Conversations & Consequences

Conversations and Consequences: “I Have Had That Conversation” Is Not Enough

Here’s the deal. I had an epiphany on a project site I was touring the other day, and it is really impactful, so I want to share it with you. It came from a simple moment during a field walk.

Short answer: On a construction project, ‘I’ve had that conversation’ is not enough. Construction is a compliance-based industry, so after you’ve informed, trained, coached, mentored, and corrected, the next conversation has to come with consequences, such as stopping the crew or the work, or calling the supervisor. Consequences are never punishment or anger.

The Moment on the Field Walk

I was walking with a group, and we were talking about an area that needed to be cleaned up. I was giving some suggestions. One of the superintendents said, well, yes, I have had that conversation with him. It was an innocent comment, and it was not a big deal. But it dawned on me that every time we have a situation with a compliance piece, there are two parts. There is the conversation, and there are the consequences.

We Are a Compliance-Based Industry

Some people in the Lean community rail against compliance-based leadership. I have been on a few rants about that recently. But here is the reality. We are not Netflix, and we are not YouTube. We are not in the entertainment industry. We are a compliance-based industry, and we have to comply with the following.

• Safety regulations.
• The plans and specs.
• Local standards of care.
• The authorities having jurisdiction.

I love Netflix culture. But some people say we cannot use compliance-based leadership. Actually, you can, and you should. We are not a go-do-whatever-you-want, fluffy, creative kind of company. We are a compliance-based company.

From what I understand, even companies like Google, Facebook, and Netflix, which give most of their people more latitude and flexibility, run their legal and HR functions, and anything where they must comply with the laws of the land, as compliance-based divisions.

Conversations Come First

Saying I have had that conversation is not enough. And yes, I want to listen to people. Yes, we want to give people the chance. Yes, we want people to buy in. Yes, we want to coach them. There is a scale for this, and you do not jump to consequences right away.

• Informing.
• Training.
• Coaching.
• Mentoring.
• Correcting.
• Consequences.

The Next Conversation

So I said to the superintendent, great, you have had the conversation. But the next time, it is conversation and consequences. They do not get to have you talk to them again about a safe and clean environment and then just decide not to do it. That is not how it is done.

I was not talking down to him. We had a really good rapport. I told him I just want to make sure that the next time you have that conversation, you get results. And if you do not, the second C word is consequences. He said, okay, yes, I will have that conversation again, and if that does not work, there will be consequences.

What Consequences Are, and What They Are Not

Consequences are never punishment. They are never negativity, and they are never anger. Here is what they look like.

• We stop the crew.
• We stop the work.
• We have the conversation.
• I call your supervisor.

There will be consequences to not doing the right thing on this project. There is always a conversation, and if that does not work, there are consequences. That is what real accountability looks like: everyone knows what was agreed, by when, and what happens if it does not get done.

How to Have the Second Conversation

The second conversation is not a longer version of the first one. It is a different conversation, and it has three parts. You say all three out loud.

First, say what was agreed. Start with facts, not feelings. “Last Tuesday we agreed your crew would clean the level three corridor at the end of every shift.” You are not guessing at motives or digging up old history. You are restating a commitment the person already made.

Second, say the deadline. A request with no date is a wish. “I need that corridor clean and staying clean by start of shift tomorrow, and I will walk it with you at seven.” Make the deadline specific, and make sure you are the one who comes back to check it.

Third, say the specific consequence. Name it before the deadline passes, not after. “If the corridor is not clean tomorrow, I will stop the crew until it is, and I will call your supervisor.” Say it calmly, with the same rapport you had in the first conversation. This is information, not a threat. The person should walk away knowing exactly what happens next, so nothing that follows is a surprise.

Then ask them to say it back to you. That is what the superintendent did on our field walk when he told me he would have the conversation again, and that there would be consequences if it did not work.

Moving From Coaching to Correcting to Consequences

Here is how the scale plays out on a housekeeping issue like the one on that walk.

It starts with coaching. You walk the area with the foreman, explain why clear access matters for safety and flow, and ask what is getting in the way. Maybe the dumpster is too far from the work area, or nobody has time built into the day for cleanup. You fix what you can together. This is a conversation about the system, and it is the right place to start.

Two days later the corridor is cluttered again. Now you move to correcting. You use the three parts. You restate what was agreed, you give the deadline, and you name the consequence. The standard has not changed, and the person now knows the next step.

If the deadline passes and nothing has changed, you follow through. You stop the crew, you have the conversation, and you call the supervisor. Because the consequence was named in advance, you are not reacting out of frustration. You are doing exactly what you said you would do.

At every step, ask whether the system is part of the problem before you assume the person is. Consequences are for a decision not to do the right thing, not for a plan that never gave the crew a way to do it.

If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.

So here is the challenge. The next time you hear yourself say, I have had that conversation, ask whether the conversation got results. If it did not, decide what the consequence will be before the next conversation happens.

Bottom line: There will be consequences to not doing the right thing on this project.

On we go.

FAQ

Why does Jason say construction is a compliance-based industry?

Because we have to comply with safety regulations, the plans and specs, local standards of care, and the authorities having jurisdiction. He says compliance-based leadership is appropriate here and is not a bad thing.

Is having one conversation enough?

No. Jason says the next time it is conversation and consequences. A person should not be able to hear about a safe and clean environment again and simply decide not to do it.

What are consequences, according to Jason?

Never punishment, negativity, or anger. They mean stopping the crew, stopping the work, having the conversation, and calling the person’s supervisor.

Do consequences come first?

No. You do not go to consequences right away. There is a scale of informing, training, coaching, mentoring, and correcting before consequences.

People Also Read:
Behaviors Have Consequences.