Read 7 min

Blinking Red Lights, Why Projects Fail Without Them

In this blog, I’m going to talk about blinking wow blinking red lights. Stay with us. Just to clarify the topic for today, Kevin gave me a really neat analogy about the control panel on a vehicle, and I wanted to share it here. It was so good. Before we dive in, I want to share some feedback from a reader: “I’m a struggling assistant superintendent because I feel like I got in the door with very little qualifications. I don’t have much field experience and zero collegiate backing. What I do know is God put me in the position, and I am to do something great with it. I’d like to talk with you more about how I can excel in this industry. I plan to start reading more books and listening to your blog in the morning, but I know I’d benefit from a mentor.” First off, Yes, I super love mentoring. Anytime somebody needs help or a mentor, let me know. I’m not more important than anyone else, I’m just doing my best to share what I’ve learned and help where I can. On another note, we’ve just reached 40,000 subscribers on LinkedIn and are almost at 40,000 on YouTube. It’s been five years, a lot of investment, and countless hours of work. Is it worth it? Yes, for the impact. Easy? Absolutely not. But I’m committed to pushing through the current economic challenges, keeping LeanTech strong, and proving we can take care of people, stay profitable, and do it the right way.

The Analogy

Kevin’s analogy is this: Not having a macro-level takt plan for your project is like driving a car without headlights or a dashboard. Think about it:
  • Headlights let you see ahead, like a long-range, strategic plan.
  • Dashboard indicators (speed, RPM, fuel, temperature) are your KPIs. They tell you if you’re overburdened, underpowered, or in danger of breaking down.
  • Blinking red lights are your warning signals, procurement problems, missed constraints, unresolved roadblocks.
Without them, you’re blind. I had a real-world reminder of this recently. My Ford truck didn’t display the oil-change warning light, and when my son checked it, we were four quarters low, one quart away from engine damage. On a project, that’s the equivalent of running your team into burnout without realizing it.

The Lesson for Construction

Your macro-level takt plan, normal takt plan, and supporting KPIs are those “blinking red lights” for your project. They warn you before problems escalate. Without them, you’re driving or building blind. If you don’t see your problems early, you’ll crash-land the project, burn people out, and fail to deliver. We’ve got to have those red lights. On we go.

Key Takeaway

A well-structured takt plan and clear KPIs act like a car’s dashboard your project’s early-warning system. Without these “blinking red lights,” you risk running blind and damaging both your people and your project.

If you want to learn more we have:

-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our YouTube channel for more info: (Click here) 
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here) 
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)

Discover Jason’s Expertise:

Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, 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.

 

On we go