How Communities of Practice Are Changing Design and Construction
Every design and construction project generates valuable lessons, but too often, that knowledge stays with the team that learned it. As a result, other teams end up working through challenges their peers have already solved, missing opportunities to build on what others have learned.
LCI Communities of Practice (CoPs) give that hard-won knowledge somewhere to go.
At LCI Congress, we sat down with participants from several LCI CoPs to discuss what happens when design and construction professionals share lessons, challenges and better ways of working across company and discipline lines.
“Maybe you can learn from my experience and we can share knowledge. We don’t have to learn the same mistake over and over again.”
— Ben Foreman, Hunt Electric, Minnesota CoP
More Than Networking: Learning From People Doing the Work
An LCI Community of Practice is a regional, volunteer-led group of design and construction professionals who come together to learn, share and strengthen their Lean practice. Each community shapes its own programming, from Lean Coffee discussions and Gemba walks to case study presentations, peer-led roundtables and workshops.
What sets a CoP event apart from traditional networking events is the opportunity to learn directly from people doing the work. Participants bring forward real project experiences, including the challenges they’re facing, the approaches they’ve tried and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.
“If you did it better than I did, great. Bring it back and show us how you do it.”
— George Hunt, Integrated Project Services, New England CoP
The exchange benefits practitioners at every experience level. Seasoned practitioners share lessons from years of project experience while gaining new ideas from peers applying familiar tools in different ways. Newcomers learn from those who have put Lean principles into practice, while bringing fresh questions and perspectives to the table.
“Ask what you think is a dumb question, because I promise I had the same question. It’s OK. This is a culture and community where it’s really safe and OK to be wrong.”
— Ben Foreman, Hunt Electric, Minnesota CoP
Stop Reinventing the Wheel
The value of these exchanges becomes clear when practitioners take what they’ve learned back to their own projects. Rather than developing every solution from scratch, teams can build on approaches their peers have already tested, saving time and avoiding mistakes along the way.
“Not having to either reinvent the wheel or suffer through trying to create a new method has been helpful.”
— Megan Zak, HGA Architects and Engineers, Wisconsin CoP
Some of the most valuable lessons shared within a CoP come from experiences that didn’t go as planned. Open conversations about what went wrong, how teams responded and what they would do differently give others an opportunity to learn from those experiences.
“It’s not always puppies and rainbows. Here are the scars. Here’s everything that went wrong and how we corrected it.”
— Denis Stroup, Barge Design Solutions, Nashville CoP
Whether a lesson comes from a success or a setback, it doesn’t have to be a major breakthrough to be worth sharing. Even a small improvement can help another team save time, avoid rework and build on what others have learned.
“If we save one RFI on a project or we enable better communication between architects and engineers, that’s a win.”
— Megan Zak, HGA Architects and Engineers, Wisconsin CoP
Better Ideas Come From Different Perspectives
Those lessons become even more valuable when they come from people with different perspectives. The challenges design and construction teams face rarely affect just one discipline. A decision that works well for one part of a project may create difficulties for another, making it important to understand how different roles and disciplines approach the same challenges.
“We have owners. We have designers. We have trade partners… That gives us that 360 perspective of the whole industry.”
— Denis Stroup, Barge Design Solutions, Nashville CoP
CoPs widen the view by bringing owners, designers, builders, trade partners, engineers, manufacturers and professionals at every experience level into the same conversation.
These conversations can reveal blind spots and opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed within a single company or discipline. Hearing how others approach planning, coordination and problem-solving helps practitioners better understand different perspectives, challenge assumptions and consider new ways of working.
“We don’t have to do things because that’s the way it’s always been done.”
— Megan Zak, HGA Architects and Engineers, Wisconsin CoP
Sharing What Works Helps the Whole Industry Build Better
The benefits of these conversations don’t have to end when a CoP event wraps up. While design and construction companies may compete for work, they also face many of the same challenges and share a common interest in improving how projects are delivered.
This is where the impact of CoP participation can multiply. One lesson shared at a local event goes back to several organizations, where it may influence how teams approach their next pull plan or design review, coach their colleagues or solve a recurring problem. As participants put those ideas into practice and bring their own experiences back to the group, the benefits extend across more projects, companies and people.
“That’s the whole thing. We’re sharing it for the idea that you can take this and do it yourself.”
— George Hunt, Integrated Project Services, New England CoP
Get Involved in Your Local Community
No single company, discipline or project team has all the answers. CoPs exist because the industry improves faster when lessons travel than when they stay put.
Whether you’re new to Lean or have years of experience, there’s something to learn and something to contribute. Bring your questions, share what’s worked and what hasn’t, and discover how others are approaching the challenges you’re facing.