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1.0 Why

2.0 When

3.0 How Venues

Elements

Considerations

References/ SourcesThe Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable - Patrick Lencioni

The Mindset of an Effective Big Room

“ THE MAN WHO WILL USE HIS

SKILL AND CONSTRUCTIVE

IMAGINATION TO SEE HOW

MUCH HE CAN GIVE FOR A

DOLLAR, INSTEAD OF HOW

LITTLE HE CAN GIVE FOR

A DOLLAR, IS BOUND TO

SUCCEED. ” | Henry Ford |

A collaborative presentation from over a dozen experienced Lean IPD practitioners.

© 2015 Lean Construction Institute

THEMINDSETOFANEFFECTIVEBIGROOM | 2

1.0 Why

AneffectiveBigRoomsupportscross-functionalteamcollaborationbyadvancingworkandbringingthelargerteamuptospeedontheactivitiesofothergroupsorindividuals.Itallowsteamstounderstandtheirimpactacrossclusters orworkgroups.TheBigRoomalsoprovidesteamswiththetimetodiscussproject-wideconcernslikebudgets,hottopics,orglobalchanges.ThetermBigRoomrefersmoretothebehaviorsandactionsoftheteamthanthephysicalspace.TheBigRoomismorethanco-locationofpeople; it isaboutcollaborativebehaviorandtheworktheyareproducing.

The behaviors and activities of the Big Room environmentshould begin as early in the project as possible even if thewhole team is not yet formed. The frequency of Big Roomsessions varies from project to project andwithin differentphasesoftheproject.Theteammustthereforecontinuouslydeterminetheright frequencyanddurationofsessions.Forexample,ahalf-dayperweekmaybeappropriateforaverysmall project. A complete co-locationmight be suitable forother situations. Again, the demands of each project willdeterminethefrequency,duration,andlocationofsessions.

Overthecourseoftheproject,thekeyparticipantsintheBigRoomshouldandwillchangeaccordingtothetypeofworkbeingproducedandthetypeofteammemberswhoaddvalueto each phase of the project. It is important that the teaminclude the right people at the right time having the rightinformation to do the rightwork. It is important to discussregularlythisvalueproposition.Alongwithsmallermonthlychanges,theentirenatureoftheBigRoomwillchangeseveraltimesthroughouttheprojectlife.

2.0 When

An Effective Big Room supports Collaborative Behavior. It is flexible, practical, and has visual information.

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THEMINDSETOFANEFFECTIVEBIGROOM | 3

TheBigRoom isabout fosteringbehaviors that leadtohighlevelsofcollaborationandthustohigh-performing teams. Although forming aBigRoom requires a signif-icant investment of time andmoney,when conductedwelltheBigRoomaddsvaluetotheprojectanddrivesdown the overall project cost. Teams rapidly advanceworkinarelativelyshortamountoftimewithlessreworkbecausetheyhavethecollectivebrainpowerintheroomworkingtogether.

Havingawell-established,effectively facilitatedagendaiscrucialtoaBigRoom’sproductivityandefficiency.Theteam should collaboratively create the agenda well inadvanceof theBigRoomsession. Thisensures thatallteam members are prepared to advance the work. Agoodagenda hasanexpectedoutcomefor theagendaitems,timeframes,andrequiredkeyparticipants.Whileitisimportanttohaveaneffectiveagenda, it is equally importanttohaveitbewellfacilitated.

PotentialBigRoomVenues:

• Co-Located:Participantscontinuouslylocatedtogetherwithcontinuouscollaboration

• Recurring:Participantsmeetinpersononaregu-larlyscheduled,recurringbasis

• Hybrid:Combinationofin-personandvirtualatten-dancebyselectparticipants

ElementsoftheBigRoomenvironmentinclude:

• RulesofEngagement(nostripes,stayfocused,etc.in Facilitation).

• ParticipantswhoarepreparedtoadvanceworkwhileintheBigRoom

• Dedicatedtimetolearntogether• Afocusonimprovingtheprocess(retrospectives,

plus/deltas,declaring/fixingbreakdowns, etc.).• Onboarding • Teambuildingactivities• Positivereinforcement• Coachingandmentoringenvironment• High-energy,dynamic,andchallengingatmosphere• Teammemberswhocontribute(Theyshouldbe

encouragedtostepoutoftheircomfortzones.)• Effectivevisualsonwallstokeepteaminformed

(dashboards,budgets,CoS, etc.)• Effectiveagendathatiscollaborativelyestablished

andeffectivelyfacilitated• Collaborativeplanning(Last Planner® System). • Collaborativeproblem-solvingand

information-sharing• Cluster groupsforming/dissolving.• Collaborativeconversations(talkbeforedraw)• Sounddecisionmaking(Choosing By Advantages)

Considerations for the physical space of the Big Roominclude:

• Largeroomsupportedbybreak-outareas• Lotsofwallspaceand/orportablewalls• Dedicatedspace(ideally)• Accesstocoffee,water,snack,restrooms,etc.• Technologytosupportteam’sactivities(Smartboard,

videoconferencing,whiteboards,printers/plotters)• Fileandinformationsharingstructure• Connectivity(companyservers,internet,email,etc.)• Whiteboard,stickynotes,markers,flipcharts

3.0 How

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