Principles of Lean Project Management: Empowerment, Respect, Integrity

The tradition of project management that began with Taylor and Gantt in the late 1800s takes a leap forward for organizations that deploy lean project management principles. Like Gantt, practitioners of lean project management seek to create the most efficient organizations possible. However, in a decidedly 21st century application of business strategy, project managers who follow these principles aim to create great experiences for employees as well as for customers.

By eliminating waste, focusing on efficiency, and emphasizing personal achievement, lean project management can help teams discover tremendous professional fulfillment. Practitioners of lean project management prefer to strip teams of office politics and other wasteful habits by integrating conflict as a creative step within the project cycle. Because results are measured in terms of completed projects and not in terms of perceived status, organizations can be more clear about rewarding workers.

However, making lean project management a reality can still be a challenge in many organizations. Some leaders fail to understand the benefits of dividing larger projects into manageable chunks. Some company structures resist the flattening of organizational charts that can happen after a few lean project cycles. A handful of company leaders might even be resentful of project managers who identify some of their favorite line items or work processes as “wasteful.” To successfully integrate lean project management into an organization, project managers must believe in themselves, believe in the process, and remain strong.

One of the best ways for project managers to stay strong, especially during the early stages of implementing lean project management, is to promote the positive impact of procedural changes. In too many organizations, leaders preach that it’s okay to make mistakes while punishing managers who fail to meet goals and deadlines. The principles of lean project management lower the stakes for most project managers, making it less likely for teams to fail. Furthermore, with smaller projects and smaller impact for each project, failure doesn’t have to mean the same kind of disaster that occurs when large projects collapse. Communicating clearly about what a team learned from a failed project sends a clear message of commitment to improvement.