The Goods is a new series that delivers wisdom for personal and professional growth. In today's episode, Michael shares how one leader’s simple ritual of reserving a seat for “the person not in the room” reshapes every decision her team makes. Discover how thinking beyond the table, honoring unseen stakeholders, and using powerful symbols can elevate your leadership and your culture.
Enjoy Episode 45 of The Goods. #BeNEXT
The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace.
In today's episode, Brian asks, "What system or habit can you create today that will help you navigate challenges more effectively and move closer to a fulfilling life?"
Enjoy Episode 43 of The Search for Fulfillment. #BeNEXT
Hard Lines, Soft Skills — Emotional Intelligence in Work Boots
Yelling isn’t leadership—it’s noise. In this episode, step onto a high-pressure data center build with a foreman who trades barking orders for field-ready emotional intelligence. You’ll hear how simple moves—naming tension without inflaming it, correcting in private, praising in public, and acting fast on craft feedback—drive trust, safety, and real production.
Backed by insights inspired by Daniel Goleman, Gallup, FMI, and real contractor case studies, this episode shows foremen and supers how to hold high standards and keep people bought in.
If you run crews and want fewer blowups, better retention, and stronger performance, this one’s non-negotiable listening. #BeNEXT
The Goods is a new series that delivers wisdom for personal and professional growth. In today's episode, Michael unpacks how a lost stuffed animal and a few creative frontline employees turned a simple customer problem into a story of unforgettable trust. Learn why empowering people at the edge, celebrating thoughtful details, and protecting discretionary effort can quietly define your culture and brand.
Enjoy Episode 44 of The Goods. #BeNEXT
The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace.
In today's episode, Brian asks, "What is one imperfection you can embrace today, and how might it help you grow and find deeper fulfillment?"
Enjoy Episode 42 of The Search for Fulfillment. #BeNEXT
Right-Sized Crews — Line Balance Without the Burnout
If your productivity chart looks like a heart monitor, this episode is for you. Walk a clinic floor with a foreman who stops chasing “more bodies” and starts balancing the line. You’ll learn field-ready moves: a 30-minute walk-and-watch to find the true bottleneck, a plywood Yamazumi to size tasks, two simple work cells (layout + install) with a dedicated runner, and a visual flow board with a tongue-in-cheek purple baton to signal “truly ready.” We’ll show how capping WIP, dynamic rebalancing, and tiny pit-stops cut rework and overtime—without cutting corners.
Foremen and supers: turn spikes into steady beats and make Tuesday feel like a metronome. #BeNEXT
The Goods is a new series that delivers wisdom for personal and professional growth. In today's episode, Michael spotlights Emily Warren Roebling, who stepped into the storm to translate complex engineering into clear action and carry the Brooklyn Bridge to completion. Discover how learning fast, leading without permission, and turning credibility into cadence can hold a mission together when everything’s swaying.
Enjoy Episode 43 of The Goods. #BeNEXT
The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace.
In today's episode, Brian asks, "What is one thing you can appreciate about your current life today, and how might cultivating gratitude for it lead to a deeper sense of fulfillment?"
Enjoy Episode 41 of The Search for Fulfillment. #BeNEXT
The Goods is a new series that delivers wisdom for personal and professional growth. In today's episode, Michael contrasts Amundsen’s steady, disciplined push to the South Pole with Scott’s surge-and-stall approach to reveal why boring consistency beats heroic bursts. Learn how setting non-negotiable daily targets, banking rest on easy days, and designing for real conditions can compound into winning results.
Enjoy Episode 42 of The Goods. #BeNEXT
Imagine walk-through day with nothing to fix. In this Hard Hat Headspace episode, a foreman turns “good enough” into “done-done” with field-ready moves: a door-posted Gold Box standard (photos you can point to), a pocket Q-Card(height, label, torque mark, photo), and blue → white → green tags that prove self-check, peer-check, and Next Trade Ready. You’ll learn a five-minute fishbone huddle to kill recurring defects, a shared label printer/template hack that ends “mystery fonts,” and simple ergo tweaks that speed work without beating people up.
Foremen, supers, and craft leads: if you’re tired of late-night punchlists and “come back later,” press play and make first-pass green your new normal. #BeNEXT
The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace.
In today's episode, Brian asks, "What part of your journey can you embrace today, and how can the courage to keep growing bring you closer to a fulfilling life?"
Enjoy Episode 40 of The Search for Fulfillment. #BeNEXT
The Goods is a new series that delivers wisdom for personal and professional growth. In today's episode, Michael follows John Snow through cholera-stricken London as his street-level data and a simple act—removing a pump handle—turn fear into facts and action. Learn how going to the ground, visualizing truth, and making one decisive move can spark systemic fixes that last.
Enjoy Episode 41 of The Goods. #BeNEXT
Two shifts, one plan. In this episode, walk the line between day and night with a handover routine that turns 24 hours into one continuous workday. You’ll get field-ready moves: a three-minute SBAR strip, the 3–2–1snapshot (three photos, two blockers, one decision request), a simple OODA note to stay adaptive, a red/yellow/green zone map everyone can read at 20 feet, and a hard 24-hour decision SLA that kills lag. We’ll also cover Night Cart Manifests and a five-item Hot List to prevent morning scavenger hunts.
Foremen and supers will leave with a playbook for faster starts, cleaner handoffs, and calmer days. #BeNEXT
The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace.
In today's episode, Brian asks, "How can you serve others today, and what impact do you think that act of service will have on your sense of fulfillment?"
Enjoy Episode 39 of The Search for Fulfillment. #BeNEXT
Your job isn’t slow—your materials are. In this episode, step into a medical tower where a foreman turns hallway chaos into smooth, point-of-use flow.
You’ll learn field-ready moves: a 15-minute spaghetti walk, a two-bin supermarket at the room door, a dedicated water spider to restock kits, and simple kit kanban tags that kill stockouts. We’ll also cover quick ergonomic wins (waist-high reels, shoulder-to-knee storage) and three metrics that matter: touches per item, travel minutes, stockouts.
Foremen and supers walk away with a logistics playbook that cuts wandering, boosts first-time quality, and makes the last 50 feet the fastest part of the job. #BeNEXT
The Goods is a new series that delivers wisdom for personal and professional growth. In today's episode, Michael revisits Paul O’Neill’s audacious pledge to make worker safety Alcoa’s north star—and how that single moral metric rewired the entire company. Learn how turning values into mechanisms and pushing authority to the front line can lift culture, quality, and performance all at once.
Enjoy Episode 40 of The Goods. #BeNEXT
The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace.
In today's episode, Brian asks, "What is one action you can take today to fully embrace the present moment, and how might that bring you closer to a fulfilling life?"
Enjoy Episode 38 of The Search for Fulfillment. #BeNEXT
The Goods is a new series that delivers wisdom for personal and professional growth. In today's episode, Michael traces a junior nurse’s “time-out” and a 19-box checklist avert a dangerous allergy error, proving that small pauses save lives. Discover how normalizing the pause, giving every voice the mic, and standardizing the basics while personalizing the plan can build a culture where safety and performance rise together.
Enjoy Episode 39 of The Goods. #BeNEXT
First days shape entire careers. In this episode, walk the site with a superintendent who turns rookie nerves into real productivity using a 15-minute First-Hour Tour, a buddy system built on “watch one, do one, teach back one,” and two pocket tools: the Job Map (Access, Info, Material, Tools, Predecessors) and a 10-day Passport Page for must-have skills.
You’ll hear field-ready moves that boost safety, speed learning, and cut rework—plus simple morale builders like a crew Win Board and a 90-second Look Back/Look Ahead close-out.
Foremen, supers, and craft leads: if you hire, train, or coach on the slab, this is your blueprint for onboarding that actually sticks. #BeNEXT
The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace.
In today's episode, Brian asks, "How can you reflect on your past experiences today, and what lessons can you apply to move forward with greater fulfillment?"
Enjoy Episode 37 of The Search for Fulfillment. #BeNEXT