Elevate Construction
by Jason Schroeder
Latest episode
Ep.1723 - The Downside of Short Meetings
Ep.1723 - The Downside of Short Meetings
About this podcast
Elevating construction with interviews, training, and techniques that will make the build environment better for workers, our customers, companies, and the industry as a whole.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 1,722 episodes
- Ep.1723 - The Downside of Short Meetings · 8 min · Season 17 Episode 1723Short meetings are not always better meetings. In this episode, Jason challenges the obsession with keeping every meeting brief and explains why rushing through important…
- Ep.1722 -The People and System Side of Lean · 6 min · Season 17 Episode 1722Lean is not just about improving processes, equipment, or workflows it is also about creating systems that help people see, respond, and succeed. In this episode, Jason explains…
- Ep.1721 - If It's Hard, You Don't Have the Right Visuals · 6 min · Season 17 Episode 1721If Lean feels difficult to implement, the problem may not be the people it may be what they can actually see. In this episode, Jason explains why strong visual systems make…
- Ep.1720 - Pretend You Own the Company · 6 min · Season 17 Episode 1720If you're a Project Executive or General Superintendent, you cannot afford to treat your role like a box-checking position. In this episode, Jason explains why senior…
- Ep.1719 - Elevate vs. The Lean Builder Framework · 6 min · Season 17 Episode 1719Not every Lean construction framework is designed to work the same way. In this episode, Jason explains the key differences between the Lean Builder approach and Elevate's…
- Ep.1718 - Japan Takeaways Part 3: Calm, Clean, and Built to Flow · 13 min · Season 17 Episode 1718What does excellence look like when safety, production, logistics, and human behavior are all designed to work together? In this final episode of the Japan Takeaways series…
- Ep.1717 - Japan Takeaways Part 2: What a Flowing Job Site Looks Like · 9 min · Season 17 Episode 1717What does a construction site look like when planning, logistics, safety, and production all work together? In this episode, Jason shares his second round of takeaways from Japan…
- Ep.1716 - Japan Takeaways Part 1: What Great Leaders Do Differently · 8 min · Season 17 Episode 1716What separates a great system from a great organization is often how leaders behave inside it. In this episode, Jason shares his first major takeaways from visiting a Japanese…
- Ep.1715 - Wear Your PPE, but Pretend You Didn't Have It · 4 min · Season 17 Episode 1715PPE should be the last line of defense not the reason people feel safe taking unnecessary risks. In this episode, Jason explains why workers should wear PPE with absolute…
- Ep.1714 - Don't Pole Vault Over Mouse Shit · 7 min · Season 17 Episode 1714Being busy with something urgent does not mean you are working on what actually matters. In this episode, Jason explains why strong construction leaders must develop the ability…
- Ep.1713 - You May Be Crushing It at the Wrong Bar · 12 min · Season 17 Episode 1713Working hard and feeling successful does not always mean your performance is actually where it needs to be. In this episode, Jason explores the danger of grading yourself against…
- Ep.1712 - Zones, Areas, and Phases Explained · 8 min · Season 17 Episode 1712Calling something a "zone" does not make it a zone. In this episode, Jason explains the critical difference between zones, areas, and phases in Takt planning and why confusing…
- Ep.1711 - Why I Suck · 14 min · Season 17 Episode 1711It's easy to compare your worst moments to someone else's best ones. In this episode, Jason pulls back the curtain and shares the side of himself. People rarely see the mistakes…
- Ep.1710 - How to Feel Organized and Still Get Home on Time · 10 min · Season 17 Episode 1710Feeling organized should not require staying late every day. In this episode, Jason explains how to stay ahead of your work without letting it consume your life by creating quiet…
- Ep.1709 - We're Too Addicted to Computers · 13 min · Season 17 Episode 1709Being busy on a computer does not always mean real work is getting done. In this episode, Jason challenges the construction industry's dependence on screens and asks whether…
- Ep.1708 - Make It Work Before You Standardize It · 10 min · Season 17 Episode 1708You can't optimize something that doesn't exist yet. In this episode, Jason explains why teams need to separate the invention phase from the optimization phase and why trying to…
- Ep.1707 - Build the Team Before You Build the Project · 8 min · Season 17 Episode 1707Great projects start by getting the right people into the right roles before the work begins. In this episode, Jason connects Jocko Willink and Leif Babin's "cover and move"…
- Ep.1706 - Get Rid of the Word "Should" · 5 min · Season 17 Episode 1706"Should" sounds harmless, but in construction planning it often reveals uncertainty. In this episode, Jason shares a lesson from a field walk that changed the way he thinks about…
- Ep.1705 - Out of Your Head, Off of Your Shoulders · 10 min · Season 17 Episode 1705Trying to carry an entire project in your head is not a sign of strength; it creates unnecessary stress, hides information from the team, and puts the burden on one person. In…
- Ep.1704 - Hurry Up and Plan · 10 min · Season 17 Episode 1704The worst time to start planning is when construction is already underway. In this episode, Jason explains why urgency belongs in pre-construction not in the field and why teams…
- Ep. 1703 - There's No Such Thing as a Small Mistake With a Client · 13 min · Season 17 Episode 1703A mistake may feel small to you, but it may not feel small to your client. In this episode, Jason explains why minimizing a client's concern can damage trust and why every…
- Ep.1702 - Training From the Battle Perch · 5 min · Season 17 Episode 1702What if one of the best places to train future construction leaders is above the job site? In this episode, Jason explores the concept of the "battle perch" an elevated position…
- Ep.1701 - If You're Not Happy, Leave · 21 min · Season 17 Episode 1701How much of your life are you willing to postpone for a future that isn't guaranteed? In this episode, Jason challenges the idea of staying stuck in a job, career, or lifestyle…
- Ep.1700 - The System Asking for Help · 10 min · Season 17 Episode 1700What if your system could tell you when it needed help? In this episode, Jason explores the Jidoka principle and reframes it as something much bigger than a machine simply…
- Ep.1699 - Work and Worship · 16 min · Season 16 Episode 1699What if the way you work is more than just a way to earn a living? In this episode, Jason explores the idea that meaningful work can become a form of worship, an opportunity to…
- Ep.1698 - Behaviors Have Consequences · 9 min · Season 16 Episode 1698What happens when being "nice" means never setting standards, never addressing poor performance, and never holding teams accountable? In this episode, Jason explores the…
- Ep.1697 - The Most Important Things in Construction Planning · 10 min · Season 16 Episode 1697In this episode, Jason breaks down the five planning practices he believes are essential to successful construction delivery: pull planning, look-ahead planning, pre-construction…
- Ep.1696 - See People, See the System · 10 min · Season 16 Episode 1696In this episode, Jason explores the relationship between people and the systems that shape their performance. A strong person can still struggle when placed inside a broken…
- Ep.1695 - My Energy, Not My Identity · 6 min · Season 16 Episode 1695In this episode, Jason explores the difference between leading from personal identity and leading with positive energy. He reflects on how a strong identity can sometimes lead to…
- Ep.1694 - The 47 Things Before Work Starts · 7 min · Season 16 Episode 1694In this episode, Jason explains why successful construction teams do not simply start work, they prepare for work. He introduces the concept of the "47 things" that must happen…
- Ep.1693 - Lazy and Entitled Behavior Does Not Get to Use Lean Principles · 7 min · Season 16 Episode 1693In this episode, Jason discusses the importance of understanding the purpose behind Lean principles and why they should never become excuses for avoiding responsibility…
- Ep.1692 - Meeting Time Limits Are Stupid · 6 min · Season 16 Episode 1692In this episode, Jason challenges the idea that construction meetings and planning huddles must fit within arbitrary time limits. The goal isn't to finish the meeting quickly…
- Ep.1691 - If Lean Makes You Feel Justified, You Likely Didn't Understand · 8 min · Season 16 Episode 1691In this episode, Jason discusses a common trap in learning Lean: using Lean principles to justify existing beliefs instead of allowing Lean to challenge and transform the way we…
- Ep.1690 - You Gotta Have Time for Quality · 6 min · Season 16 Episode 1690In this episode, Jason explains why quality cannot exist in a culture of constant rushing, pushing, and panic. Quality requires time, space, and the right systems to allow people…
- Ep.1689 - Climb With Your Feet: People, Quality, Process · 8 min · Season 16 Episode 1689In this episode, Jason explores why the foundation of a successful construction system starts with the right priorities: taking care of people, delivering quality, and then…
- Ep.1688 - More Detail Isn't Always Better · 7 min · Season 16 Episode 1688In this episode, Jason explains why asking for more detail in a construction schedule can actually create more problems instead of solving them. He explores how excessive detail…
- Ep.1687 - Data, Risk, and Authority · 6 min · Season 16 Episode 1687In this episode, Jason discusses how construction teams should make decisions when there are disagreements during pre-construction. He explains why data should be the first place…
- Ep.1686 - You Have to Stay on Top of Your Health · 11 min · Season 16 Episode 1686In this episode, Jason shares his personal health journey and explains why taking care of yourself should be treated as a lifelong responsibility. From nutrition and exercise to…
- Ep.1685 - When Good GCs Become the Problem · 7 min · Season 16 Episode 1685In this episode, Jason discusses a surprising challenge facing successful general contractors: the risk of becoming too comfortable with what already works. He explains why even…
- Ep.1684 - Turning Variances Into Opportunities for Improvement · 6 min · Season 16 Episode 1684In this episode, Jason discusses how construction teams can rethink variances and use them as opportunities to improve systems instead of assigning blame. He explains why…
- Ep.1683 - Construction Has No Choreography · 8 min · Season 16 Episode 1683In this episode, Jason explains why so many construction activities suffer from constant two-to-four-hour delays. The root problem is often simple: teams are reacting in the…
- Ep.1682 - Do We Really Know Who Our Customer Is? · 5 min · Season 16 Episode 1682In this episode, Jason challenges the traditional idea of who the customer is in construction. He argues that trade partners, foremen, and workers should be treated as the…
- Ep.1681 - AI Slop or a Tool for Better Work? · 10 min · Season 16 Episode 1681In this episode, Jason responds to criticism around "AI slop" and explains why he sees AI as a powerful tool for improving work, solving problems, and communicating ideas faster…
- Ep.1680 - Accountability vs. Count-On-Ability · 6 min · Season 16 Episode 1680In this episode, Jason challenges the traditional idea of accountability and reframes it as "count-on-ability." Instead of punishment or pressure, leadership should help people…
- Ep.1679 - What Does "External Email Only" Mean? · 12 min · Season 16 Episode 1679In this episode, Jason explains what he means by using email only for external communication. His goal is to reduce slow, batched communication and move teams toward faster…
- Ep.1678 - What Killing Roaches Taught Me About Construction · 25 min · Season 16 Episode 1678In this episode, Jason shares an unexpected lesson in Lean thinking through his experience eliminating a German cockroach infestation. What started as a household problem became…
- Ep.1677 - Data, Visibility, and the Limits of KPIs · 8 min · Season 16 Episode 1677In this episode, Jason explains why data alone cannot tell you everything you need to know about a construction project. Metrics matter, but leaders still need visibility…
- Ep.1676 - Takt Is Taking Off Across the Construction Industry · 6 min · Season 16 Episode 1676In this episode, Jason shares examples of how Takt planning is gaining momentum across the construction industry. More companies are moving beyond experimentation and integrating…
- Ep.1675 - Words Alone Don't Work: Make Communication Visual · 14 min · Season 16 Episode 1675In this episode, Jason explains why verbal instructions alone are rarely enough to create clarity. If something matters, leaders need to make it written, visual, and accessible…
- Ep.1674 - The Smart PM Who Knows Everything and Gets Nothing Done · 13 min · Season 16 Episode 1674In this episode, Jason explores a common project management trap: being highly knowledgeable but too disorganized to turn that knowledge into results. Knowing the answer only…
