October 29, 2025
Eat the Frog Early: Advice that Drives Delivery
Some might say a project is successful if it’s just finished on time or on budget. And yeah, that’s part of it. We’ll all get there eventually. But what really matters is how we get there.
Article by Eric Meisgeier, Project Manager
Some people might say a project is successful if it’s just finished on time or on budget. And yeah, that’s part of it. We’ll all get there eventually. But what really matters is how we get there. The way a team works together, how problems are handled, and the respect shown to the people in the field, the community, and among teammates is what drives real success.
Over the years, I’ve learned that delivering a project well starts with getting out in the field and grounding every decision in the work itself (Foundational Priorities), addressing challenges before they grow (Prevention), building trust and alignment across the team (Communication and Collaboration), engaging communities with care and balance (Community Balance), maintaining focus on the bigger picture (Focus), and empowering people to lead and make decisions (Leadership) — all of which together create lasting results (Success).
Foundational Priorities
Every effective project delivery strategy begins with experience in the field and an appreciation for the work it takes to build infrastructure.
My career started in the industry during summers in college, working as a laborer. From a foundation standpoint, that experience was invaluable. It provided hands-on exposure to construction, built an understanding of what it takes to construct infrastructure, and fostered tremendous respect for the men and women in the trades, because it’s hard work.
This early experience was followed by internships and responsibilities in construction and design, working with dozens of owners on both the private and public sides, participating in several mega programs, and creating a broad base of knowledge to draw from in managing projects. Through these experiences, I learned that putting the project first is at the heart of successful delivery.
In today’s complex infrastructure projects, competing priorities are everywhere. A project-first mentality means that as a team, the focus remains on what is best for the project, even if it requires setting aside individual or firm priorities in the short term. Over time, I realized that grounding every decision in an understanding of the work on the ground - the foundations - naturally align priorities.
Prevention
Addressing challenges before they grow or, "eating the frog early", is central to proactive project management.
Sometimes a project requires going a little beyond contract requirements, such as assisting in areas a contractor typically does not manage. A notable example is the RUPID process: Right of Way, Utilities, Permits, Interagency Agreements, Design — which illustrates how early intervention can prevent delays.
In one project, ROW was not originally part of the scope, yet it had a significant impact on schedule and sequencing. To address this, a task force with senior-level co-leads from both the contractor and client sides was created. The team dug into the issue, understood the client’s process and timelines, and identified properties that might require condemnation. This careful risk analysis allowed the schedule to be sequenced properly and prevented delays before they could occur.
Communication and Collaboration
Communication is key. Bad news does not improve with time. Instead, addressing issues early, or “eating the frog,” allows teams to solve problems collaboratively before they escalate.
I’m always telling my team, it’s okay to have bad news — we can fix it together now. If we let it fester, it just becomes a bigger problem. It’s better to address, say, 10% of what could be a 100% issue today, sit in that discomfort briefly, and find a solution, rather than sitting in the discomfort alone for a long time. I’d rather someone make a thousand-dollar mistake today than a ten-thousand-dollar mistake next week because it wasn’t raised in time.
You’ve got to create a culture where people aren’t afraid to ask questions, raise their hand and say, “Hey, I might have made a mistake. What do you think?” or “I’m not sure I’m going down the right path.” That openness is important.
Putting the project first means making decisions that serve the greater goal, address challenges early, and solving problems collaboratively — an example of “eating the frog early” before it grows.
Community Balance
Successful infrastructure projects balance community-first with project-first approach.
The community should be treated as just another stakeholder. It’s no different than managing a permit or completing design — an interface point that requires attention and coordination. For example, a plan might call for building a new driveway, but a conversation with the property owner could reveal it’s their only access point. Taking the time to understand these details and adjust schedules accordingly shows respect, builds goodwill, and keeps the project moving smoothly. Providing clear information about what work will occur and when reinforces transparency, strengthens buy-in, and ensures communities feel heard throughout the project.
When people feel genuinely listened to, they are more likely to support the project and actively rally behind its success. Engaging the community effectively can help move the project forward, while resistance or opposition can become a significant obstacle to getting the work done.
Everybody who’s part of the decision-making process needs to be in the room and empowered to make decisions. The team goes through each problem or potential issue and asks, “How are we going to prevent this?” That includes an owner representative, a designer rep, and anyone else affected by the issue. Together, this group talks through what’s needed to move the project forward and develops a solution that maintains the proper balance, respecting community needs while keeping the project on track.
Credibility is built through follow-through. If you say you’re going to do something at a certain time, you need to do it.
Focus
The financial discussion usually revolves around responsibility, so it’s important to keep it separate from the technical discussion.
On a previous project, we held what we called a critical path meeting. During preconstruction, it was designed to knock down all obstacles to getting the project started. It was so successful that we continued it through construction to keep work moving. The focus was 100% on the schedule, identifying impediments and removing anything standing in the way of getting work done.
By separating technical discussions from financial ones, technical experts from both sides can focus purely on problem-solving. Often, the best solution is the same regardless of who covers the cost. Pulling these discussions apart gives people the freedom to do what they love — solving problems — while the financial team handles the costs.
Leadership
One of the biggest mistakes is failing to account for the individual strengths and needs of team members.
A project manager can fall into the mindset of “I’m the boss. You’re going to do it my way.” But really, you need to develop roles based on people’s strengths and weaknesses, not preconceived notions.
Everything is about building a team. I often see people create an org chart or define positions and then try to jam individuals into those boxes. You need a plan, sure, but you also have to tweak it based on the people you have.
I stole this from Phil Jackson from a book, but he preaches: develop a philosophy, not a playbook. To me, that means creating a culture and philosophy, communicating it to your team, and empowering people to make decisions in real time. When you do that, people feel better, enjoy their work more, and don’t feel like they’re under your thumb.
Another concept I focus on is training people to train others. I can train five people, but that’s a limited footprint. If I train five people to train others while also mentoring them, my influence expands exponentially across the team. Growing that ability to mentor and develop others is critical. I recently saw a quote: you’re not really a leader until you’ve led others to lead. That kind of exponential growth is essential — we can only reach so many people on our own, but through others, our impact multiplies.
Success
Delivering a project well is about much more than hitting the schedule or budget.
It’s about how teams collaborate, how leaders empower their people, and how challenges are addressed before they grow. Eat the frog early, put the project first, listen to stakeholders, humanize interactions, and build trust across the team. That’s what drives lasting delivery success.