Observe, Hypothesize, and Experiment

Contractors would run much better including improved field productivity if they applied the simple lesson we all learned around middle-school science class:

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
Share
Quote: Stop debating and start experimenting. Because if you don't run experiments you can't learn. Adam Grant from Power Moves.

The Scientific Method:  

  1. Make an observation
      
  2. Ask questions about the observation and gather information

  3. Form a hypothesis about what created the outcome and make predictions about the future state based on the hypothesis

  4. Test the hypothesis in an experiment that can be reproduced

  5. Analyze the data from the experiments that either validates or invalidates the hypothesis

  6. Reproduce the experiment until there are no discrepancies between observed results and theory

Experiments are hard to run in complex environments like a construction company.  That does not mean that you should not attempt to make the best observation, hypothesis, and experiments you can for a given situation.  

Adam Grant talks with the CEO of Goldman Sachs in the book Power Moves about experimentation in what works best for recruiting and retention. 




Best Methods for Presenting Changes During the Design-Development Phase
Always be conservative, forthright and provide a clear roadmap to successful project delivery. The biggest thing you want to avoid are changes during construction or delays. Both will impact the income projections and possibly project viability.
Impacted Productivity - Dilution of Management
Dilution of management will compound an already impacted construction project. It is important for teams to realize the full costs of impacts as they start to occur.
Retirement Onboarding - Transferring Your Knowledge to the Team
Knowledge transfer is hard. How do you effectively take the knowledge that one individual has accumulated over a lifetime with a company and transfer that knowledge to the next person in line?