Lean construction has gained momentum to the point at which it is impossible to ignore.

At its core, lean construction is more than an initiative, tool, or technique. It’s a culture change – a management system built first on respect for people and then on continuous improvement – to strengthen the relationship between the 
workforce and management, not just a company’s bottom line.

However, most organizations are distracted by the tools and are left with actively disengaged workforces – a price companies and their clients must pay.

For lean construction to be truly effective, a company’s management must be given the opportunity to understand its role in the process of cultural change and appreciate how difficult this journey can be for its employees. Existing management behaviors and understandings must be unlearned to make room for new ones. Unfortunately, much of this learning can only be acquired with action, in the heat of real work, while projects are in progress – when it’s terribly inconvenient.

What’s the payoff? Done well, lean construction could result in a highly engaged workforce that is improving everything, everyday – especially your customers’ experiences.

A deep dive on how and why your company should begin a lean journey is beyond the scope of this article. Rather, our goal is to help you realize how lean construction can impact a contractor’s employees through a day in the life of a Lean Champion.

5:00 am

Kyle Woody, Kraus-Anderson Construction’s Lean Champion, is awake. In several hours, more than a dozen project stakeholders will gather for a collaborative work structuring session that Chad Rempe, a PM with more than 20 years of experience, will facilitate.

You might think that Kyle is focused on that, but he isn’t. If he and Chad aren’t ready by now, it’s too late. Instead, Kyle’s focus is on being present in the early morning moments with his kids: waking them up, getting them moving, taking time to enjoy breakfast with them, and asking questions to get them thinking. Kyle doesn’t just sprinkle lean thinking seeds at work; he plants them everywhere he goes. As he learned many years ago, Lean Champions live that mentality 24/7.