Lean Project Consulting’s New Home in Colorado
January 22nd, 2006 by HalI have a small construction project going on for our business. We are establishing our company's presence in Louisville, CO. The space is not large, a little over 900 square feet. It is being modeled as oobeya — one big room — as a way of understanding what it is like to plan, learn, innovate, and collaborate in a Toyota-like environment.
We're having our challenges getting the space built out. We hired an outstanding interior designer, Renee Sherman, Oglesby Sherman Design, to guide us through the process. The developer offered us a bare bones space. Renee helped us anticipate our different uses and how we could shape the space to support those uses. Of course, that meant starting over with the build out and taking the delays while we researched sources of materials and specialty contractors who could do the installations. We're now looking at a mid-to-late February move in.
I've learned (again) a number of lessons:
- Talk with your builder
The builder will want to keep the project moving. Any attempts at redirecting the design while construction is underway introduces uncertainty. - Talk with your partner
We are sure to have different concerns for the design and what it will look like when finished. - Talk with your designer
Some of our choices turned out either expensive or the materials or installers were unavailable in our desired time frame. Regular conversations allowed us to adapt to the circumstances and keep our project on track. - Talk as a group
EvenEspecially during a fast-paced project the team can fall out of alignment. What started as a quick move in changed as new design considerations opened possibilities for more versatile space. Without frequent conversations we found ourselves getting out of sync. - Don't bother talking with yourself
In the absence of conversation we make inferences to complete our view of our world. Inevitably, those inferences are far less useful than filling those gaps with the facts. When in doubt, talk to those above.
The project is coming along nicely. I'll have photos for you as we get closer to move in.
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January 28th, 2006 at 2:28 am
Hal,
Call when you get here. I pass by Louisville on my way to Lockheed every morning and back again at night. I’ll buy coffee this time.