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Toyota executive Ohno Taiichi originally defined the term ‘lean’ as it relates to working in the manufacturing industry. He said the key element to working lean is identifying and eliminating waste, as it pertains to:

• Overproduction
• Inventory
• Waiting
• Motion
• Transportation
• Defects
• Process
• Under Utilized People

Although the concept originated in the automotive industry, lean methodology has been successfully implemented across countless sectors, construction included. In today’s world, where we’re connected 24/7, it’s more difficult than ever to stay focused during the workday. Multitasking, constant access to email and phone, and various nuisance factors (environment, emotional distractions, etc.) can all hold us back from staying on task. Studies show that each interruption requires 20 minutes to recover – that’s a ton of lost time.

To get employees engaged in their own productivity, they need to know how important time management is to the success of the overall team. This message should come from management and be reflected in their work as well.

In order to maximize the hours in your workday, spend time planning and organizing your week, set goals and priorities, write a to-do list and be flexible. You’ll be more productive than ever, and management will notice in no time.