The Daily Huddle – COVID-19 Protocol
It can be tempting to abandon Lean on our projects during this unusual time or feel like it’s not possible to consistently maintain our typical practices when so much has become different. But these are exactly the kinds of events that Lean …
The Daily Huddle – Why Huddle?
There was something that felt more “team” about arranging our meetings this way and, as the years passed, I continuously sought out more ways to continue to nurture that atmosphere. Eventually, I evolved past those weekly, protracted subcontractor meetings to a daily …
4 Helpful hints before you Pull Plan
I’ve had plenty of bad pull plan experiences over the years. Pull plans that lasted for hour and hours, pull plans that had critical trades missing, pull plans where we ran out of sticky notes. The list goes on and on. But …
Do You See What I See? Three Ways Visual Communication Can Improve Your Jobsite
The reasons for this communication gap between different teams was a lack of visual communication. In our line of work, visual communication plays a critical role in our everyday operations and outcomes. It allows better trade-to-trade collaboration, leading to improved overall productivity. …
Your Electrician has a name, and it’s not Sparky.
Years ago, I was having a conversation with a project superintendent who was frustrated with the last planner system. He complained that his trades were not wanting to come to the daily huddles or pull plan sessions, and when they attended, they …
Tangents, Squirrels and The Parking Lot
Most people don’t like meetings. And when I say most people, I’m talking about your trade partner foreman/last planners. And, why should they, these folks are busy. They have team members working in the field who need their expertise, schedules to hit, …
The 5 Whys and Why you need this tool on your jobsite
Several years ago I started a project on a greenfield site, but my excitement for the new project was short-lived because of all the rain we were experiencing. It was early spring, and the rain just would not let up. When we …
Why your project needs a Material Delivery Board
It was early on a Friday evening when a flatbed 18-wheeler, loaded up with pallets of brick, pulled up to my jobsite gates. This was early in my career, and I was tasked with locking up the jobsite for the weekend. …