Everything is Too Complex - Until You Practice Enough

There is no question that construction is becoming more complex.

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Supply chains are more complex.  Technology is more complex. The world is becoming more complex.  We don’t do ourselves or others any favors by not coming to terms with that complexity.  

Leadership Tools: Everything is Too Complex Until You Practice Enough.

Simplification and streamlining should always be our goal.  We must get comfortable learning the complexities before we can work on simplification.  


“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

- Stephen R. Covey  | 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

“Often we don't need better ideas, we just need to frame them more effectively.  To describe something simply, you must really understand it deeply."

- Frances Frei


How would you answer the following questions yes or no?

  • I believe some processes and tools are too complicated in my company.  
  • I did my best today to deliberately practice using those process and tools.
      
  • I did my best today to improve and document new standards using the PDCA and 5S tools.
  • I did my best today to share what I learned by teaching someone else.  

If you answer those questions every day for a month what would your ratio be of yes vs. no?  

If your team answered them what would that ratio be? 




Lead Measures and Outcomes: Starting with the Schedule of Values (SOV)
It is nearly impossible for a contractor to have consistently great cash flow if they have a Schedule-of-Values (SOV) that isn’t loaded properly and integrated with the project schedule, including a projection of the cash flow.
Evaluation Categories and Weighting
Whether you are evaluating your own performance or someone else’s, it is important to start thinking about some of the higher level categories. The weight assigned to each of these depends on the stage someone is at in their career.
A Business Exists to Serve a Customer
Without satisfied and growing customers, nothing else a contractor does will matter. Few things are more profitable for contractors than recurring work negotiated with a select group of project owners.