Lean Without Permission on a "Lean" Project
Join us for a preview of an LCI Lean in Design Forum 2026 Presentation.
This design story can be summarized as a Lean paradox. A client contractually required Lean and proudly identified as a leading Lean organization, yet daily interactions included raised voices, walkouts over slide fonts, canceled sessions after weeks of preparation, and consistent indecision. As the Lean Champion, I assumed this would be the project where Lean behaviors were already embedded and was eager to learn from a culture that truly embraced Lean. That assumption was incorrect. Rather than confronting the client or challenging their identity, Lean was practiced without permission, announcements, or conflict. Principles were embedded directly into the design process to reduce waste, create structure, absorb volatility, adjust misalignment, and streamline decisions. No mandates, no lectures, no labels, just results.The project did not become perfectly Lean, but it became more predictable, aligned, and resilient. This story reframes Lean as an agile, adaptive design approach that creates clarity upstream and confidence downstream, even when reality does not match the label.Spot Lean in name only, apply Lean without authority, build clarity and trust in imperfect environments.
Speaker:
Yara Osman, Jacobs
Yara Osman is a Project Manager at Jacobs with a background in architecture and over 12 years of experience leading complex projects. She integrates Lean principles into design and construction to improve collaboration, reduce waste, and deliver measurable value. Yara has guided multidisciplinary teams across diverse project types and delivery methods, embedding Agile and Lean practices to strengthen alignment, transparency, and performance.
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