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.

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 there are certain things where you cannot 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.

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.

Jason Schroeder said it plainly: “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.