Spotting Controlling Behavior on Your Project Site
In this blog, I want to talk about a topic that can quietly derail any construction project: controlling behavior on the job site. Recently, during a review with our team at Lean Tax, I noticed a pattern that I believe every construction leader should recognize.
During the review, one team repeatedly said things like, “We don’t need pull plans,” “We don’t need quality preconstruction meetings,” and “We’ve talked to the team they don’t think it’s necessary.” Over and over, the same resistance surfaced. And it became clear: these are classic signs that someone on the project site wants control.
Control isn’t just about being involved it’s about being the only one who can answer questions, make decisions, and hold information. This behavior often sacrifices performance for personal significance. Let’s break it down.
What Controlling Behavior Looks Like on a Job Site
- Avoiding Collaborative Processes
- If someone resists pull plans, preconstruction meetings, or other transparent systems, it’s often because these processes empower the team. Avoidance is a red flag that control is the priority over project success.
- Excessive Monitoring
- Controlling individuals often micromanage and make decisions independently. They may do tasks themselves outside of meetings to ensure they remain central to every outcome.
- Isolation & Hoarding Information
- Information is power. Those who isolate themselves from the team and limit access to schedules, finances, or quality data are maintaining control. When things go wrong, blame shifts to others rather than being shared.
- Resistance to Transparency
- Lean systems and other visual planning tools are designed to keep everyone informed. A controlling individual may see transparency as a threat to their significance and intentionally avoid participation.
- Sacrificing Team Wisdom for Ego
- Ultimately, controlling behavior often comes from a need for certainty and personal significance. Even when better outcomes are visible like trade partners earning more with improved systems—some superintendents prioritize ego over the team’s success.
Why This Matters
Recognizing these red flags is essential for project leaders, superintendents, and trade partners. If someone resists fundamental processes like pull plans, preconstruction meetings, or visual planning, you may be entering a controlling environment where performance is compromised for the individual’s sense of importance. Awareness allows you to address the situation proactively, protect your team, and maintain project success.
Key Takeaway
Controlling behavior on a job site often disguises itself as resistance to processes or collaboration. Spotting these red flags early avoiding pull plans, hoarding information, or isolating oneself can save your project, empower your team, and prevent performance from being sacrificed for someone else’s ego.
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.
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