If You’re Working Weekends, Something Is Broken

If You’re Working Saturdays, Your System Is Broken (Why Lean Construction Eliminates Weekend Work)

Recently I was reading one of our job site group chats. With our clients, we set up WhatsApp chats with each job site so we can see how things are going.

Short answer: If your crews have to work Saturdays, a big part of your system is broken. On every job where the company has an operating manual, trains the project delivery team, and does monthly field walks for support, things start to go well. With the Takt Production System, you can finish without working weekends unless there’s an unrealistic milestone. That’s good news, because a system can be fixed.

And again, I just have to reiterate, things start to go well at every company, every job site where you have an operating manual, you provide training to the project delivery team members, and monthly field walks in the form of support. That’s just how it is. That’s just how life works in construction with Lean systems.

The Text on Saturday: They’re Working Weekends

I was looking at the chat over the weekend, and on Saturday (and I think Sunday too) the team was talking about working. They’re working weekends.

And the company I’m talking about is a phenomenal company with phenomenal leadership. And this one job happens to be a one-off, but the company used to work weekends all the time. Once they implemented our system, specifically the Takt Production System (and I give them a lot of credit for that), they stopped working Saturdays, like wholesale. And they get their projects done early and it’s phenomenal.

What Happens When One Superintendent Won’t Adapt?

And there’s this one job where the superintendent, and I’m not blaming people here, he’ll get it, but will not adapt to the systems and just will not do it. Like complains about meetings, complains about flowing on a rhythm, holds to old-timey thoughts of like, “Oh, just move here and do that and get ahead on that floor and blah, blah, blah.”

And it’s just not working. It’s funny how human beings act. He’s in a sea of successful projects with successful supers finishing early, and they’re following the system and he’s not. And he’s not on schedule and they’re working Saturdays.

My First Toxic Thought, Then the Loving Truth

And I just had the thought, just so you know, I’ll be super transparent and tell you my toxicity here. I first thought, “If you work Saturdays, you just don’t know what you’re doing.” And I’m like, “Whoa, whoa, whoa.”

I was out here thinking about this blog. I’m like, “Jason, how can you preach about respect for people and then come at it like that?”

Here’s the deal. If you’re having to work Saturdays, you don’t have a Lean system installed on your project site. That’s probably as loving and kind as I can get about it because there is a root cause to it. And every single time that you implement the system properly, you can get the work done unless there’s an unrealistic milestone, but you can get the work done.

Can You Stop Working Weekends in Construction?

But here’s the deal. If you don’t have an unrealistic milestone, you can get the work done in time and never have to work a Saturday. So instead of shaming people, I’m going to go at it like this: If you’re working Saturdays, that means a massive part of your system is broken. And that’s good news because we can go fix it.

Like a lot of things, a dirty job site isn’t “just construction.” It’s not just construction to have chaos. It’s not just construction to have like massive impacts. And it’s not just construction to have to work Saturdays and weekends.

It’s Not “Just Construction.” It’s Poor Construction.

And it’s not just construction to be stressed out all the time and be away from your families. That’s just poor construction. That means it’s not Lean. That means it’s classical business management. That means it’s ineffective. That means the person has room to grow.

And that’s great. So, if you’re working weekends, a massive part of your system is broken because you shouldn’t have to if you’re using Lean systems.

Here’s why working Saturdays means your system is broken:

• The basics are missing. Things go well on every job where the company has an operating manual, trains the project delivery team, and does monthly field walks for support.
• The job isn’t flowing. When a superintendent won’t plan on a rhythm and keeps jumping ahead floor to floor, the job falls behind and weekends fill the gap.
• It’s treated as “just construction.” Chaos, stress, and time away from your family aren’t normal construction. They’re poor construction, and they can be fixed.

For more on the system, see the book The Takt Production System® and the Takt Production System Masterclass.

A Challenge for Construction Leaders

Here’s what I want you to do this week. Stop accepting that working Saturdays, constant stress, and time away from your family are “just construction.” They’re poor construction. They mean the job isn’t Lean, it’s running on classical business management, and it’s ineffective.

If you have to work Saturdays, you don’t have a Lean system installed on your project. There is a root cause. Every time the system is implemented properly, the work gets done. Unless there’s an unrealistic milestone, you can finish on time without working a Saturday.

So instead of shaming people, look at it this way: if you’re working Saturdays, a big part of your system is broken. That’s good news, because we can fix it.

Get an operating manual. Train your project delivery team. Do monthly field walks as support. Stop complaining about meetings and about flowing on a rhythm, and let go of the old habit of jumping ahead on another floor. Look at the successful projects around you that are finishing early. They’re following the system. Follow the system.

Bottom line: If you’re working Saturdays, a big part of your system is broken, and that’s good news, because a system can be fixed.

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

Want your team trained on this? See our Last Planner® System and Takt training.

On we go.

FAQ

Why does working Saturdays mean the system is broken?

If you have to work Saturdays, you don’t have a Lean system installed on your project. There’s a root cause. Every time the system is implemented properly, the work gets done on time without weekends, unless there’s an unrealistic milestone.

How did this company stop working weekends?

The company used to work weekends all the time. Once they implemented our system, specifically the Takt Production System, they stopped working Saturdays across the board, and they now finish projects early. They have an operating manual, they train their project delivery team, and they do monthly field walks for support.

What happens when a superintendent won’t adapt to the system?

On the one job still working Saturdays, the superintendent complains about meetings and about flowing on a rhythm, and holds on to old habits like jumping ahead on another floor. He’s surrounded by successful projects that are finishing early, but his job is behind schedule and working weekends.

Is working weekends “just construction”?

No. A dirty job site, chaos, weekend work, and constant stress away from your family aren’t “just construction.” They’re poor construction: classical business management instead of Lean, and a sign there’s room to grow.

What’s the good news about working Saturdays?

If you’re working Saturdays, a big part of your system is broken, and that’s good news because it can be fixed. Get an operating manual, provide training, and do monthly field walks. When the system is implemented properly, you can finish on time without working Saturdays.

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