Ep. 588 - Problems are a Gift, Feat. John Coffman

John Coffman returns to share the story behind one of his career's defining moments: a late-night phone call offering him twice his salary to walk straight into a nuclear power plant on fire with problems. He and Jason unpack why solving hard problems, rather than avoiding them, is what actually builds a remarkable career, complete with a real story about a five and a half inch survey error on the Skytrain project that could have derailed everything. This episode is a candid, story-driven look at why bringing problems to the surface and getting the data first is the real path to becoming the person every company wants to call when things go wrong. Additional Resources: =================== • Playlist -    • Real Lean vs. Fake Lean: What Is The Diffe...   • Related Podcast - Define The Problem First! — https://elevateconstruction.libsyn.co... • Related Podcast - Problem Solving! Stay Calm! Quality On... — https://elevateconstruction.libsyn.co... • What to Watch Next -    • What Does A3 Stand For In Lean?   • What to Watch Next -    • What Is An A3 In Lean?   • Suggested Book - The Toyota Way — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0070587477 • Blog - https://elevateconstructionist.com/pr... Key Moments in this Podcast: ========================= 00:33 - Welcoming back John Coffman and a health update 02:38 - Introducing the topic: solve the problem and get the gift 02:49 - John's story: the late-night call offering him double his salary 06:03 - The advice that changed everything: this is a forest fire, but solve it and you'll get a gift 07:20 - How solving problems shaped the rest of John's career 08:30 - Why avoiding problems costs superintendents the gift they hold 09:05 - The eight-step process for actually solving a problem 12:29 - The Skytrain story: a five and a half inch survey error 14:41 - Presenting the fix and executing the plan together 16:48 - Taiichi Ohno's saying: the only problem is thinking you don't have one 19:07 - Why getting all the data first is the real key to solving anything 20:32 - John's approach: staff meetings built around what's keeping you up at night 22:53 - Closing story: taking 11 kids to a Walmart bathroom and gaining perspective Problems really are gift wrapped packages, solve the one in front of you and you will get a gift that shapes the rest of your career. On we go, digging into the data before we ever try to fix anything. 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