction, it’s become sloppy. Calling everything a constraint is like saying “there’s too much concrete in the concrete.” It blurs critical distinctions.

Just like in mix design, you need specific terms: fly ash, cement, sand, water. Why? Because when you name it, you can adjust it.

It’s the same with roadblocks and constraints. A roadblock is an operational problem something in the way of work today. A constraint is part of system design something upstream that must be planned around. When we lump everything into one vague category, we lose focus and power.

The Wall Analogy

Here’s the analogy that really brings this home:

Tracking PPC without clearing roadblocks first is like telling workers to run full speed into a wall and then logging the type of wall they hit.

That’s what PPC tracking often becomes: “What kind of wall did we hit today?”
How about we don’t hit the wall in the first place?

Instead of focusing on how many times we failed (and why), we need to shift the focus to identifying and removing the wall before we get there.

That’s real planning. That’s leadership. That’s flow.

My Challenge to the Industry

Yes, you can track PPC. Yes, you can do root cause analysis.
But only if your number one priority is roadblock removal before work starts.

And for that, we need to use our terms correctly. Stop calling everything a constraint. Bring clarity to your visuals, your meetings, and your culture.

Because running into walls isn’t a strategy.
Avoiding them is.

Key Takeaway:
In construction, the goal isn’t to track how many times we failed it’s to remove what causes failure in the first place. Stop rushing blindly into walls. Start clearing the road ahead.

If you want to learn more we have:

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

On we go

Changing Mental Paradigms

Posted on August 7, 2025August 7, 2025 by Danny Jiménez⁩

Read 6 min

This blog covers a range of critical construction leadership and mindset topics from company systems to contract requirements to cultural shifts and delivers one clear message, we need to rethink how we think.

Let’s break it down:

1. Discipline and the Builder’s Code

Discipline isn’t about rigidity it’s about preparedness. In difficult moments, our strength is determined by our training and how well we stick to solid processes. Construction professionals must continually refine their internal systems and stick to them, especially when under pressure.

2. Career Advice: What to look for in a Construction Company

when considering your next move, skip the branding hype. Instead, look for:

A strong field engineer program.
Solid preconstruction planning.
Well-run projects (don’t start on a failing job).
Self-perform capabilities (be a builder, not a broker).
Cultural alignment.
Continuous training.

Big logos and glossy presentations don’t build careers real systems and real people do.

3. Stop Saying Supers Can Run Jobs However They Want

This one hit hard: the idea that every superintendent can run a job however they want is anti-lean and deeply flawed. You’d never see Toyota allow a line manager to redesign production on the fly. Why? Because systems matter. If construction companies want to build like pros, they need standard operating systems and leaders who buy in.

4. CPM Isn’t Sacred It’s Just Old

Let’s get real about scheduling. Yes, CPM (Critical Path Method) might be in your contract, but most GCs never even redline that requirement. They blindly accept it. And even when they use it, it’s rarely optimized. Can you strategically analyze flow with it? Zone effectively? Sequence functionally? Probably not. If you’re not using a system to gain insights or accelerate performance, then it’s not a scheduling tool it’s paperwork.

5. In Construction, Nobody Wins When Projects Go Bad

When projects go sideways, people don’t try to win they just try to lose less. That’s the truth. Owners, GCs, and trades all dig in, get defensive, and start covering their tracks. Nobody actually wins. Instead of waiting for a court case that never comes, we should be trying to build projects right the first time.

Final Thought:

If something feels wrong, reframe it. Question how the issue is presented. Is the logic built on fear, habit, or ego? Or is it grounded in purpose, system thinking, and true value for the team?

Key Takeaway:

Construction success hinges less on tools like CPM and more on leadership clarity, cultural alignment, and standardized systems. When teams stop relying on outdated habits or personal preferences and start thinking strategically with discipline and shared processes projects run smoother, faster, and with far less risk.

If you want to learn more we have:

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Trade Inventory Isn’t the Problem, Lack of Rhythm Is…

Key Takeaway:

Stop Rushing Into Walls: Why Roadblock Removal Matters More Than Tracking PPC

The Concrete Analogy

The Wall Analogy

My Challenge to the Industry

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