The Forest For The Trees

Sometimes in our efforts to be super detailed and impactful, we become part of our own challenge.  We become an obstacle that we, ourselves, place in the path of our own success.  Many people who are seriously driven are motivated by doing "as much work" as we possibly can.  That motivation, however, prevents us from doing one very important thing to maintain perspective:  Breathe.

When a challenge arises, especially in the construction industry, we rush to solve.  This is generally a good thing, as problems in this business escalate exponentially with time, it would seem.  The conflict  arises when we are too close to the problem and too close to the emotions, anxiety, and overall state of being busy that we have lost our perspective.

Today, I'm going to discuss the first option to being able to effectively solve.  That is simply to BREATHE.  We must take a pause in our busy work day, stop, and take a step back from the situation in order to gain objectivity.  Only in this way, in clearing our mind of the predetermined filters that we have already installed there, can we see the problem with objective enough eyes to be effective.  We are best at solving difficult problems when we are clear, grounded, and open to information not previously seen by us.  An example of this was a group that I was helping facilitate a training for not long ago.  This firm has taken extreme care of their training and education program to not only give their field leaders the best in class tools available to do the job. but the mental tools available to properly and objectively see challenges for what they are:  Opportunities for improvement, NOT opportunities for punishment.

A little back story here.  This firm has implemented the paramount combination of world class technology deployment, tireless education initiatives, and a driven, focused company culture to allow their field leaders to excel beyond the employee's own expectations.  They are empowered to do their jobs, have the best in real-time information and scheduling to drive production to levels unheard of in their markets.  Their award winning projects are a testament to the engagement their employees feel to the end product and, more importantly, to the company that employs them.  Their secret?  One is the principle messages sent during this training and that is the necessity of stepping back, stopping all other current personal work tasks, and spending time watching.

Only by watching will they see the waste that exists.  Only by watching will they see the frustration in the faces of their team, or, said differently, an opportunity for them to solve.  This gave them the opportunity to ask the team members what is working and what needs revision.  Just because we had a plan doesn't mean that was the BEST plan.  We can hope it is, but hope is not an actionable strategy, and things in our industry change quickly.  We heard stories upon stories from attendees of this multi session course of the impacts that this habit of repeated observation has created.  Work flow is streamlined, less downtime is experienced in waiting for materials, and crew sizes and types are adjusted to limit recoverable lost time experienced. In addition, the team feels heard, engaged, and motivated to seek out waste. 

This is the intersection where training, process, and empowerment intersect in the most effective way.  It is a beautiful thing to behold.  All that said, I would implore you to ask yourself what you are doing to create this type of synergy with your team?  If you need help, ask a trusted associate who is a person you admire, and who does this well.