Elevating Construction Foremen – Part 1

All of those positions respect and rely on the role of a crew leader the most. When I was running work, I would often say, “Our project rises and falls on the shoulders of crew leaders,” and I meant it. In my estimation, a crew leader is one of the most important roles in construction. As such, we should elevate it.

How Did Takt Change the Way I See Crew Leaders?

When I started Elevate, it was my goal to efficiently train supers and crew leaders. Once Elevating Construction Superintendents was published, I felt strongly that we needed to pause and figure out scheduling first. So, we began LeanTakt and researched the best methodologies from around the world.

That effort produced the Takt Production System, which is the best scheduling system available for construction, and the Integrated Production Control System, which organizes a project to run well. The main takeaway from both is that trade crews should be organized in a train, or sequence, of trades. They go through zones on a project in the same direction and the same sequence, with the same effort, through zones that have the same amount of work, going the same speed, the same distance apart. All trades should flow through a project.

Now that I visualize projects as trains of trades moving through zones in a flow, I see the role of a crew leader differently. A crew leader is the most crucial position. Not only because he or she mentors and trains the crews, prepares the work, and supervises it, but because crew leaders have the greatest effect on what I call zone control.

You cannot put a professional basketball player on an open field and ask him or her to win the game. You have to provide a hoop, a regulation court, sidelines, timers, and scoreboards. The Takt Production System and the Integrated Production Control System are those things to the crew leader in construction. Without them, we are simply doing our best without any real measurement.

Construction is the same as manufacturing with one exception. In manufacturing, the product moves through the plant. In construction, the crew leaders move through the zones with their people, tools, equipment, materials, and process. If we want construction to flow, we have to get crew leaders and workers to flow through zones.

What Is a Crew Leader?

A crew leader is the person in charge of a crew of workers in construction. He or she is responsible for leading a cohesive team to install work in a flow, safely, with good quality, on time, and under budget. If you want the day-to-day version of the role, I lay it out in What Does a Foreman Do on a Construction Site?

To be clear, I am talking about the women and men in construction who supervise a crew. Crew leaders are historically referred to as foremen, but I changed the word to crew leader to be more inclusive. That is the word I use through the rest of this series.

What Makes a Crew Leader a Shepherd?

As the leader of your crew, you fill many roles: organizer, leader, coach, mentor, technical expert, impact player, motivator, and so much more. Another main thing you are to your crew is a shepherd. The term is very complimentary, because shepherds of people use their influence to lead others. Shepherd leaders:

1. Set boundaries and hold the line.
2. Set the example for those they lead and promote a culture of safety.
3. Are trustworthy and have influence with those who follow them.
4. Provide the resources and supplies their team needs to complete the task.
5. Sacrifice their own comfort for the safety and well-being of their team, because to lead is to serve and help the team be empowered.
6. Invest in those they lead.
7. Bridge the gap between workers and supervisors.
8. Develop relationships with their teams.
9. Become visionaries who see the details but zoom out to see the bigger picture as well.
10. Strive to see the big picture of the project and collaborate over that goal with the other trades.

Why Is the German Shepherd the Crew Leader Mascot?

At Elevate Construction, we brand our training for key positions with a mascot. The field engineer mascot is the honey badger, because field engineers must be tenacious and go get what is needed to support the skilled craft in the field. The mascot for the superintendent is the wolf, because anyone can become the alpha, setting up and supporting the team. Our mascot for crew leaders is the shepherd: the German Shepherd.

German Shepherds share these traits:

• They are easy to get along with.
• They have fierce guardian instincts.
• They are smart and learn fast.
• They are strong and powerful.
• They are highly sociable.
• They actively drive forward.
• They are a herding breed known for courage and loyalty.

That is what I see in a crew leader. They are the glue that holds this entire system together. They are the guardians and the shepherds who lead the skilled craft workers who deliver our product. For what that looks like on the ground, read How to Be a Good Construction Foreman.

So here is the challenge. Go through the list of shepherd qualities and score yourself honestly on each one. Pick the weakest one and work on it with your crew on the job, then ask your superintendent whether your zones and your crews are set up to flow.

Bottom line: Crew leaders are the shepherds of construction, and our projects rise and fall on their shoulders, so elevate them.

If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.

Want your team trained on this? See our Last Planner® System and Takt training.

On we go.

Elevating Construction Foremen series:
This is the first part of the series.
Next: Part 2: Who You Are, Moonshot Goals, and Who You Can Become

FAQ

What is a crew leader in construction?

A crew leader is the person in charge of a crew of workers. He or she leads a cohesive team to install work in a flow, safely, with good quality, on time, and under budget. Crew leaders are historically called foremen.

Why are crew leaders the most important leaders in construction?

Workers and crew leaders are the only positions that directly earn money in our industry. They are the last people in the planning cycle and the first people in the field, so quality, safety, schedule, and profit all ride on them.

What does it mean for a crew leader to be a shepherd?

A shepherd uses influence to lead. Shepherd leaders set boundaries, set the example, provide resources, sacrifice their own comfort for the team, invest in their people, and bridge the gap between workers and supervisors.

People Also Read:
How Do I Become a Successful Construction Foreman?
Training for Foremen
Zone Control: How to Manage the Speed of the Train
How Foremen Run the Day, Tactical Meetings, Huddles & Zone Control