Transforming Construction Culture One Project at a Time
BY KEYAN ZANDY
CEO, SKILES GROUP
I’m honored that AGC has asked me to share my Lean Construction journey with you and how we can all work to improve our industry.
I began my Lean Construction journey almost 20 years ago. I was working on a multiphase project, and we fell behind schedule in the first phase. Our team worked 70 days straight to meet the schedule and bring the project across the CO finish line. I received praise from my project manager, an “attaboy” from the client executive and acknowledgement at a company picnic.
But I vividly remember thinking: I am not cut out for the construction business. As we entered the project’s second phase, I pored over anything I could find about Lean and the Last Planner System® and started implementing what I learned. The second phase went much smoother. We completed on time with little overtime and much higher team morale.
With this success, it was interesting to see the lack of attention or praise I received— no phone calls, no executive reach outs. I wondered: Why do we praise firefighting in our industry? Why do we wear our long hours as a badge of honor, bragging about missed ball games or recitals, skipped birthday parties or anniversaries, and how little vacation we take? After that second phase, I remember thinking that I AM cut out for this business— but it needed to change, and I was going to do everything in my power to help bring that change to how we work and think.
Years later, on a flight to Lean Construction Institute’s Annual Congress, I was seated beside my good friend and former colleague, Joe Donarumo. Our conversation turned to the challenges of implementing Lean culture and practices in the field and our frustration with the absence of practical publications written for field leaders by actual practitioners.
That’s when we resolved to fill the gap. Thus, our book, The Lean Builder—A Builder’s Guide to Applying Lean Tools in the Field, was conceived. The book has been well received, has sold over 20,000 copies, and won a Shingo Publication Award. More importantly, it has helped many in our industry who are burnt out from working 60+ hours a week, empowering them to create more value in their work.
In the last 10 years, online education has become increasingly popular, especially microlearning (an approach to learning that involves delivering bitesized, focused content to learners for quick absorption and application). The COVID-19 pandemic made it even more common, especially for people looking to advance their careers who don’t have the time or resources for in-person training or degree programs.
For this reason, Joe and I created The Lean Builder Master Class, which contains 4.5 hours of content across 47 videos, drawing from the insights of our book. The series offers a flexible, self-paced learning experience, allowing field leaders to delve deep into Lean Construction principles at their own pace.
Each video lesson is crafted to provide practical insights and actionable strategies that can immediately be applied. Field leaders will find an easy blueprint to improve project delivery through modules on daily huddles, visual communication, The Last Planner System®, pull planning, look-ahead planning, percent plan complete and the Eight Wastes. We hope that those who take the Master Class will learn:
- Cultural Transformation: How to instill a Lean culture on the jobsite, fostering a mindset of trust, accountability and mutual respect.
- Lean Principles in Construction: How Lean can streamline operations and reduce project waste.
- Visual Communication Tools: How visual project management tools can enhance communication, decision-making and problem-solving on the jobsite.
- Pull Planning and Last Planner System: How Lean scheduling techniques enhance coordination, maximize collaboration, increase predictability and reduce delays.
To learn more and watch a few lessons, visit: www.theleanbuilder.com/masterclass. For those who wish to purchase a license, please enter promo code AGC to receive a 5% discount.
Then, once you have your masterclass program under your belt and you see the value of Lean, take AGC’s Lean Construction Education Program to learn the tools necessary to start using Lean on your projects. Taking the AGC Lean Education Program and earning your CM-Lean credential offers construction professionals a pathway to enhance their skills, improve project outcomes and differentiate themselves in the industry. It equips you with the tools and knowledge needed to implement Lean principles effectively, leading to greater efficiency, collaboration and client satisfaction in construction projects.