In the previous post, we talked about the daily morning worker huddle: executing it well, communicating that passion, and creating that culture. Now we’re going to talk about the crew preparation huddle. I want to make sure we’re on the same page. This isn’t something I’m adding to the mix or something in addition. It’s something crews always should have been doing.
Short answer: The crew preparation huddle happens right after the worker huddle, in the crew’s own work area, with just the foreman and their workers. Give shout-outs, cover safety and get feedback, train, walk the area, fill out and sign the safety and quality pre-task plans, 5S the work, and eliminate the eight wastes, so the crew is prepared to execute according to standard work.
Is This a New Meeting?
When we talk about a foreman or crew leader working with their team to set up the day, do a little training, do a stretch and flex, and 5S or 3S their area, that’s just what should be done. That’s the standard. It’s a given. I don’t mean that in a negative way. It’s just how it’s done. It’s not something new, and it’s not something in addition. The crew preparation huddle follows the daily morning worker huddle as a natural sequence. See The Crew Preparation Huddle.
What Is a Pre-Task Plan?
This is with the crew leader and the workers. Nobody else really needs to be part of it. It’s where you fill out your pre-task plans, for quality and safety. A pre-task plan is the specific paperwork, documentation, discussion, visualization, and planning done before the crew starts a task.
Everything filters and funnels down, scaled to the specific tasks, so crews are prepared and there’s good vertical alignment:
| Level | Planning tool |
|---|---|
| Overall | Master schedule (takt plan) |
| Six weeks | Look-ahead |
| Next week | Weekly work plan |
| Tomorrow | Day plan |
| The task | Pre-task plans for safety and quality |
What Does the Morning Look Like?
Let’s say everybody starts at six. People drive in at 5:45, close up their cars, grab their lunch pails and coffee, and walk over to the worker huddle area by about 5:55. Music plays over the loudspeaker until exactly six. The general contractor team stops the music, welcomes everybody, and does the worker huddle. Five or 10 minutes later, anyone who needs orientation splits off, and the crews assemble with their crew leader or foreman, who takes them through a specific agenda.
What Is the Purpose?
The purpose of the crew preparation huddle is to prepare the crew for the work. The first planners prepare the takt plan with the foremen. The foremen, the last planners, prepare the commitments at a production level. Then the workers carry out that plan and need to be prepared, and that happens here. It takes place right after the worker huddle, on the floor or in the building where that crew is working, with that crew’s foreman and workers. It’s an opportunity for the foreman to line out the workers in a remarkable way to execute the work.
What Is the Agenda?
- Positive shout-outs.
- A safety training topic, plus feedback on safety and conditions.
- A short training on the work, lean improvements, the culture, or whatever is needed.
- Walk the area: today, this is the work we’re doing.
- Fill out and sign the safety and quality pre-task plans.
- 5S the work: sort and get rid of what you don’t need, set in order and organize what you have, shine and sweep to keep the area clean, and standardize anything that makes the work better from zone to zone. The discipline is sustained by virtue of this huddle.
- Set up the work areas, eliminate the eight wastes, and look for unevenness and overburden.
- Safe off the work areas and go to work.
Crews make sure there’s no excess material, no wasted transportation, no wasted motion, and no treasure hunts, because everything’s gathered. Then they have the safety pre-task plan, the quality pre-task plan, the training, the organization, and the tools, equipment, and environment to go to work and execute according to standard work steps. Read 3S & 5S – Sort, Straighten, Sweep, Standardize, Sustain and The 8 Wastes – Lean Series.
Is 30 Minutes Too Long?
I don’t even care if this meeting takes 30 minutes. It’s well worth the time. What would I rather do: have people work ineffectively for eight hours, or effectively for seven and a half? The answer is obvious to me. The crew preparation huddle is where we begin, where we succeed, and where we get on the same page. It really is the end of the line of the planning system.
How Does It Connect to the Daily Team Huddle?
As we get back into the normal Last Planner topics, the daily team meeting is where the superintendent brings up any concerns from the afternoon foreman huddle the day before and from the worker huddle. If you find anything from your crew that morning that needs to be escalated before that team meets, text them. But at its root, the crew preparation huddle is for training, organization, implementing 5S, eliminating waste, getting on the same page, filling out your pre-task plan, and making sure everyone is ready and prepared for the work. If you do this right, it will 100% be remarkable.
So here is the challenge. Foremen, tomorrow morning, walk your crew through the area, fill out and sign the pre-task plans together, and 5S the zone before the first task starts.
Bottom line: Prepare the crew for the work. Seven and a half effective hours beat eight ineffective ones.
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.
Takt and Last Planner Implementation series:
Previous: The Morning Worker Huddle
Next: The Daily Team Huddle
FAQ
What is a crew preparation huddle?
The huddle right after the morning worker huddle where a foreman or crew leader and their workers plan their work, prepare, fill out safety and quality pre-task plans as a group, do training, 5S their area, and eliminate waste before starting. Nobody else needs to be part of it.
Is the crew preparation huddle a new meeting?
No. It’s something crews always should have been doing: a foreman working with their team to set up the day, do a little training, stretch and flex, and 5S or 3S their area. It naturally follows the morning worker huddle.
How long should a crew preparation huddle take?
Jason doesn’t care if it takes 30 minutes. It’s well worth it. Would you rather have people work ineffectively for eight hours or effectively for seven and a half?
People Also Read:
Crew Preparation Huddles
Lean Onboarding Series – The Crew Preparation Huddle
Introduction to the 5S System
Lean Onboarding Series – The 8 Wastes
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.