Elevating Construction Foremen – Part 3

Two projects can have the same owner, the same budget, the same schedule, and the same crews, and one will be clean, organized, and safe while the other is a mess. The difference is not the circumstances. It is the mindset of the person in charge.

This is Part 3 of my walk-through of my book Elevating Construction Foremen. If you are just joining, start with Part 1. This part is about the foreman mindset: your mental set point and the things crew leaders never do.

Short answer: Your mental set point works like a thermostat. The conditions of your crew, your area, and your project auto-regulate to the mindset of the leader, so design your set point on purpose instead of inheriting it. Then hold the line on the things crew leaders never do, like harassing, lying, working unsafely, or yelling, because character always travels with technical skill.

What Is Your Mental Set Point?

In the book Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth, T. Harv Eker explains that wealth is more a matter of mindset and expectations than circumstance. A thermostat in a room is a good picture of it. Whatever temperature it is set to is the temperature the HVAC system auto-regulates back to.

Likewise, we have position, wealth, relationship, and success set points that are auto-regulated by our thoughts and behaviors. If you make no more than $110,000 a year, the set point you learned from your parents may be controlling your results more than your potential is. I wrote more about this in Watch Their Set Points.

Emerson Dority, CM-Lean, put it this way: “I tell my crew leaders this all the time. Stop acting like a crew leader and start acting like THE crew leader.”

What Happens When a Crew Leader’s Mindset Changes?

A plumbing crew leader came up to me one day and said this, almost verbatim: “Jason, when I first met you, you annoyed me. I thought, who is this guy and what the hell does he want? But then I realized the problem, or rather the opportunity. You wanted us to see things the way you did. You wanted us to see through your eyes and understand your expectations. I did not know why I had to clean as I went, but now I get it. Now I understand, and I appreciate it.”

That story is profound for me because his work changed immediately. He was on time. He followed the Takt plan, and his areas were always clean and organized after that. Everything changed once his mindset changed and he could see.

Why Does a Project Auto-Regulate to the Leader?

To prove everything is about mindset, let me illustrate. Think about a dirty and unorganized project. Got it? Hold it there. Now imagine that site 48 hours after I set foot on it, if I were put in charge of that project, not just visiting. What do you see? Everything would be clean. Everything would be organized. And there would be no safety violations, all in 48 hours.

Why? Different circumstances? No, we would have the same ones. What was different was the mindset of the person. The conditions of the project, crew, or area auto-regulate to the mindset of the leader. That applies to promotions, relationships, wealth, and our results at work. The same idea runs through Clean, Safe, and Organized.

Success follows your set point. The key is to design and program that set point intentionally, and not by default from your parents or upbringing. Decide what you want, what you need, and what you expect. Believe it, and your life will auto-regulate to that set point. What are your set points? What do you need to change?

What Should a Crew Leader Never Do?

There are some things a construction professional should never say or do. A few of them are thinking and saying racist things, catcalling or harassing women, telling inappropriate jokes, discriminating against protected classes, and doing anything that would create a psychologically unsafe environment. These things are just not done. If crew leaders do these things, they are not crew leaders. They are cancers in our industry.

Yelling at people to get the job done is over. We need to attract the new generation and help our people fall in love with the work, and we don’t have the luxury of losing people. Never make decisions that marginalize people for money or schedule. When you prioritize schedule and money over people, you will lose the battle on the field. That is the heart of respect for people.

Erwin Rommel wrote: “Be an example to your men, in your duty and in private life. Never spare yourself, and let the troops see that you don’t in your endurance of fatigue and privation. Always be tactful and well-mannered, and teach your subordinates to be the same. Avoid excessive sharpness or harshness of voice, which usually indicates the man who has shortcomings of his own to hide.”

What Happens When a Company Tolerates Bad Behavior?

I remember a crew leader who was rumored to harass women and make inappropriate jokes. He would say racist things and do unethical things, like take good plywood and tools home from the company. His behavior was tolerated for a while because the company valued his work performance, but the strain eventually took its toll. One day he posted a particularly offensive piece of content on Facebook and was immediately fired. Not only did he lose his job and cause his crew to be disbanded, he developed a reputation in the region that held him back and stalled his career.

The consequences are not the main point. The main point is that so many people were affected by his behavior. Crew leaders do not act like this, and it should end now.

The List of Things Crew Leaders Never Do

Crew leaders do not:

1. Hide mistakes.
2. Harass or catcall women.
3. Tell inappropriate jokes.
4. Think or say racist things.
5. Act disrespectfully.
6. Show up late.
7. Show up intoxicated or impaired.
8. Bully, harass, or haze employees.
9. Work unsafely.
10. Act without integrity or lie.
11. Do anything immoral or unethical.

Any leader can learn the fundamentals of technical leadership well and still fail. Why? Because technical expertise is always paired with character on the path to success. A crew leader must have a moral and ethical foundation to set the proper example and lead with effective influence. Do the right thing even if no one is watching. You set the tone for others.

For example, no one is there when you are supposed to install schedule 80 pipe, but you only have schedule 40. Don’t install the pipe and close the trench just to get the job done. Your morale, workmanship, and culture of care will be reflected in the results of your crew. Always be honest and transparent, and always be ethical, moral, and act with integrity. The Ladder of Accountability is a good next read on owning that.

So here is the challenge. Write down three set points you live by, for your pay, your position, and the condition of your work area, and ask whether you chose them or inherited them. Then read the list of things crew leaders never do with your crew at your next huddle.

Bottom line: Your crew and your project auto-regulate to your set point, so set it on purpose and lead with character.

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 2: Who You Are, Moonshot Goals, and Who You Can Become
Next: Part 4: Who You Associate With, Owning Your Career, and the Habit Loop

FAQ

What is a mental set point?

It is the level your mind auto-regulates back to, like a thermostat in a room. We have set points for position, wealth, relationships, and success, and they are controlled by our thoughts and behaviors more than our circumstances.

How does a crew leader change a set point?

Design it on purpose instead of inheriting it by default from parents or upbringing. Decide what you want, what you need, and what you expect, believe it, and your results will auto-regulate to it.

What should a crew leader never do?

Never hide mistakes, harass or catcall, tell inappropriate jokes, think or say racist things, act disrespectfully, show up late or impaired, bully or haze, work unsafely, lie, or do anything immoral or unethical.

Why does character matter as much as technical skill?

Any leader can learn the technical fundamentals and still fail, because technical expertise is always paired with character. A crew leader needs a moral and ethical foundation to set the example and lead with influence.

People Also Read:
The Importance of Mindset
Psychological Safety
Respect for People
How to Be a Good Construction Foreman