Don’t Give the Team the Plan, Build It With Them.

A Trade Partner’s Approach to Planning Well

Written by Matt Kitzmiller, Lead Corporate Trainer, Learning and Development at Rosendin Electric

During my five-year apprenticeship, we never reviewed any curriculum involving planning work or managing and leading people. That’s because there wasn’t any curriculum of that variety, which is a shame, because the technical aspect of my work as an electrician has been the easiest part of my career. The part of our work that involves working with people is the most challenging.

With proper processes in place, it can also be the most rewarding.

Guesstimates are No Substitute for Certainty

I’ve had many conversations over the years involving planning and peoplepower forecasting. I’ve heard a lot of people say things like, “I think this is a three-person task,” and “I feel like this will take four days.” When it comes to planning in design and construction, the words “think” and “feel” have a place, and that place is in the same caves that house unicorns and dragons.

“Think” and “feel” are not sustainable concepts and are not teachable. We need processes to plan well. Without process we have chaos.

How to Plan

As leaders, we have a couple of options when it comes to planning. We can either hand someone a plan and send them on their way, or we can involve them in the planning process.

Option 1: Give the Team a Plan (Weak)

When we give a team a plan, there is little to no ownership being taken by the team. In fact, when the plan fails, the team can always inform the plan’s architect that, “this was your plan, not mine.” The team will not feel ownership or accountability toward the plan and is much more likely to abandon it at the first sign of resistance or trouble – or the moment you walk out of the room.

One of the most important goals for leadership is autonomy. It seems counterintuitive to work yourself out of a job, but that’s the goal.

This is the byproduct of cultivating ownership: Fewer emails, phone calls, and questions. When teams aren’t a part of the planning process, the ownership just isn’t there. When the time comes to go above and beyond, the motivation likely isn’t there. When a mistake is made, the likelihood of them reporting the mistake is reduced.

Option 2: Plan With the Team (Strong)

The better option for a leader is to supply your team with some parameters or guardrails and allow them to create the plan. Instead of saying, “here’s your plan,” you can say something like, “you have a three-person crew and seven days to get the job done. Talk to your crew and formulate a plan. I’ll be back in a few hours to review your plan and provide some feedback.” Now they have a stake in the game.

In making this slight adjustment, you’re showing your team that you value them, and after coaching them and their plan, you’re cultivating ownership. Giving up this control is what retired U.S. Navy SEAL and author Jocko Willink calls “decentralized command,” and it works really well.

I ran an electrical manufacturing facility for several years. One day we accidentally shipped an expensive tool in the piece of equipment. When I received a call from the receiving part of the equipment we shipped, the guy on the other end said, “thanks for the free tool you shipped us!” I was very embarrassed. We went to our crew and asked them what ideas they had to never make this mistake again. Everyone presented incredible ideas, which allowed us to develop a process approved by the entire team. Simply by involving the team in the process of planning and brainstorming, we implemented a viable solution and never made that mistake again.

Key Takeaways

• Planning is a superpower, and we can teach it
• Accountability is critical for teams to grow
• Don’t give your team the plan, give them the gift of having a stake in the game

Learn More About Proper Planning Tools and Effective Leadership

The Lean Construction Institute offers several effective tools for planning and leading a group of people in design and construction. Dive in deeper with some of these free resources:

• Field Crew Huddle: Explore case studies and real tools you can use to improve your construction projects out in the field.
• What is Lean?: Learn about the Lean mindset and how transformative these changes can be for your work.
• Lean Tools for Project Teams: Get the crash course on key Lean concepts you can apply with your project team, including Lean Project Delivery, The Last Planner System®, and more.