In France, Fabien was talking with Kevin and me about how we really have to focus hard right now on the top 10%: the early adopters, the people who are really into lean construction and operational excellence. We need that 10% to showcase what can be done, pave the way, and prove that all of these topics and concepts are doable. This is about early adopters and having the right people in the right meetings.
Short answer: The first 1% of lean early adopters are through the gate, and the next 10% are coming through now while the whole industry watches. You can’t delegate lean. Owners, directors, team leaders, and superintendents have to learn it, own it, and show up, because delegated lean won’t scale.
Who Is the Industry Watching?
The first 1% learned about it, implemented it on their jobs, and are now affecting the next 10%. If you’re an early adopter, a PM or a super who’s learning, if you listen to this podcast, if you’ve gone to the AGC lean training or an LCI Congress, if you’re implementing takt planning or the Last Planner System, I can’t overemphasize how important your role is. I fear that I, or anyone else, will underemphasize it.
This is not a shaming thing. But this isn’t a we’ll-try-it-and-see-how-it-goes situation. The whole industry is watching you right now: to see how you do, to see if you make it out the other end, to see your results, and to prove to themselves that it’s worth the time to implement.
What Have the First 1% Proven?
If I had to guess, the first 1% of early adopters have made it through. I’m not just talking about Elevate. I’m talking about the whole industry.
- Contractors who have completely transformed their businesses
- Projects finishing 20% earlier on their overall duration
- General contractors treating workers like they’re human beings
- Hospitals and owners implementing takt planning who are raving fans
- Examples from the IPD world, and case studies
The first 1% are through the gate, and the second group, the 10%, are coming through right now. So if it takes determination, take it. If it takes money, spend it. If it takes time, use it. If it takes buy-in and encouragement, let’s get it. Whatever it takes, we’ve got to get the next group of early adopters into a success pattern, because it needs to scale.
What Happens When a Superintendent Delegates Lean?
I saw something fairly disappointing the other day on a very, very large project. They were using takt, and the takt was working very well, along with parts of the Last Planner System and their meeting structure. But the project team couldn’t bother themselves with coming to a coordination meeting with the foremen. They had asked the project scheduler to run the meeting. There’s nothing wrong with schedulers.
The foremen were being asked to be in a meeting, to coordinate, and to buy in. But the superintendent didn’t feel it was his job to be there, and he delegated it to someone else. I feel that’s tragic and disappointing. The message is: I, as the superintendent, will keep doing classical management things. This lean thing is fine, but I’ll delegate it.
It was the most tragic thing I’ve seen when it comes to implementing operational excellence. They might have some success, but it won’t scale. There isn’t a connection, and components of the integrated production control system aren’t in place.
Would You Delegate These?
Owners, you can’t delegate lean. Directors, you can’t delegate lean. Leaders of teams, you can’t delegate lean. Superintendents, you can’t delegate lean. You are not becoming an early adopter if you delegate it. Some of you think, Jason’s right, this podcast is great, I’m going to send it to so-and-so and have them run with it. That’s not it, man.
| In your company, did you delegate… | Then why delegate… |
|---|---|
| Your culture? | A lean culture? |
| The overall hierarchy and structure of your company? | A business system? |
| The hiring of key positions? | A way of thinking? |
| Someone to be in charge of you? | Your own learning? |
| Your personal finances? | Current best practices? |
If you wouldn’t delegate these things, why are you delegating a lean culture? Lean is a business system. Lean is a way of thinking. Lean is part of your culture. You have to learn it. See Things You Cannot Delegate as a CEO.
How Do We Own It at Elevate?
We have to have people taking ownership of the adoption of lean, people saying, this is me. At Elevate, Kevin, Katie, and I are partners. We own the business and we lead the business. I would never say to someone, you’re in charge of our culture. No, that’s us. You’re in charge of the psychological safety of our people. No, that’s us. You’re in charge of all our finances, just make sure we spend money properly and have good cash flow. No, that’s us. We have to know the numbers.
I would never, ever delegate the adoption of lean or current best practices in business or operational excellence. We learn it. When Katie, as CEO, talks about what we should be learning, she never says, go send someone else to learn this lean concept or pay for someone else to go to this conference. She asks, Kevin, what do you need to learn? Jason, what do you need to learn? Katie, what do I need to learn? Read How Extreme Ownership Changed My Life.
Why Is This a Positive Message?
The 10% is going through the gate right now, and we’ve got to make sure that 10% is successful. We can’t do that if we don’t take ownership. I use the story of the superintendent not showing up as an example of what we can’t do. Are you delegating early adoption to someone else and not showing up where you’re supposed to be? Please look at this, because we need you.
We need to showcase the results of how this is working, so it scales like wildfire. At the end of this effort are a whole lot of people who will end up respected and a whole lot of families that will end up preserved.
A listener found my LinkedIn page while searching for a construction podcast, listened to Episode 377, and wrote that, as a PM, a productivity nerd, and a proactive person, the message resonates deeply. He simply wanted to say thank you and well done. I love feedback, whether positive or for improvement, even if the second is a little hard to take.
So here is the challenge. Look at every lean meeting on your project this week. If you’re the leader and you’ve handed one off, take it back and show up.
Bottom line: You can’t delegate lean. Learn it, own it, and show up, because the whole industry is watching.
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.
FAQ
Why do early adopters of lean construction matter so much?
The first 1% have implemented lean and are now affecting the next 10%. The whole industry is watching that 10% to see if they make it through and what their results are. Once the 10% are through, everyone else will start to come through en masse, but it has to be done right.
Can a superintendent delegate lean to a scheduler?
No. Owners, directors, team leaders, and superintendents can’t delegate lean. Lean is a business system, a way of thinking, and part of your culture. Delegating it might bring some success, but it won’t scale, and components of the integrated production control system won’t be in place.
What results are lean early adopters seeing?
Contractors have completely transformed their businesses, projects are finishing 20% earlier on overall duration, general contractors are treating workers like human beings, hospitals and owners implementing takt planning are raving fans, and there are examples and case studies from the IPD world.
People Also Read:
Artful Delegation
The Power of “Who”s and Delegation
Superintendent Commandments: 10 Rules You Can’t Break
Why You Can’t Fix Construction
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.