Reinforce the System Through Feedback and Rhythm

Alignment isn’t something you announce once. It’s something you repeat, refine, and reinforce. One of the best tools for this is the LEAN method of PDCA—Plan, Do, Check, Adjust. It’s a feedback cycle that works especially well for leadership alignment. You plan your goals, you act on them, you check if things are still on track, and then you adjust as needed. This rhythm keeps teams agile and focused. In construction, PDCA was part of the process culture, and it worked. When used in leadership, it turns goal setting into a living system, not a one-time event. ¹

I saw this in action with a construction team I led, tasked with implementing Building Information Management (BIM) to provide digital access to drawings for all workers on a job site. Our higher goal, set two levels up, was to streamline operations and boost efficiency across the project. At first, the idea of going fully digital sounded simple, but early attempts fell short—workers struggled with access, and revisions caused confusion. Instead of forcing a single solution, we used PDCA to refine our approach. We’d plan a small rollout, like equipping one crew with tablets for drawings (Plan). We’d implement it (Do), then watch closely, collecting data and feedback from workers (Check). If the system lagged or frustrated users, we’d tweak it—maybe adjust the software or train a few key users (Adjust). Each cycle improved the process. My team stayed committed, never settling until the solution worked seamlessly. By the end, we had a fully digital job site, with every worker accessing real-time drawings effortlessly. That success didn’t come from a perfect first try—it came from a rhythm of feedback and adjustment that kept us aligned with the broader goal of efficiency. This process showed how mission-driven decisions and organizational goal alignment thrive when teams embrace iteration.

PDCA isn’t just for processes; it’s for people. It builds a culture where effective leadership skills grow through learning and adapting, ensuring alignment becomes a habit, not a chore.

**Actionable Practices**:
- Use PDCA in quarterly team reviews to refine goals.
- Publicly recognize smart adjustments, not just successes.
- Build alignment checks into your normal operating rhythm.
- Apply PDCA to a specific goal, like a new tool or process, and iterate until it supports higher objectives.

**Footnote**:
¹ Shewhart, W. A. (1939). Statistical Method from the Viewpoint of Quality Control. Dover Publications; popularized as PDCA in LEAN by Ohno, T. (1988). Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production. Productivity Press.