Forward Progress

Progress, production, and work-in-place; this is the objective. It is how you make money; it is how you stay on schedule; it is a significant stake in your reputation. Everything you do should be about making forward progress all the time.

Every meeting, phone call, e-mail, or discussion about the project should end with clear directions for who will take the next step and the expected action. If this differs from the objective, then the time is wasted because it must be repeated. At progress meetings, there are long topic discussions; make sure it has direction. Stop the meeting if needed but ensure you and the team understand the next step. Remember, if you are not 100% sure who has the ball and where it is going, no one else does either. This action also brings clarity to the meeting minutes. Another objective is to get a commitment to when the task will occur. Try and have a responsible party tell you when they will have the answer. They will be likelier to keep it and take responsibility if they commit. Now, their words are on the line.

You can use the same approach when discussing the project with your PM, Super, and Subs. What is the issue, who will make the call, what is the objective if no result is achieved, what is the next step? Find a direction, make sure it is forward, and press on.

This attitude will result in a sense of leadership, action, and responsibility, infecting everyone involved with an active approach. Meetings become events that can't be missed because they are so productive. Lack of action will be perceived as letting the rest of the team down. It is infective and can be very powerful if no issue is allowed to arise. They all require action, and they have responsibility.

The result is in the progress schedule and the resulting profitability per month. Resolving issues has a direct correlation to putting the work in place. Without answers, the work cannot be completed, and the negative snowball effect can be devastating and difficult to stop and reverse.

?Management tip:

Find a way to log the actions required and dates committed for work. The meeting minutes record those issues but try and track the rest. If the team realizes there will be follow-up, the action will likely be had; if not, it will be perceived as just more talk with no real responsibility.