Ep.1447 - Answers to a Question about Where To Start
Jason answers a listener from Brazil who is leading a delayed, complex facade restoration and does not know where to begin. He lays out a simple, field-tested starting plan that replaces panic with clarity and momentum. You will learn: The first three daily habits to regain control: read the drawings, visualize the plan with zones and logistics, and walk the field. How to use crew input to shape sequence even without a formal pull plan. How to launch short daily huddles around visuals to surface and solve roadblocks. What full kit really means and how to refuse starts without it. How to hold the line on the system instead of firefighting when pressure rises. If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you’ll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I’d appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊). Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels: · Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg · LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt · LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured · LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw
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7:27
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7:27
Ep.1446 - The Reality of what Trades Deal With
Seeing Through Trade Partners’ Eyes This short episode reframes “problems with the trades” as problems with systems, culture, and inputs. Jason explains why most crews arrive wary and defensive, how our consistency can pull them back into a window of tolerance, and why emotionally intelligent supervision beats control. You will leave with a humane, practical lens that improves trust, flow, and results. You will learn: Why blaming people fails and fixing systems works. The idea of ill-wired vs ill-prompted behavior and why inputs matter. How to earn trust in six to eight weeks with consistent huddles, pull planning, and clear norms. What emotionally intelligent superintendents do and why one toxic leader can sink a site. Who should listen: Supers, assistant supers, foremen, and field engineers ready to replace control with trust and get better work from better systems. If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you’ll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I’d appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊). Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels: · Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg · LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt · LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured · LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw
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12:45
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12:45
Ep.1445 - Help w/ Zone Control Walks
Help, Don’t Control: Make Zone Control Walks Work Stop chasing fifteen handoffs and start creating flow. Jason explains how to focus on the vital few, run quick joint walks, and enable trades to self-verify so you follow up instead of firefight. You will learn: How to shortlist the day’s critical handoffs in the afternoon foreman huddle. How to run brief, pull-based walks using full kit principles. How to use feature-of-work and zone control checklists for trade self-verification. How to assign remaining handoffs to trade-to-trade walks with written commitments. How to distribute checklists via WhatsApp to foremen and capture quick proof. How to log outcomes in Takt the same afternoon and review the next morning. How to keep supervision tied to field work without micromanaging. If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you’ll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I’d appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊). Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels: · Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg · LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt · LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured · LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw
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9:39
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9:39
Ep.1444 - Random Topics
In this episode. Jason is catching up on powerful lessons and field-tested practices that can make your projects safer, cleaner, and more effective. Here’s what you’ll learn: The Builder’s Code: How you treat workers and foremen is exactly how they’ll treat the building, and what the client ultimately experiences. Lessons from Japan (Gemba): Start with 2–3S (sort, straighten, shine), watch people’s movement, and stop where things don’t make sense to reveal hidden constraints. Problems vs. Dilemmas: A problem has a clear solution; a dilemma forces you to choose between imperfect options. Jason shares examples every builder will recognize. Trash Management Done Right: Pre-kit and pre-cut to reduce waste, use scrap-out units, and manage dumpsters with visual Kanban triggers at half or three-quarters full. Daily Logistics Discipline: Assign a logistics owner to check the perimeter, cleanliness, recycling, and traffic control every single day. Why Saturdays Don’t Work: Crews show up thin, productivity drops, and you lose momentum. Stop relying on weekend work as the answer. AEDs on Every Site: More lives are lost to cardiac arrest than auto accidents. Affordable AEDs (around $1,400) save lives. Every project needs one. This episode is practical, fast-moving, and packed with insights you can take straight to the field. If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you’ll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I’d appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊). Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels: · Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg · LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt · LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured · LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw
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10:03
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10:03
Ep.1443 - How to Spot Real Improvement, Feat. Patrick Adams
Are you running on continuous improvement or just the appearance of it? In this fast, practical conversation, Jason sits down with Patrick Adams, author of Avoiding the Continuous Appearance Trap, to expose the difference and show leaders how to build systems that actually sustain. What you will hear: Patrick’s journey from the United States Marine Corps to leading Lean Solutions and coaching teams worldwide. The trap: companies that look “lean” on the surface but suffer toxic culture, high turnover, and flat KPIs. The telltales of a true CI culture: clear expectations that cascade to the front line, time and space to problem-solve, and relentless sustainment. Why short-term fixes fail and why real operational excellence takes structured daily behaviors, not silver bullets. How Patrick’s 12 questions help leaders assess where they are and design their own roadmap. One practical challenge: Adopt leader standard work today. Structure your day, review it at the end, and align your actions to the results you claim to want. If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you’ll never miss an episode. And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I’d appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two 😊). Also, here are links to our YouTube Channels: · Jason Schroeder YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4xpRYvrW5Op5Ckxs4vDGDg · LeanTakt YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/leanTakt · LeanSuper YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQDevqQP19L4LePuqma3Fg/featured · LeanSurvey YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Ztn3okFhyB_3p5nmMKnsw
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