In construction, sidestepping a problem might feel productive—but it creates ripples that derail your project. Learn why great leaders eat the frog, run forward, and take ownership of the starting point before chaos sets in.
Every generation in construction has resisted the next big thing. Ask around and you’ll hear it—there was a time when power drills were considered “cheating.” When pneumatic nail guns were “unsafe.” When paint sprayers were for people who “didn’t know…
At first glance, construction sites and hockey rinks couldn’t be more different. One involves steel, concrete, and Gantt charts. The other? Ice, sticks, and slapshots. But take a step back, and you’ll see that both worlds thrive on structure, speed,…
You can’t control the weather. 🌩️ But you can control how ready you are when the chaos turns on you. That was the lesson our teams were reminded of — not once, but three different times — by unpredictable and…
What Makes a Team High-Performing? High-performing teams don’t just hit deadlines—they solve problems before they become problems. They move fast without cutting corners, communicate without second-guessing, and share a sense of ownership that transcends roles or titles. In construction, that…
We’re told that Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is the future of construction. That shared risk and reward leads to stronger collaboration. That hierarchy is old school, and what we really need is equality, empathy, and transparency. But the more I…
Parkinson’s Law is one of those concepts that wasn’t written for construction—but might as well have been. “Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” You’ve seen it. I’ve seen it. And if you’ve been around construction long…
The inspiration for this post came straight from the backseat of my car. We were driving through downtown when my 5-year-old son started pointing out the window, calling out every building that “looks like a Lego building.” And he was…
By Nick Parisi | chaosinconstruction.com In the Netherlands, there’s a term called olifantenpad—translated as “elephant path.” It describes the worn footpaths people create when they cut corners off a sidewalk or ignore a landscaped trail altogether. These paths form naturally…
“Put down the pen.” It’s not just a phrase. It’s a milestone. In the design-build world, this moment marks the end of design and the beginning of construction. It’s a decision point—one that every project, regardless of delivery method, eventually…
