Doing Lean vs. Being Lean: Understanding a Key Distinction
Across the design and construction industry, teams and organizations are beginning to experiment with Lean methods and practices to improve their project efficiency and their working culture.
While we love to see people try out these new methods, it’s important to understand the difference between “Doing Lean” and “Being Lean,” as this distinction can make the difference between success and failure when implementing Lean practices.
Doing Lean vs. Being Lean: What’s the Difference?
Put simply: “Doing Lean” is when Lean is seen as something extra that is only being put into action at the request of a project owner, while “Being Lean” is something that is practiced inside of a team or organization with total commitment and drive.
Doing Lean
“Doing Lean,” also sometimes referred to as “Fake Lean” can be defined as following a set of Lean practices and tools without fully embracing the underlying principles or cultural shift. This often involves focusing on specific processes or tools in isolation, rather than integrating them into a holistic system.
Organizations, teams, or individuals who “Do Lean” complete Lean practices just to check a box, fulfill a contract, or to follow the directives sent down from leadership. Without a meaningful shift in mindset or buy-in, the impact that Lean can have on your work is significantly muted.
Being Lean
“Being Lean” means embracing Lean principles as a core philosophy and integrating them into the company culture. At its core, Lean is about following the six tenets as outlined by the Lean Construction Institute.
A Lean enterprise is filled with workers who are curious – constantly seeking ways to improve – and who aim to improve the process, not the individual person. For example, to “Be Lean” means to be consistently on the lookout for wastes rather than identifying if a person did their job incorrectly.
How Lean Culture Impacts Individuals
Adopting a Lean culture and “Being Lean” comes with many benefits for an individual, team, or organization. Here are some of the main benefits that people can see from adopting a Lean mindset.
1. Professional Growth and Development
A Lean culture encourages continuous learning and provides opportunities to expand your skills, leading to greater job satisfaction and career advancement. Lean design and construction professionals step outside of their private sphere of work to learn more about how their work fits into the project as a whole, familiarizing them with the work of other team members within a project.
In a Lean culture, individuals are encouraged to share their ideas and work collaboratively to achieve common goals. This empowers everyone to contribute, fostering a sense of ownership and shared leadership.
2. Collaboration and Teamwork
In a Lean environment, workers experience a more supportive and engaging work environment where everyone works together to achieve shared goals. By focusing on optimizing the whole as a collective, work is completed more efficiently and conflicts are significantly reduced.
In a Lean culture, it is important for individual team members to have the opportunity to collaborate with upstream and downstream teams to better understand the work from all aspects, breaking down silos and optimizing the whole.
For example: A project manager working with a design manager or an engineer, or a marketing associate walking through a project and talking with tradesmen to understand their work.
3. Reduced Stress and Increased Ownership
Streamlined processes and reduced waste can lead to a better work-life balance and a greater sense of control over your work. Lean methods promote collaborative planning of the processes, handoffs and conditions of satisfaction. This allows people working on a project to better control the workflow.
This increased sense of control lessens reactivity of the worker to constraints or problems that happen daily, allowing them to reduce their time spent in firefighting mode which in turn reduces their stress level. This aligns with a respect for people that prioritizes the mental health of each person on a project.
How Lean Culture Impacts Project Teams
1. Streamlined Collaboration
By focusing on a shared vision of success defined by transparency and managed with mutual accountability, teams can align their efforts early in the process, reducing the silos often seen in traditional project structures. This alignment ensures that architects, engineers, general contractors, and owners are working towards the same goals together seamlessly, leading to shared solutions marked by fewer errors, reduced rework, and faster project delivery.
Moreover, a Lean culture emphasizes respect for people and empowers team members to actively contribute their expertise and insights. This collaborative approach not only enhances problem-solving but also fosters a sense of ownership.
2. Reduced Costs and Delays
By aligning schedules, budgets, and objectives, teams can anticipate challenges and address them proactively, preventing costly rework and last-minute delays or change orders. Systems like value stream mapping and the Last Planner System® ensure that resources are used efficiently, tasks are sequenced optimally, and unnecessary activities are eliminated.
A 2021 report, co-sponsored by LCI and AGC and conducted by Dodge Data & Analytics, revealed that 34% of projects applying Lean practices were completed ahead of schedule, and 51% came in under budget. In contrast, only 4% of projects without Lean methods finished ahead of schedule, and just 23% stayed under budget.
3. Improved Return on Investment (ROI)
Adopting a Lean culture provides an opportunity to align project objectives with value-driven outcomes and ensure optimal use of resources. Lean practices focus on maximizing value for the client while minimizing waste, leading to better cost management and higher efficiency.
Teams working within a Lean framework are empowered to share insights, identify inefficiencies, and implement effective solutions throughout the project lifecycle. This results in higher-quality deliverables, greater client satisfaction, and fewer disputes, which contribute to long-term financial success.
How Lean Culture Impacts Organizations
1. Enhanced Agility
Adopting a Lean culture enables organizations to respond more effectively to market shifts and operational challenges. Lean principles prioritize flexibility and adaptability by encouraging teams to continuously assess and improve processes. This proactive approach minimizes delays, optimizes resource allocation, and ensures organizations can pivot quickly when faced with unexpected changes.
For example, in fast-moving industries, Lean methods allow teams to scale production or adjust project timelines seamlessly, giving organizations a competitive edge. A good example of this is with the 2024 LCI Engeineering Design Award winner Merck B63A. During their award-winning project, trade partners were engaged early in the process to provide greater flexibility in the design phase.
2. Unified Mission
A Lean culture aligns efforts across all levels of an organization from its strategic direction to its yearly goals and KPIs. By emphasizing shared objectives and clear communication, Lean practices ensure that team members understand how their contributions impact the larger mission. This alignment creates a sense of purpose and accountability, motivating employees to work toward common outcomes.
For instance, using Hoshin Kanri connects strategic priorities with day-to-day priorities. Keeping them visual through visual management tools and daily huddles helps to bridge the gap between leadership’s vision and field crew execution.
3. Silo Reduction
Lean culture breaks down barriers between departments, fostering collaboration and eliminating inefficiencies caused by isolated workflows. By encouraging open communication and collaborative problem-solving, Lean practices ensure that teams like operations, project teams and field crew work together to achieve shared objectives, rather than competing priorities.
For example, utilizing the mindset of an effective big room enables cross functional teams to come together and advance work by alignment strategies that improve operational and project outcomes. Breaking down silos not only enhances operational efficiency but also builds a stronger sense of teamwork and trust across the organization.
How to Identify Whether You’re “Doing Lean”: 6 Red Flags in Processes and Culture
1. Emphasis on Tools Over Principles
One of the clearest signs of a team or organization “Doing Lean” is a disproportionate focus on implementing Lean tools and artifacts, such as kanban boards or the Last Planner System, without understanding or embracing the philosophy behind them. When tools are prioritized as quick fixes rather than as part of a holistic strategy, organizations miss the opportunity to achieve true transformation. This superficial approach often leads to disillusionment when the expected results fail to materialize.
2. Top-Down Implementation
Lean thrives on engagement and collaboration across all levels of an organization. In an organization that is “Doing Lean,” initiatives are imposed by management with little or no input from employees. This stifles creativity and ownership, leading to resistance and a lack of genuine commitment. True Lean culture involves empowering employees, incorporating their insights, and fostering buy-in to create sustainable change.
3. Lack of Continuous Improvement
A defining aspect of Lean is the commitment to ongoing learning, feedback, and adaptation. “Doing Lean” cultures lack this focus, treating Lean as a one-time initiative rather than a dynamic, evolving process. Without mechanisms for regular reflection and improvement, such as kaizen discussions or retrospective meetings, organizations miss opportunities to refine practices and hear insights from all members of a team or organization.
4. Resistance to Change
In a “Doing Lean” environment, employees may feel discouraged or outright prohibited from challenging existing processes. This resistance can stem from a lack of trust, fear of reprisal, or an entrenched belief in “the way things have always been done.” True Lean culture, by contrast, encourages open dialogue and experimentation to uncover better ways of working.
5. Blame Culture
Instead of fostering a learning environment, “Doing Lean” organizations often focus on assigning blame for errors, and a defensive mindset from team members when an issue is identified. This punitive mindset creates fear and discourages employees from reporting issues or experimenting with new ideas. In genuine Lean cultures, mistakes are seen as valuable learning opportunities that drive improvement and innovation.
6. Siloed Thinking
Despite the promise of Lean, some organizations fail to break down departmental silos, allowing teams to operate independently and resist collaboration. This undermines the fundamental Lean principle of optimizing workflows across the value stream. Without cross-functional cooperation, inefficiencies persist, and the organization cannot fully capitalize on the benefits of Lean. True Lean culture actively works to unite teams around shared goals, fostering collaboration and holistic problem-solving.
Become Lean: Get Started With LCI
The pursuit of Lean is an ongoing journey of continuous improvement. While this post highlights the benefits of “Being Lean,” we recognize that transformation requires dedication, effort and is not easy.
Our mission is to support individuals, projects, and organizations throughout this journey. We provide a wealth of resources, including videos, articles, and guides, to help you learn and implement Lean practices. Begin your Lean journey today by exploring the resources available at LCI.