As your team develops a game plan, be sure someone accurately records it. Then distribute each session’s minutes to all members before the next meeting. Spend a little time at each session reviewing the ideas of the last meeting, discarding those that no longer make sense. When the team feels good about the project plan, have a major review of all that has been decided — a dress rehearsal, if you will, of the building of the project. Look for omissions or weaknesses. Do not fail to correct any suspect operation. Review the plan until it sounds right — until it works. Distribute the plan to everyone who will be involved on the project. Then, as the work advances, make everyone adhere to the plan. The
key is to follow up. Your planning should have resolved some key issues about the project:

• You should have identified the job site staff, the general superintendent, other superintendents, project engineers, office managers, etc.
• You should have assigned major project responsibilities. Remember... responsibilities are not always defined by titles or job descriptions.
• You should have identified all long lead time materials and services and arranged for timely procurement. Sort materials if necessary, and make contracts early with those firms upon which the schedule depends.
• You should have created your progress schedule, if not in ultimate detail, at least in general form.
• One important item often overlooked in the planning stages is the flow of men, materials and equipment around and through the job site. A few minutes lost each day can greatly impair a tight schedule, especially if the time is lost from a cycling activity such as
  forming typical structures.
• You should have planned for safety. Preliminary planning should recognize potential safety hazards. If your planning has been thorough, progress should occur without too many problems. However, be attentive to the following warning signs so you can
  make adjustments to the plan as necessary:
  • 1. Poor or negative attitudes of job site personnel can indicate confusion with or misunderstanding of the project
    game plan.
  • 2. A faltering project start may mean there has been poor communication of the game plan to job site personnel, suppliers
    or subcontractors. If this is the case, review the plan with them and get their input.
  • 3. A failure to meet scheduled activity completion dates may mean those responsible for the plan’s execution aren’t following up. There is no substitute for constant and intense attention to detail. Review submittal logs, clarification requests and correspondence to see if information is flowing freely to all involved.
  • 4. Constant failure of job site staff to complete work activities at or near predicted unit costs can mean your budget numbers were wrong or there are labor inefficiencies.

Although no plan is perfect, it certainly makes sense to use the team approach in preparing your job site plan. By using the diverse talents of all job site planning team members, you will be in a better position to increase productivity and profitability on each and every project.
Remember, the whole is still greater than the sum of its parts.

Norb Slowikowski provides leadership and management training for foremen, superintendents and project managers. He can be reached at Slowikowski Associates, 8515 Evergreen Lane, Darien, IL 60561, Telephone: (630) 910-8920.