Ep. 547 - Buttons of Success! Feat. John Coffman

Jason Schroeder welcomes back John Kaufman for the button story, a real account of turning around a disaster job at the Bureau of Printing and Engraving through nothing more than relentless, grounded optimism. John explains how a simple pin button spread positivity across an entire project, and why pessimists calling themselves realists never actually gain anything by it. The episode closes with a hard distinction between wishful thinking and optimism built on a real plan. Additional Resources: =================== Playlist -    • Superintendent to Field Commander: The Lea...   Related Podcast - Ep. 526 - Live Life to the Fullest, Feat. John Coffman - https://elevateconstruction.libsyn.co... Related Podcast - Ep. 533 - Influence & Win! Feat. John Coffman - https://elevateconstruction.libsyn.co... What to Watch Next -    • Contingency Plan For Construction Project   What to Watch Next -    • How Do I Handle Change Orders In Construct...   Jason's Book - Elevating Construction Senior Superintendents, Book 1 - The Leader and the Team - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B6XQBBZG Suggested Book - How Big Things Get Done - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593239512 Blog - https://elevateconstructionist.com/bu... Key Moments in this Podcast: ========================== 00:36 - Welcome back to guest John coffman 01:41 - Listener feedback 03:46 - Setting up the button story 04:04 - The story begins: a disaster job at Western Currency in Fort Worth 06:58 - Dividing the job to handle relentless changes 09:36 - Charlie's idea: the "we can do it" buttons 10:58 - The "optimistic beyond reason" line 13:49 - New buttons as momentum built: "we're doing it" and "we did it" 15:47 - The lesson: separating change order work from contract work 16:19 - The penny game and the power of positivity 18:14 - Why pessimists calling themselves realists doesn't hold up 20:32 - Optimism has to be grounded in a realistic plan 22:43 - John's challenge: a realistic plan you can be optimistic about Ask yourself honestly whether your optimism is grounded in a real plan or just wishful thinking. That difference is what separates a team that turns a project around from one that doesn't. Resources ========== Check out our website for more info: https://www.elevateconstructionist.com/ Access resources to elevate your operations: https://elevateconstructionist.com/re... Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: https://elevateconstructionist.com/po... Check out our training programs and certifications: https://elevateconstructionist.com/tr... Subscribe to my YouTube channel:    / @jasonwilliamschroeder   Learn More About Jason ======================== Jason Schroeder is the founder and COO of Elevate Construction IST, a company focused on elevating construction by providing valuable insights, effective solutions, and high-quality training. With his extensive experience in the construction industry, he created the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp, immersive training courses designed to produce high-performing leaders who can lead their teams in the right direction. Through Elevate Construction IST, he aims to scale his training programs throughout the nation to help more construction companies elevate their operations to the next level. ======================== Email: jasons@elevateconstructionist.com Phone: +1 (602) 571 8987 #Construction #ProjectManagement #Leadership