Unlocking Unused Potential with Adam “Beanie” Bean
I love Beanie’s perspective: instead of starting with overproduction as the “mother of all wastes,” he challenges us to flip the script and put unused or underutilized potential first. If our people aren’t fully engaged, if their creativity, skill, and insight aren’t being tapped, then the other seven wastes naturally follow.
Beanie shared stories of growing up in construction, learning hard lessons from his father, and later mastering principles of lean, scrum, and the theory of constraints. His emphasis? People over process. When we focus on autonomy, mastery, and purpose, we unleash the hidden potential of our teams, and projects transform.
From stand-ups to habits of daily learning, from “say one, do one, teach one” to the simple rule of “play the ball, not the player,” this conversation reinforced one truth: it’s not the giant breakthroughs that make us remarkable, but the small, consistent improvements practiced daily.
What really struck me is how often we overlook the talent already sitting in front of us. Instead of racing to hire outside help, how many times do we pause and ask if someone on the team could step up, contribute, and grow? That shift alone changes culture.
Beanie also emphasized the importance of building habits. Like going to the gym, leadership and lean thinking aren’t one-time efforts; they’re the result of daily reps. He reminded me that showing up consistently, even for 10 minutes a day, compounds into mastery.
Another golden nugget was his approach to conflict. He reframed it as a tool for growth rather than chaos. When teams “play the ball, not the player,” the energy shifts from personal attack to solving process problems. That kind of cultural change unlocks incredible momentum.
Finally, I left this conversation with a challenge to myself: to create more community. Tools, frameworks, and training are valuable, but real transformation happens when people connect, share, and hold each other accountable. That’s where potential is unleashed.
If there’s one thing I hope you take away, it’s this: unused potential is the real waste we must fight. When we invest in people, teach them to think differently, and trust them to lead improvements, everything else falls into place.
Key Takeaway:
The greatest waste in construction isn’t overproduction, it’s underutilized potential. When we flip the order and focus on people first, we unlock creativity, reduce waste at the root, and build better projects and better lives. Small reps, done daily, change everything.
Unlocking Unused Potential with Adam “Beanie” Bean
I love Beanie’s perspective: instead of starting with overproduction as the “mother of all wastes,” he challenges us to flip the script and put unused or underutilized potential first. If our people aren’t fully engaged, if their creativity, skill, and insight aren’t being tapped, then the other seven wastes naturally follow.
Beanie shared stories of growing up in construction, learning hard lessons from his father, and later mastering principles of lean, scrum, and the theory of constraints. His emphasis? People over process. When we focus on autonomy, mastery, and purpose, we unleash the hidden potential of our teams, and projects transform.
From stand-ups to habits of daily learning, from “say one, do one, teach one” to the simple rule of “play the ball, not the player,” this conversation reinforced one truth: it’s not the giant breakthroughs that make us remarkable, but the small, consistent improvements practiced daily.
What really struck me is how often we overlook the talent already sitting in front of us. Instead of racing to hire outside help, how many times do we pause and ask if someone on the team could step up, contribute, and grow? That shift alone changes culture.
Beanie also emphasized the importance of building habits. Like going to the gym, leadership and lean thinking aren’t one-time efforts; they’re the result of daily reps. He reminded me that showing up consistently, even for 10 minutes a day, compounds into mastery.
Another golden nugget was his approach to conflict. He reframed it as a tool for growth rather than chaos. When teams “play the ball, not the player,” the energy shifts from personal attack to solving process problems. That kind of cultural change unlocks incredible momentum.
Finally, I left this conversation with a challenge to myself: to create more community. Tools, frameworks, and training are valuable, but real transformation happens when people connect, share, and hold each other accountable. That’s where potential is unleashed.
If there’s one thing I hope you take away, it’s this: unused potential is the real waste we must fight. When we invest in people, teach them to think differently, and trust them to lead improvements, everything else falls into place.
Key Takeaway:
The greatest waste in construction isn’t overproduction, it’s underutilised potential. When we flip the order and focus on people first, we unlock creativity, reduce waste at the root, and build better projects and better lives. Small reps, done daily, change everything.
