Reflecting on the 2026 LCI National Practice Team Work Session
On April 22, the LCI Communities of Practice (CoP) leaders gathered in Dallas for our annual National Practice Team (NPT) full-day work session, joined by members of the NPT Core Group leadership. The event kicked off the evening prior with a reception, where we had the opportunity to welcome new attendees and reconnect with returning friends over food, drinks, and great conversation.
Midway through the evening, we took part in an engaging icebreaker led by NPT Core Group members, Dave Hagan of Boulder Associates and Darlene Cadman of Weft Strategies. Each participant shared their affiliated CoP and revealed their personal “Condition of Satisfaction” (CoS) for the next day — the one goal they hoped to accomplish to make the time away from work and family worthwhile.
The work session agenda included time for putting our Lean skills into practice. We started the day with the “Deserted Island Challenge” led by Tom Weathers, RNGD and NPT Core Group Leader along with Emily Lowe, The Butz Family of Companies and NPT Core Group Member.
Here, individuals were divided into teams. They had one small boat and could only carry three items back to civilization. After deciding what they each wanted to bring, they then had to work through as a team to settle on just three items total. The activity focuses heavily on team alignment and as they worked through the process, one “observer” at each table scored the team for green/red flags that either supported or risked alignment. I was not at all surprised to see that all four teams led with Lean leadership at the core of the conversations.
The balance of the work session was packed with rich discussion and valuable takeaways. We dove into breakouts to explore common challenges and countermeasures relating to:
- Marketing and CoP Event Attendance
- Core Group Recruitment and Engagement
- Core Group Succession Planning
- Event Planning and Coordination
The NPT Core Group each commits to mentoring a small group of CoP leaders throughout the year. This meeting brought the opportunity for these small groups to get better acquainted. We ended the day with an exciting and competitive round of Lean Trivia! Congratulations to our winning team led by Darlene Cadman along with leaders from Austin (Kevin Howie, McCarthy Holdings, Inc.), Michigan (LaShira Champion-King, Walbridge), Mid-Atlantic, (Ed Hanzel, LF Driscoll) St. Louis (Linsey Schoene, Alberici) and Wisconsin (Kyle Alvarez, Advocate Health) CoPs!
We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all CoP leaders for their commitment, time, and energy in supporting their communities and making this gathering so impactful. A special thanks as well to the NPT core group members, whose dedication and thoughtful planning brought meaningful content and collaboration to life.
Together, we continue to strengthen the Lean movement — one conversation, one connection, and one CoP at a time.