Member Connections: 5 Questions with Henry Nutt III
This week’s 5 Questions with…offers a view from the Trade Partner perspective. Henry Nutt, with Southland Industries, shares his insights on implementing Lean and the value it offers to Trade Partners, even on jobs where the GC may not be bought in.
What hurdles did you encounter when implementing Lean on a project (in your company), and how did you tackle them?
My primary hurdle was gaining initial buy-in due to preconceived notions or poor past experiences. I tackled this by really listening to their concerns and modeling the behaviors I expected from my team. And lots of check-ins to understand breakdowns.
What stories can you share about a successful Lean project (Lean implementation effort) you participated in and what do you think made it work?
Partnering with a GC that was not well versed in Lean but were willing to try. They deferred to us a lot and our field crew really stepped to provide consistent support. We held one another accountable, hired a consultant and worked through issues as a unit, versus placing blame when we had breakdowns.
In your opinion, what are the biggest benefits of applying Lean and how have they impacted your projects, your teams, or your organization?
Improved relationships across the project team. Removal of undisclosed waste, that prevents trust, empathy, humility, and clear communication to take place in real time on a project. The impact is a project that fires on all cylinders. Team members show up knowing their ideas will be considered, appreciated, and valued, whether it’s used or not. This is a critical element for a successful Lean project.
How do you assess if your Lean game is strong; are there metrics or techniques you rely on and can share?
Productivity metrics is always a great to measure impact. It represents the flow of the job, which reflects how design and construction are working together.
If someone’s just dipping their toes into Lean, what advice would you offer from lessons you’ve learned?
Have them reflect on the worst job they ever had and what one thing would they change if they could. Then have them bring that idea to their new project. In other words, start by fixing the things that bug them and pass the idea along to others. Collectively they will begin to see they have the power and capability to change their project outcomes.
If you have a story to tell, we’d love to share it here. Reach out to Maryann Fiala to be featured in a future Member Connections.