Repeating Your Order

The Power of One Piece Flow in Communication

I’m writing this blog from Super Peanut Boot Camp an amazing class where we’re having a great time learning and growing together. During a short break, I stepped outside to share a quick thought that connects everyday life to how we communicate and collaborate at work.

Let’s start with something we’ve all experienced, repeating your order at the drive-thru.

Have you ever gone through a drive-thru, given your order clearly and confidently, and then the person on the other end says, “Wait, what you said?” or “Can you repeat that again?”

You take a deep breath, repeat your order, and then they ask again. At this point, you’re thinking, Are you even listening to me?

Now, this isn’t about criticizing anyone working hard in those roles they’re doing their best. The point is about what happens when we communicate before we’re truly ready to listen. It’s frustrating when we have to repeat ourselves because someone isn’t fully present or is trying to multitask.

If the drive-thru attendant just said, “Hey, give me 10 seconds to get focused, then I’ll take your order,” we’d all be fine with that. But when someone asks for input and then doesn’t actually hear it, it disrespects time and creates confusion.

And this same thing happens in construction all the time.

The Problem with “Batching” Communication

When we’re doing pull planning or virtual collaboration sessions, we often fall into the same trap. Trade partners start listing off multiple activities at once “We’ll install this, pour that, excavate here, sleeve there…” and the person facilitating gets lost trying to keep up.

At Lean Takt, we’ve seen this pattern repeatedly. The facilitator ends up saying, “Can you repeat that?” again and again, which slows down the meeting and frustrates everyone involved.

The fix? One piece flow.

One-Piece Flow in Pull Planning

We’ve trained our lean engineers to use a simple but powerful structure when documenting each activity in a pull plan. Whenever someone declares a task, it should always include four components:

1. Company name
2. Duration
3. Activity name
4. Day it can start

For example:

“This activity is for Jason Schroeder Electric. It’s a 5-day task to install overhead electrical conduit, starting on day 35.”

That’s one complete “piece.” Once it’s captured, the facilitator can say, “Got it what’s next?”

Each activity becomes a clearly defined unit of work fully heard, understood, and documented before moving on.

Why This Matters

When we batch conversations or stack multiple ideas at once, we lose focus and create confusion. Batching slows down meetings, leads to mistakes, and makes everyone feel unheard.

Instead, finish one conversation, one activity, one commitment at a time.

In trade partner meetings, pull planning sessions, or even schedule reviews, this rhythm can transform communication. Listen fully, understand completely, and record clearly before moving on.

The One Thing at a Time Rule

As superintendents, foremen, or facilitators, we can set the tone. When one person talks, everyone listens. When one activity is discussed, it’s fully captured before the next begins.

This simple discipline doing one thing at a time creates flow, clarity, and respect in every meeting.

Key Takeaway

Stop batching your conversations, Start finishing your thoughts.
Whether it’s ordering food or running a pull planning session, one piece flow communication one clear, complete activity at a time keeps everyone aligned, efficient, and respected.