Can't Read the Label From Inside the Jar

By definition it is impossible for any of us to know what we don’t know.

D. Brown Management

July 2, 2018 2 minute read

Quote: You can't read the label from inside the jar.

We could be in the top 5% inside our domain and better off spending time scaling the machine rather than perfecting it.
We could be missing something major and not be able to see it.
We could be in a very high-leverage position where even a small improvement could have a huge impact.
We could be missing so much context for the model that we have difficulty seeing how new information fits in thereby limiting our Situational Awareness.

Who are the top 5 people inside your organization that help each other refine your models of projects, your company and the industry?

Who are the top 5 people you are mentoring and coaching to help them refine their models?

Who do you turn to on the outside of your organization that is experienced and unbiased to help give you perspective?

Root Cause Analysis to Behavior Level

Contracting businesses and projects always have problems. What’s important is that a team develops the skills and routine habit for continuously improving. When troubleshooting a problem it’s important to do Root Cause Analysis (RCA) down to behaviors.

Everything is Too Complex - Until You Practice Enough

There is no question that construction is becoming more complex. We don’t do ourselves or others any favors by not coming to terms with that complexity. We must get comfortable learning the complexities before we can work on simplification.

Higher Scores Aren’t Always Better: Percent Planned Complete (PPC) Example

Construction is full of competitive personalities - where more is always better. But that isn't always true. When setting targets, be careful that your goals don't have unintended consequences. Percent Planned Complete (PPC) shows why.

lean construction