A project is a project. Traditionally, LeanProject has focused its efforts on helping construction and design projects get better. We have worked with some of the largest owners in the world to build new programs for delivering critical infrastructure to support their business operations and growth while developing their people. We have been very successful […]
Effective Listening for Leaders
This is part of a series of blog posts based on Language Action and how it applies to the project environment, and is based on the teachings of Fernando Flores and Chauncey Bell. I have been a student of Fernando Flores in his Dwelling Program for the past year, and have been working and learning […]
Respect for People; a Leadership Concept or Behavior?
One of the two pillars of the Toyota Way and central to lean culture, respect for people is often misunderstood by outsiders. Many think that respect is only about listening to peoples’ ideas, empowering them to have a say in how the work should be done, and creating personal autonomy in the workplace. These concepts […]
Building Fast-Launching Project Teams (Why Dread Pirate Roberts Will Live Forever)
Applying lean thinking to project work offers some challenges that are not faced in steady-state lean operations such as manufacturing. One of those challenges is that our teams are mostly temporary, and we don’t have the luxury of taking a long time to get to a high level of team performance. We need to build […]
Use Social Cues to Improve Team Performance
I was delighted by this sight while walking in my Minneapolis neighborhood the other day. Three dog trainers each with a group of 10-15 dogs marching happily together around the lake. I followed them for a while and was impressed by the coordination within the groups. It looked like a dog parade. The dogs were […]