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OPINION
Is lean failing at your firm?
I ’ve made many mistakes on my lean construction journey, but the most considerable detour has involved leveraging lean as a set of tools versus leveraging lean as a culture. Early on in my leadership roles, I stumbled in other ways, such as enforcing processes rather than outcomes and requiring compliance to a fault, even above commitment. The best way to foster a lean culture is by engaging with people, celebrating what they do well, and empowering them to be a part of the change you seek.
Keyan Zandy
As I’ve continued to learn and grow, I can share that the best way to foster a lean culture in your organization is by engaging with the people who do the work in the office and in the field, celebrating them for what they do well, and empowering them to be a part of the changed mindset versus having it forced upon them. If you are on your journey and feel that lean is failing you and your team, please make sure you haven’t dropped into any of the pitfalls listed below. 1. No support from the top. One of the worst lean killers is not having support from the top. I’ve seen leaders go out of their way to ensure that communication was siloed with all information filtering through them. Without the top person’s full support, lean efforts will never fully realize
their maximum potential. Lean requires company leaders to be unyielding in the pursuit of the elimination of waste and continuous improvement. If you’ve seen the command-and-control and silo approach at your firm, you must understand that many in our industry (and in general, if we’re being honest) are resistant to change. Fear of not being in control can lead to this resistance. Some ways you can help a leader shift their mindset and provide support include treating them with respect, earning their trust, helping them see the gaps, and being an example in the workflow you can control.
See KEYAN ZANDY, page 10
THE ZWEIG LETTER JANUARY 2, 2023, ISSUE 1470
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