May 7, 2026
Construction Safety Week: Building Safer Projects Through Lean
Construction Safety Week is a reminder that safety isn’t separate from the work; it’s built into how projects are planned and executed.
Lean principles support safer jobsites by improving workflow predictability, strengthening communication, and enabling teams to identify and address risks early.
At its core, safety reflects Respect for People. Lean helps teams turn that principle into consistent, proactive action so everyone goes home safe, every day.
Nominations Are Open: 2026 LCI Design & Engineering Design Awards
Does your team have an exceptional project that leveraged Lean design and engineering practices? Nominate your team today for the 2026 LCI Design or Engineering Design Award, recognizing teams who use collaborative Lean project delivery to elevate design and transform the industry.
Eligible projects must be completed and built, substantially finished after January 1, 2020, and submitted by the design team. Submissions are due by midnight ET, June 25, 2026. Winners will be honored at the 2026 LCI Congress in Atlanta, GA on October 15, 2026!
Questions? Contact Joan Piccariello.
LCI Certification: Start with Mindset, Not Tools
What’s the best way to begin your Lean journey? According to new LCI-CPC certificant Stephen Ham of SC Steel, LLC, it starts with how you think, not what tools you use.
“Don’t start with tools—start with mindset.”
Stephen encourages teams to start by going to the Gemba – spending time in the field, talking to the people doing the work, and observing how work actually flows. Instead of jumping to solutions, focus first on understanding constraints, handoffs, and real conditions.
From there, prioritize small, meaningful improvements. Trying to optimize everything at once often creates more noise than progress. Consistent, achievable wins are what build momentum.
Stephen has already seen the impact of this approach. By making Lean a core focus within his organization and forming Lean teams across departments, his group has improved collaboration, identified constraints earlier, and reduced downtime. The result is smoother workflows, fewer surprises, and stronger alignment across teams.
His advice also applies on a personal level: stay disciplined, keep learning, and remain curious. Lean isn’t something you complete, it’s something you continuously practice.
That’s exactly what LCI Certification is designed to recognize. It’s not a classroom credential, it validates your ability to apply Lean principles on real projects and deliver measurable results.
Ready to take the next step?
Lean in Design Forum Wrap-up
The 2026 LCI Lean in Design Forum was a success. On April 28-29 over 200 attendees gathered in Chicago. This year’s Forum was not just about design. It was about the upstream conditions that allow better project outcomes to happen.
This professional development event featured an exhilarating opening keynote speaker Amy Marks, SVP, Innovation and Sustainability, Compass Datacenters, who spoke on Lean by Design. Amy provided a powerful reminder that failure is not something to hide from. It is something to study. If we are serious about improving how we deliver work in this industry, we have to be willing to name what did not work, learn from it, and adjust in real time.
The morning of the core program included three featured panels:
- Owner Perspective Panel – provided a conversation around validation. Validation in Target Value Delivery is not only about validating the business case. It is also about validating quality, schedule and the culture we are creating around the work.
- Early Integration – Relationships and Responsibilities Panel
- Meet the 2025 Design Award and Engineering Design Award Winners
The afternoon of the core program showcased 15 roundtable sessions and was preceded by a full day of LCI educational courses.
We closed the event with our closing keynote, Kyle Majchrowski, speaking on: Powerful Conversations – How Team Clarity Creates Performance. Kyle brought us back to connection. The kind that helps people understand who they are working with, what they are relying on each other for, and how they will respond when the work gets hard.
The design focused event is something we are very proud to host annually with the intention of empowering designers to pursue design excellence through the use of Lean approaches and methods.
What's New at LCI Congress Learning Day!
✅ LCI Advancing Set-Based Design for the Lean Practitioner
✅ Communications Systems for Larger Projects
✅ Half-Day Rich Diviney Workshop on Building Trusting Teams
✅ Respect for People: Operationalizing Lean’s Relational Engine
✅ The Lean Company – Stop Wishing for It. Start Building It.
✅ Production Control System for Construction: Daily Management and Problem Solving
LCI Congress registration opens June 18!
Have questions about the LCI Congress program? Reach out to Joan Piccariello.
Member Connections
Get Certified in Mental Health First Aid
Mental health challenges touch every workplace — and the construction industry is no exception. As professionals who work in one of the most high-pressure, deadline-driven environments around, knowing how to recognize and respond when a colleague is struggling can make a real difference.
That’s why LCI is offering a member benefit that goes beyond the jobsite: access to Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) certification training at a significantly reduced cost for members.
What is Mental Health First Aid?
Similar to physical first aid and CPR, Mental Health First Aid gives you a practical, evidence-based skill set for responding to someone experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge — until professional help is available or the situation is resolved. More than 3 million people across the U.S. have been trained, and peer-reviewed studies consistently show that certified First Aiders are more confident and better equipped to help someone in distress.
What to expect from the training
This is a blended virtual course. You’ll complete 2 hours of self-paced pre-work online, then join a live 8-hour virtual instructor-led session. Following the training, you’ll complete an online exam administered by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing to earn your certification — good for three years. All materials and the exam are included in your registration fee.
Sessions are limited to 15 participants, so spots fill quickly. Registration closes two weeks before each training date to allow time to complete the required pre-work. Participants must be U.S. residents to be eligible.
What you’ll walk away with
- The ability to recognize common signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges
- Skills to support someone who may be in crisis
- Knowledge of how to connect a person with the right resources and professional help
Strategies for responding to someone who may be thinking about suicide
Pricing
LCI Members: $25* | Non-members: $170
*The full cost of this course is $170. LCI is underwriting a portion for our members.
Ready to register?
If you are interested in helping to underwrite the cost of this program, please contact Ilene Goldberg for more information.
Questions about the program? Reach out to Maryann Fiala directly.
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