Elevate Construction Ep.1466 - The 9th Waste is Killing Us
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Nov 5, 2025 The real waste in construction might surprise you—it's not materials or slow crews, but toxic conflict and misalignment within the culture. The obsession with winning undermines cooperation and harms not just projects, but entire nations. Highlighting detrimental behaviors like bullying and prideful ignorance, the discussion emphasizes the need for total participation and respect among all partners. Transforming from profit-focused to people-centered companies is essential for future success in the industry.
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The Ninth Waste Is Cultural Decay
- Jason Schroeder identifies the 'ninth waste' as toxic conflict, ego, and misalignment that destroy teams and projects.
- He argues this cultural waste costs more than traditional wastes like excess inventory or delays.
Common Behaviors That Drive Waste
- Jason lists behaviors—grading people, toxic competition, hiding information—that exemplify the ninth waste.
- He says these behaviors are brainwashed into cultures and are counterproductive to progress.
Total Participation Wins
- Jason recounts Dave Chappelle's point about 'total participation' in Asian countries versus the West.
- He uses this to illustrate why collective cooperation beats individualistic 'cowboy' culture.
