Here’s the deal. When people ask me what I believe about construction that most of the industry disagrees with, my answer is win-win in construction. Most people think somebody has to lose for a job to win. I believe there is no such thing as a win-lose.
Short answer: Win-win in construction is the only kind of win there is. There is no such thing as a win-lose, only win-wins and lose-losses. If the general contractor wins while a trade partner loses, the general contractor eventually loses too. Rushing, pushing, and panicking only looks busy and extends throughput time. Quality, safety, and respect for people are what make a job cheaper and faster, because you only win when the whole system wins.
The Belief Most of the Industry Holds
There is something people call the trinity of construction. It says you can have cost, meaning a reasonably inexpensive project, or quality, or speed. Pick two, but you cannot have all three. You can be fast and cheap, but then you cannot have quality. You can have lower cost with quality, but then you cannot go fast.
That is not true. In fact, it is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. I understand why people say it. They are good people, but they are under a misapprehension about the circumstances we are in. It is just categorically untrue, because it assumes somebody has to lose.
Why Is There No Such Thing as a Win-Lose?
The actual truth is that there is no such thing as a win-lose. Think about it this way:
- Let’s say my heart is winning, but my liver is losing. How long until I have problems in every organ and every system of my body?
- Let’s say I am winning in my marriage, but my wife is losing. How long until I am losing as well?
- Let’s say I am winning as the general contractor, but the trade partner is losing. Eventually, I am going to lose as well.
There are only win-wins and lose-losses. A project is a system, just like a body or a marriage. If one part is losing, the whole thing is on its way to losing.
What Does Win-Win Look Like on a Jobsite?
It turns out you only win when everything wins as a system. You cannot have a job that went well and burned through some trade partners to get there. Here is who has to win:
| Who | What winning looks like |
|---|---|
| The client | A raving fan |
| The trade partners | They are taken care of, and they all make money |
| The project team | Everybody meets their career goals |
| The workers and foremen | They are treated right and never rushed, pushed, or panicked |
The best way to get quality, safety, cost, and schedule is to do all of them well. If you do quality and safety properly, you will actually be cheaper and go faster. The only real way to go fast is through quality and safety. That is why I believe so strongly in respect for people.
Why Does Rushing and Pushing Extend Throughput Time?
Here is the thing people do not understand. They think that if they disrespect people, rush, push, and panic, they will get it done cheaper and faster. No. When you rush, push, and panic, and you disrespect people, your overall throughput time extends.
So why do we think it works? Because it looks busy. When you are pushing people, working overtime, being rude, and rushing, it looks busy, but it actually takes longer. Nobody is watching how long it takes. They are just looking at busyness and saying, this is working. No, it is not, and it will never work.
How to Build a Win-Win Project
The best way to build a project is:
- Clean, safe, and organized.
- Respect for people.
- Flowing with the trades 100 percent.
And never just add labor, work crews overtime, throw materials everywhere, throw money at it, or toxically rush, push, and panic. That is a fact. It is not just what I believe. It is something the industry has to get its mind around if we are ever going to progress.
So here is the challenge. Find one place on your project where someone is losing so someone else can look like they are winning. It might be a trade partner, a crew, or the client. Fix it, and watch what happens to the whole job.
Bottom line: There is no such thing as a win-lose in construction, so you only win when everything wins as a system.
If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.
On we go.
FAQ
What does win-win in construction mean?
It means the client, the trade partners, the project team, and the workers all win together. There is no such thing as a win-lose, only win-wins and lose-losses.
What happens when the general contractor wins and the trade partner loses?
Eventually, the general contractor loses too. You cannot have a job that went well and burned through trade partners to get there.
Why does rushing make a construction project take longer?
Rushing, pushing, and panicking looks busy, but it extends overall throughput time, because nobody is watching how long the work actually takes.
How do you build a win-win construction project?
Stay clean, safe, and organized, respect people, flow with the trades, and never just throw labor, overtime, or money at the job.
People Also Read:
Respect for People in Lean Construction: What It Actually Looks Like
The Truth About Overtime
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Discover Jason’s Expertise:
Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction. As the company’s Founder and COO, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.