Lean Culture BuildingContinuous ImprovementFacilitation

Big Room approach = Big Results

By Tammy McConaughy, Global Director, Lean Delivery
CRB Group

Motivate teams to collaborate and tackle challenges before they become issues for more effective project delivery.

“Advancing work rapidly, being innovative, and fostering a culture of collaborative accountability and problem solving is no longer a nice-to-have. But how can teams foster this culture while continuing to work at a blistering pace? Meet the Big Room setting,” writes Tammy McConaughy in the Lean Construction Institute blog.

“Contrary to its name, A Big Room has little to do with location or space and more to do with mindset.” Traditional meetings are a one-way flow of information. “A Big Room is different, it provides a strong foundation for multi-disciplined team engagement by fostering a culture of trust and respect for what each team member brings to the table no matter title or seniority. It celebrates successes big and small, continuously motivating the team and its individuals to improve.”

Keys to effective Big Rooms include:

  • A Big Room Champion
  • Structured Agenda
  • Culture of Trust
  • Peer Facilitators
  • Timekeeper
  • Scribe
  • Decision Log
  • Visual Displays

Types of Big Rooms:

Co-location: Big Room participants are physically located together, with no virtual attendees. This could be a permanent space onsite or in an office or a company HQ.

Virtual: Big Rooms have frequently been located on Zoom over the last few years and this trend is here to stay. Collaborative digital tools like Miro or Mural can support the virtual environment.

Hybrid: A combination of in-person and virtual attendance by select participants.

For more on Big Rooms and Tips for Success, read Tammy’s full article here

And for a SUMMARY on Big Rooms and a DOWNLOADABLE 14-Step Strategy Guide, click HERE.

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