Firefighters do not run into burning buildings. They assess the situation, make a plan, and then methodically approach the fire according to their training, even while the owner is screaming at them to hurry. Yes, there is a sense of urgency, but there is no haste. A great crew leader works the same way.
This is Part 20 of my walk-through of my book Elevating Construction Foremen. If you are just joining, start with Part 1. This part is about listening and asking questions, communicating for understanding, why firefighters don’t run into burning buildings, and the conclusion of Part One.
Short answer: Great crew leaders listen to everyone, regardless of title, pay, or experience, because Lean uses the genius of the team. They communicate for understanding, not just to communicate, and adapt to how each person receives information. And they never rush. They observe, orient, decide, and act, and they never dispatch their people without the right preparation.
Why Should Crew Leaders Listen to Everyone?
One of the main tenets of Lean is to utilize the genius of the team: your workers, your lead person, the superintendent, and your neighbors in the train of trades. Ask the right questions and really listen, and you take the years of experience applied to the project from a few to many. A good crew leader doesn’t just listen to the HIPPO, the highest paid person’s opinion. In most companies, experience is the winning argument. We call those places tenure-ocracies. We combat that by listening to everyone. More in Listening.
I worked with a crew leader who really knew how to listen. Once his crew made a plan and a call, they kept meeting. I walked over to eavesdrop and heard him asking about every step of the new plan to make sure they all understood. That crew always knew what to do and how to do it.
- Listen to everyone, whatever their title, role, or experience.
- Listen to all types of diversity. The best teams are diverse teams.
- Pay attention, focus, and listen for the whole message.
- Paraphrase and summarize what you heard.
- Never pretend to listen or rehearse what you will say.
- Do not interrupt, jump to conclusions, or listen just to disagree.
- Ask why five times to get to the root of the problem.
What Does It Mean to Communicate for Understanding?
Crew leaders do not communicate just to communicate. We need to care less about what is said and more about what is understood. If a worker has that deer-in-the-headlights look, re-explain. Over-communicate, explain things respectfully until they are understood, and verify understanding before dispatching anyone to the work. Trust, but verify. Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind. George Bernard Shaw said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
Brian Melcher’s Field Verified Way is one of my best examples. They discuss why the skill matters, watch a company video, the mentor demonstrates it and explains the pro tips, the mentor watches the learner practice, the learner teaches it back on video or audio, and then the learner coaches others. Every employee has a scorecard of needed skills and is trained for every task they are asked to perform.
Communicate the way your people best receive it, not the way that is most convenient for you to send it:
| Style | How they process | How to reach them |
|---|---|---|
| Introverts | Process thoroughly inside their heads. | Give them more time to respond. They will give you a better opinion. |
| Extroverts | Process quickly and verbally. | Dig deeper if you get a quick yes or a curt response. |
| Visual | Trust the images they see. | Put instructions in a visual form. |
| Auditory | Depend on spoken words. | Ask clarifying questions and give instructions verbally. |
| Kinesthetic | Feel their way through experiences. | Take a hands-on approach. |
A worker who seems obstinate may simply be struggling to communicate with you in a different style. Be curious about how they understand.
Why Don’t Firefighters Run Into Burning Buildings?
Because someone could get hurt, and rushing in without the right preparation could make the situation worse. Military strategist John Boyd is famous for the OODA loop: Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. It rests on emphasis, a clear focus over any particular tactic; mutual trust, like a SEAL team or Steve Nash passing to his teammates; and gut feeling, an experienced person pattern matching in real time. The point guard, the quarterback dropping into the pocket, and the commander pulling his command post back from the front all stop in the chaos to observe, plan, and then coordinate the execution. That is what the greatest of all time, and great crew leaders, excel at.
John Coffman put it this way in Firemen Don’t Run into a Building. Before a 1.2-million-pound pour on a flyover interchange, something didn’t feel right, so he walked the numbers again with the formwork engineer. That engineer later called back: it would shear instead of bending. They took it apart down to the beams and started over. On a 70-year-old, three-and-a-half-mile tunnel in Hawaii, he refused to just finish the design, walked the full length with the tunnel engineer, and the design changed. “I am convinced people would have died,” he said. You can still be fast. Just don’t run past a hazard.
This story sheds a bad light on me. As project director, I saw rebar column cages in the way of an incoming crane and asked the column crew leader to move them, with no details. He turned, interrupted two workers, and yelled at them to move the columns. No explanation, no context, no buy-in. I stopped them and asked him to consider why they needed moving, where they should go, whether the workers were forklift trained, who would spot, whether they needed rigging, tag lines, a pre-task plan, or dunnage, and whether anyone had coordinated with the crane. There is so much more to leading than saying “please go do this.”
Before you assign any worker or direct any crew, have a clear plan, clear expectations, the right materials, tools, and equipment, a place to work, the right training, enough help, information like plans, specs, RFIs, submittals, and shops, layout, permissions, compliance items, and safety and quality preparation.
How Does Part One of the Book End?
We covered who great crew leaders are, what they do, and when they do it. We never touched on why. Why is a personal journey. Jim Collins calls good the enemy of great, and good is so much easier. Don’t settle. Collins found great successes rest on disciplined people, disciplined thought, and disciplined action, and Jocko Willink sums it up as discipline equals freedom. Find your why, pour in your passion, and be great.
So here is the challenge. On your next assignment, stop before you dispatch anyone. Walk the list above, then ask your crew to repeat the plan back to you.
Bottom line: Listen to everyone, communicate until it is understood, and never run into the burning building.
If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.
On we go.
Elevating Construction Foremen series:
Previous: Part 19: Know Your Trade, Safety, Cleanliness, and a Passion for Lean
Next: Part 21: Production Principles: Takt, Trade Stacking, and One Process Flow
FAQ
What does communicating for understanding mean?
Caring less about what is said and more about what is understood. A crew leader over-communicates, explains things respectfully until they are understood, and verifies understanding before dispatching a worker.
What is the OODA loop?
John Boyd’s model of Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. Great leaders stop in the midst of the chaos to observe and plan before they initiate and coordinate the execution.
What does a crew leader need before assigning work?
A clear plan, clear expectations, the right materials, tools and equipment, a place to work, training, enough help, information, layout, permissions, compliance items, and safety and quality preparation.
People Also Read:
Lean Onboarding Series – Communicate for Understanding
We Never Firefight
Listen to Those w/ Solutions
Aizuchi: The Japanese Art of Listening and Presence
If you want to learn more we have:
-Takt Virtual Training: (Takt Virtual Training)
-Check out our YouTube channel for more info: (Elevate Construction on YouTube)
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Elevate Construction Podcast)
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Training Programs and Certifications)
-The Takt Book: (The Takt Book on Amazon)
Discover Jason’s Expertise:
Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction. As the company’s Founder and COO, 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.