The Lean Construction Credential: Forging a Collaborative Culture of Trust
By Victoria Navarro, MBA-HCM: System Vice President Design & Construction, AdventHealth
Those of us who practice Lean construction know that beyond applying strategies to drive out waste, Lean can also unite teams, change mindsets and transform your culture within your organization. In the healthcare industry, Lean practices are critical to operating with a business mindset for efficiency and providing economic growth—we trust each other to have the skills necessary to improve our service model, standardize our project management processes and be good financial stewards for our organization. That’s why it’s critical to have a clear marker that shows you have the demonstrated knowledge to implement strategies that reduce lead, procurement and timelines for the design and construction phases, create staff efficiencies using less resources that enables the flow of work, and instills a culture of process improvement and respect for people to get projects completed.
The Knowledge/Experience Double Punch
The LCI-CPC sets the stage for a team culture that aligns with the purpose and expectations of doing a Lean project because it combines knowledge with experience. A course isn’t enough—you need the experience of applying that knowledge in real world situations. It serves as a testament to your customer that you can apply Lean strategies to a new project while helping to advance the knowledge and skill sets of your entire team—it truly is a collaborative culture of trust.
As the executive leader for our Design and Construction Center of Excellence, I count on my team to facilitate and guide all stakeholders through the project phases. I like knowing my partners are credible, that they have the knowledge, skill set, and most importantly, demonstrated project experience with successful outcomes. That’s why I’m excited about the LCI-CPC—because it gives us a solid starting point. When I talk about pull planning, reliable promising and using PDCA for a Plan Do Check, I need to know that the team is well versed on the tools of Lean and how to apply them. At AdventHealth, I want to build the culture and capabilities of my team, bridge productive partnerships and alliances, and be the catalyst for innovation that aligns the team with our mission, and co-creates value for our customers.
A Differentiator & Commitment to Lifelong Learning
I’ve personally been on a Lean journey for over 12 years, and the continuous lifelong learning is what brings me joy and sparks my energy and persistence to revolutionize construction. When you are a Lean practitioner, you learn new skills from setbacks and challenging experiences and apply them to anticipate risks on the next project. It’s not just about the technical skills—it’s about all the tenets of lean: optimizing gaps and building collaborative cultures so that everyone on the team is empowered to contribute to the value of the entire project.
As an owner, when I’m reviewing proposals and making team selections, I look for differentiators that add value to our team, our project and our goals. If you have your certification in Lean construction, it will be a mark of distinction. It will signal to me that you have the experience, knowledge and skill sets, and you’re going to bring that culture of trust and mirror the goals and expectations that I have as an owner.
Paying it Forward & Growing the Lean Industry
I believe the LCI-CPC will help Lean practitioners stand out from others—and I’ll be able to coach my team as an LCI instructor, and provide them with real-world experience after they take the exam. Getting certified is win-win because I can build an agile and transformative culture and capability for Lean practices within my community and within my organization.
Certification in Lean construction and Lean design will help catalyze and uplift the entire AEC industry so that everyone can benefit from the application of Lean and grow in their skill sets as Lean practitioners.