Member Connections: 5 Questions With Damon Jeffrey

This week on 5 Questions With…, we checked in with Damon Jeffrey, the Design Phase Director at Mortenson. Damon discussed the utilization of Lean methods during the design phase, and how a progressive design-build model can make a huge impact on project outcomes.

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1. What hurdles did you encounter when implementing Lean on a project (in your company), and how did you tackle them?

The biggest hurdle is often the precedent of long timelines. The reality is that the stretch between design start and ground being broken typically runs 12 to 18 months. When we were awarded a recent pharmaceutical manufacturing facility project, the owner had high speed to market needs. We knew we had to accelerate design and permitting, effectively collapsing the schedule.

We tackled this through early alignment and proactive collaboration. This meant:

1. Creating a clear Values Definition and Conditions of Satisfaction up front to achieve full Values Alignment. This reduced the risk of errors and rework down the line, ensuring every decision served the defined project success.
2. Aligning with the municipality early, treating officials as partners rather than waiting until we were ready to submit plans. This kept the permitting process from stalling the project.

2. What stories can you share about a successful Lean project (Lean implementation effort) you participated in and what do you think made it work?

That pharmaceutical manufacturing facility was a huge success for our team. The owner needed the finished facility quickly to attract new customers; every day was costly without revenue coming in.

What Made It Work:

• Taking the time to fully define what success looked like, how it would be measured, and who was responsible for which decisions built a shared sense of purpose.
• We built in mutual agreement that once a decision gate passed, it was locked. This discipline protected the schedule and cost.
• We ensured decision-makers and reviewers were aligned on the timeline and available at decision points, preventing the project from stalling and helping keep momentum going.

3. In your opinion, what are the biggest benefits of applying Lean and how have they impacted your projects, your teams, or your organization?

The biggest benefit is the ability to move faster with more confidence. With better planning, you can move with more speed and decisiveness. Additionally, Lean brings people together into a collaborative, project-first approach where everyone is focused on optimizing the whole.

4. How do you assess if your Lean game is strong; are there metrics or techniques you rely on and can share?

A strong Lean game is assessed by achieving what was previously considered impossible, but the primary technique we rely on is maintaining a mindset of continuous improvement.

Continuously improving is critical because it’s not about chasing perfection; it’s about refusing to accept that the way we’ve always done it is the best we can do.

At the end of every project, we ask:

• “What could we have done better?”
• “Where did waste creep in?”
• “Where did alignment slip?”

This reflection makes the next project smoother and ensures our discipline doesn’t erode. The outcome is continual improvement and increased value for our customers showing up with improved design and business outcomes.

5. If someone’s just dipping their toes into Lean, what advice would you offer from lessons you’ve learned?

My advice boils down to three core actions: Align, Discipline, and Partner.

1. Align: This is the most important step. Get full agreement on the project priorities at the outset. If you don’t, every crossroad becomes an opportunity for delay.
2. Discipline: Build in flexibility, but once a decision gate passes, it must be locked. This discipline protects your schedule and cost from backsliding.
3. Partner: Do not wait until you’re ready to submit plans. Bring municipalities into the process as a team early on. They usually respond in kind, and this accelerates permitting.

When we stay aligned, keep our commitments, and put the project priorities first, speed and confidence follow, making momentum the standard.