Are You Decorating the Fish or Creating Meaning?

You’re pushing rocks up hills. Every day. Same process. Same struggle. Rock rolls back down. Push it up again. Repeat forever. That’s Sisyphus. Greek myth about man condemned to roll rock up mountain having it roll back down for all eternity. Norwegian philosopher studying the meaning of life used this as illustration of life without meaning. Contrast to meaningful life: improvement. Not pushing same rock endlessly. Actually getting somewhere. Making progress. Creating meaning through continuous improvement. But here’s the problem most teams face: they’re improving the wrong things. They read book called Stop Decorating the Fish by Kristin Cox. Beautiful book. Really small. Great pictures. Really deep. Because think about what Sisyphus was doing. Something meaningless. Horrible life. Worst type of hell. How many of us pushing rocks up hills think: how can I improve pushing this rock when that whole thing is just wrong? That’s the problem. Stop pushing the rock is the problem. Don’t focus on just improving process you already have. Ask: is the process you’re doing something you should be doing in first place? Like Sisyphus rolling rock up hill. Are things we’re doing in construction the right things? Are you just improving the crap? Or is process you’re even doing worth improving, or should you focus on something else? Paul Akers says: don’t organize waste. That’s it. Stop decorating the fish. Create meaning through improvement of things that matter.

Here’s what most teams miss. They confuse activity with progress. Movement with meaning. Sisyphus was busy. Rock needed pushing. Hill was there. Work was defined. Process was clear. But it was meaningless because nothing improved. Rock ended up back where it started. Every single time. Construction teams do same thing. They improve processes without questioning if processes should exist. Make bad meetings more efficient instead of eliminating bad meetings. Optimize waste instead of removing waste. Decorate fish instead of asking why we’re decorating fish in first place. They think: we’re making progress because we’re improving something. But if something shouldn’t be done at all, improving it is meaningless. Like Sisyphus improving his rock-pushing technique. Better grip. Stronger legs. More efficient path. All meaningless because rock rolls back down anyway. The art of continuous improvement isn’t improving everything. It’s improving what creates meaning. What moves you forward. What doesn’t roll back down.

The challenge is most teams never learned to distinguish between meaningful improvement and decorating fish. They implement lean thinking improvement processes without first asking: should we be doing this at all? They organize waste. They optimize chaos. They make dysfunction more efficient. And they wonder why despite all improvements nothing fundamentally changes. Because they’re improving wrong things. Like painter making beautiful picture on condemned building. Skill applied. Effort invested. Result achieved. But building still getting demolished. All that work meaningless because focused on wrong thing. Victor Frankl wrote Man’s Search for Meaning studying concentration camp survivors. Conclusion: people need meaning to survive. People give up and die living meaningless lives without desire for improvement. Same in construction. Teams burn out pushing rocks endlessly. Not from hard work. From meaningless work. From improving things that don’t matter. From decorating fish instead of creating value.

The Norwegian Philosopher: Meaning Is Improvement

Norwegian philosopher wrote book called The Meaning of Life. Made many introductions around it. Quite a few discussions. Ended up summing up by saying that the meaning of life was improvement. That was in contrast to having meaningless life or life without meaning.

He quoted Sisyphus who rolled rock up hill then it rolled back down again as illustration of life without any meaning. Ties in with lean thinking and continuous improvement very well.

Sisyphus was Greek myth. Guy who didn’t want to die. Was about to die and was to be collected by gods. Always had excuses. Well, I have to make few things in order with my wife. Then he left and ran away. Next time there was something with kids. Continuously tried to not be fetched by gods.

Then he was condemned to roll rock up mountain and having it roll back down again for all eternity. That was myth about Sisyphus.

Contrast: philosopher dedicated who knows how many years to thinking well about what we should do and finding meaning. We have choice now since we have contrast. Choose meaning, not meaninglessness.

Stop Decorating the Fish: Don’t Improve Wrong Things

Recently read book called Stop Decorating the Fish by Kristin Cox. Beautiful book. Really small. Great pictures. Really deep.

Think about what Sisyphus was doing. Something meaningless. Horrible life to live, let alone living that for eternity. Worst type of hell you could live in. How many of us pushing rocks up hills think: how can I improve pushing this rock up hill when that whole thing is just wrong? That’s the problem. Stop pushing the rock is the problem.

Don’t focus on just improving process you already have. Ask: is the process you’re doing something you should be doing in first place? Just like Sisyphus rolling rock up hill. Are things we’re doing in construction the right things? Are you just improving the crap? Or is process you’re even doing worth improving, or should you focus on something else?

Paul Akers says: don’t organize waste. That’s it.

The Art of Continuous Improvement: Personal Journey

Art was something hard to appreciate. Learned to appreciate it through wife. Was baffled by how wife could appreciate art. Friend turned me on to book: The Agony and the Ecstasy. Biography of Michelangelo.

Gave perspective into each piece of art. What was happening in his life. How he progressed to get there. What the history was. That’s why I like phrase: the art of continuous improvement.

Art implies understanding of background of where you are and what your perspective is at time. What your needs are at time. What you choose to work on. Great to look externally for ways to improve. But what we choose to work on in our own lives, what we’re trying to improve, is going to be very personal.

It becomes art unique to each person. Their process. Their success. How it’s viewed by others even will be very much like art. Gives us freedom. Should be proud that it’s our own and it’s our own path.

Sometimes lean journey or continuous improvement journey is just little bit messy. That’s just part of getting there. As Michelangelo, famous artist, it wasn’t all butterflies and kittens. There was agony. Beautiful things come from striving and struggling and working.

Listen to Find the Right Level: Bjorn’s Story

When I did my master degree, I thought I was leader. Got job where I had control over maybe 100 people. Knew everything about economy. Everything about strategy. Came to site in far side of Norway.

Suddenly realized these people aren’t occupied with these things. Discovered some of my employees couldn’t read. They haven’t learned it. But they were excellent people. Excellent workers.

I went back to what I’d heard about lean. Started drawing things. Used colors to explain them the contract. In that way, they actually bloomed up. Perfect workers.

Boss before me said: these are shitty workers, don’t trust them, they know nothing. But when I spoke their language and explained them and took time to listen to them, they were fantastic workers. Productivity went like two, three times up.

That’s what I’ve experienced time and time again. Have to find right level. Way to talk to people. Then everybody is excellent if we find right level. That’s my mission when I meet new people. Listen to them. Find how we can talk to them. How do we communicate. Then we build them.

If This Was Easy Task, I Wouldn’t Hire You: Jorn’s Story

Had great experience in company where I met Bjorn. Was working with quality and health, safety, and environment. Came across problem. Don’t remember problem now. Just remember my boss’s response to it.

Really hard. Got lost. Twisted my mind. Didn’t know how to solve it. Had sit-down. Had coffee. Explained to him really looking for some answers. Discussed. Ended up: what should I do?

His response: he could have told me, now you should do this and that. He said: well, if this was easy task, I wouldn’t hire you.

That was great response. What he said: I trust that you can solve this. Just keep on breaking it. Instead of giving me fish, he gave me fishing rod. Great example of respect for me as human being.

Brought that along. Told story quite few times. When sharing something like that, need to have ability to trust people that they can solve problems. Leadership and management is all about getting results through and via other people. Not just being cleverest boy all time yourself. You will be your worst enemy if not able to do it through co-workers.

People Really Want to Do Good Project

Really important that all people we meet in construction, they really want to do good project. Nobody wants to be terrorist or do something bad for project. They have good intentions. Have to understand that.

Often spend lot of hours just listening to people to understand their intention. Don’t want to make money, of course. Also spend lot of time explaining to best of project how we put project in center. Really believe everybody can win in project.

Sometimes have feeling that somebody has to lose in order to get my company to win. But that’s not true. Everybody can win if we focus on right things.

The System Failed You

Let’s be clear. When teams improve wrong things, it’s not entirely their fault. The system failed by teaching continuous improvement without teaching to question what’s being improved. Nobody showed that improving bad process is decorating fish. Nobody explained that Sisyphus improving rock-pushing technique is meaningless because rock rolls back down anyway. Nobody demonstrated that movement doesn’t equal progress. Activity doesn’t equal meaning. The system taught improve everything when actually improve what matters.

The system also failed by not teaching Paul Akers principle: don’t organize waste. If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow. Teams optimize chaos. Make dysfunction more efficient. Improve processes that shouldn’t exist. Then wonder why despite improvements nothing fundamentally changes. Because they’re improving wrong things. Like painting beautiful picture on condemned building. Skill applied. Effort invested. Result achieved. But building still getting demolished. The system taught improve processes when actually eliminate waste first, then improve what remains.

The system fails by not teaching that meaning comes from improvement creating progress, not improvement creating better version of meaninglessness. Victor Frankl wrote Man’s Search for Meaning studying concentration camp survivors. People need meaning to survive. People give up living meaningless lives without desire for improvement. Same in construction. Teams burn out not from hard work but from meaningless work. From pushing rocks endlessly. From decorating fish. The system taught keep busy when actually create meaning through improvement of things moving you forward.

The Challenge

Here’s your assignment. Stop decorating fish. Start creating meaning through improvement of things that matter.

Question what you’re improving before improving it. Don’t just improve process you have. Ask: is process you’re doing something you should be doing in first place? Are you improving the crap? Or is process worth improving, or should you focus on something else? Stop pushing rock if rock shouldn’t be pushed.

Follow Paul Akers principle: don’t organize waste. Don’t optimize chaos. Don’t make dysfunction more efficient. Don’t improve processes that shouldn’t exist. Eliminate waste first. Then improve what remains creating value.

Choose meaning over activity. Movement doesn’t equal progress. Sisyphus was busy. Rock needed pushing. Hill was there. Work was defined. Process was clear. But it was meaningless because nothing improved. Rock ended up back where it started. Don’t confuse activity with meaning. Choose improvement creating progress.

Practice the art of continuous improvement as personal journey. Great to look externally for ways to improve. But what you choose to work on is personal. Becomes art unique to you. Your process. Your success. Your path. Be proud it’s your own.

Listen to find right level. Have to find way to talk to people. Then everybody is excellent if you find right level. Listen to them. Find how to communicate. Then build them. Spend hours listening to understand their intention. People really want to do good project.

Trust people can solve problems. Instead of giving fish, give fishing rod. Respect them as human beings. Leadership is about getting results through and via other people. Not being cleverest boy all time yourself. If this was easy task, I wouldn’t hire you. Trust they can solve it.

Remember Victor Frankl. People need meaning to survive. People give up living meaningless lives. Create meaning through improvement. Not improvement of anything. Improvement of things that matter. Things moving you forward. Things not rolling back down.

Norwegian philosopher concluded: meaning of life is improvement. But not improvement of rock-pushing technique. Improvement creating progress. Movement. Meaning. Choose that.

On we go.

FAQ

What does “decorating the fish” mean?

Don’t just improve process you already have. Question if process you’re doing is something you should be doing in first place. Are you improving the crap? Or is process worth improving, or should you focus on something else? Paul Akers says don’t organize waste. Stop improving wrong things.

What’s the Sisyphus myth and why does it matter?

Greek myth about man condemned to roll rock up mountain having it roll back down for all eternity. Norwegian philosopher used as illustration of life without meaning. Contrast to meaningful life: improvement creating progress. Not pushing same rock endlessly. How many of us pushing rocks up hills think: how can I improve pushing this rock when that whole thing is just wrong? Stop pushing the rock is the problem.

What is the art of continuous improvement?

Personal journey unique to each person. Art implies understanding of background of where you are, what your perspective is, what your needs are, what you choose to work on. Great to look externally for ways to improve. But what you choose to work on is personal. Becomes art unique to you. Your process. Your success. Your path. Sometimes messy. Beautiful things come from striving and struggling and working.

How do you help people find meaning in their work?

Listen to find right level. Have to find way to talk to people. Then everybody is excellent if you find right level. Spend hours listening to understand their intention. People really want to do good project. Trust people can solve problems. Give fishing rod, not fish. Respect them as human beings. If this was easy task, I wouldn’t hire you.

Why does Victor Frankl’s work matter for construction?

Wrote Man’s Search for Meaning studying concentration camp survivors. People need meaning to survive. People give up living meaningless lives without desire for improvement. Same in construction. Teams burn out not from hard work but from meaningless work. From pushing rocks endlessly. From decorating fish instead of creating value. Create meaning through improvement of things that matter.