Managing Lean with Self-Employed Mindsets

Case Study: "CraftBuild Ltd" – Managing Lean with Self-Employed Mindsets

Having worked on major Lean construction projects years ago, I often found myself embedded within supply chains full of small, independently-run trades and specialist SMEs. As a Lean consultant, guiding those micro-businesses through process improvements and cultural shifts from the outside. Today, I’m not just working with micro-organisations and self-employed individuals as clients, I am one myself, as a founder of my own start-up. And I’m now facing, firsthand, many of the same behavioural wastes and cultural clashes I used to diagnose in others. That perspective shift inspired me to write this real-world case study.

While the case study I share below focuses on a team of traditional craftsmen in a physical trade, the same Lean behaviours, or lack thereof, show up across all types of micro-businesses. Whether you're a freelance designer, a virtual assistant, a bookkeeper, or a one-person marketing studio, you're still running processes. 

The work might be digital, but the wastes are just as real: version control chaos, communication delays, overprocessing, and task switching are the modern equivalents of a cluttered workshop. I see the same patterns in the remote teams and solo freelancers I now work with, and often in myself as a founder. The names of the tasks might differ, but the principles of Lean Thinking remain the same. So, if you're a one-man band or a digital micro-team, this case still applies, just translate the tools to your terrain.

Background

CraftBuild Ltd is a specialist company providing high-end bespoke joinery and interiors for residential and boutique commercial projects. They have 10 direct employees and 5 regular subcontractors (independent craftsmen & freelancers) who operate as part of the team on and off.

The company attempted to implement Lean Thinking, starting with Hoshin Kanri (strategy deployment), followed by classic foundational Lean tools such as Process Mapping, FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis), and SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures).

Initial Observation

The team was very enthusiastic in group sessions, full of ideas, solutions, positive energy, but when it came to following through on formal structures and disciplines (especially outside workshops), application was patchy at best. Each individual largely defaulted back to their own ways of working.
Typical comments heard:

• "I know my way, and it works best for me."

• "Processes just slow us down."

• "We're not a big corporate, we don’t need forms and rules."

Problem Diagnosis

Key issues identified:

• Mindset Gap: Self-employed subcontractors and even some employees valued autonomy and mastery of their own methods far more than collective process alignment.

• Autodidactic Culture: Many taught themselves their crafts over years; formal Lean methodologies felt like a threat to their professional identity, not a support.

• Mistrust of Formality: Processes, documentation, and structured problem-solving (like FMEA) triggered fear of bureaucracy rather than being seen as efficiency enablers.

• Perceived Loss of Creativity: Standardised methods (e.g., SOPs) were interpreted as "stifling" rather than liberating time and attention for better work.

• Superficial Buy-In: There was engagement during workshops (positive peer energy), but it was social rather than personal commitment to change.

Where/How Do Info-Based Team Members Fit into the Case Study?

Even in CraftBuild Ltd (or similar businesses), there's always:

• Someone handling project comms or client emails

• Someone producing quotes, invoices, or supplier orders

• Someone coordinating design revisions or site documentation

• Perhaps a part-time bookkeeper, VA, or a freelance designer

While they’re not sanding wood, they’re equally vital, and just as prone to Lean wastes:

TIMPWOOD Waste

Example for Info/Comms roles

T – Transport

Emailing the same documents back and forth for comments

I – Inventory

Keeping multiple outdated copies of proposals or artwork

M – Motion

Searching across files, folders, email threads for the “final” version

P – People

Doing tasks manually that could be templated or automated

W – Waiting

Waiting for feedback, sign-offs, or incomplete briefs

O – Overproduction

Producing overly complex designs, reports, or copy

O – Overprocessing

Spending time “perfecting” things the client won’t notice

D – Defects

Typos, missed deadlines, wrong version used

This wasn’t just the hands-on tradespeople. The same individualistic work patterns and resistance to structure were just as present in admin, design, project comms or digital support roles, even if less visible.

The freelance bookkeeper had her own system for invoicing. The VA used her own task manager disconnected from the main workflow. The designer preferred to self-manage deadlines without shared project views.

Lean principles like visual management, standardised workflows, and value stream alignment are just as necessary for these roles, because wastes like version chaos, email ping-pong, and siloed tools still degrade flow, just in different forms.

These team members often work solo, remotely, or asynchronously, so visual management, agreed workflows, and role clarity become even more important.

Repercussions

If not addressed, CraftBuild Ltd was at risk of:

• Inconsistent Quality: Different ways of working meant outputs varied depending on "who" did the work.

• Wasted Effort: Duplication, avoidable errors, and inefficient handovers between tradespeople.

• Scalability Problems: Without standard processes, the business could not grow or take on larger projects without chaos.

• Burnout and Frustration: Leadership and passionate team members who did want change would become disillusioned.

• Loss of Reputation: In a high-end market, inconsistency could damage CraftBuild’s brand reliability.

Lean Diagnosis: Where Lean Eyes See the Waste

Using TIMPWOOD (in the correct Lean order you prefer), clear wastes appeared:

Waste

Observations

T - Transport

Manual tools and materials were often moved between areas unnecessarily due to lack of process flow design.

I - Inventory

Over-ordering of specific materials by individuals "just in case," creating clutter and loss of space.

M - Motion

Repetitive, unplanned movements looking for tools, plans, materials.

P - People

Highly skilled workers doing low-skill tasks (e.g., making decisions that should have been standardised).

W - Waiting

Waiting for decisions or approvals that weren’t pre-agreed.

O - Overproduction

Overbuilding components that didn’t exactly match customer specs because of assumptions.

O - Overprocessing

Adding "extras" or personal touches not requested by the client, leading to rework.

D - Defects

Errors in finishes, misalignments, needing time-consuming corrections.

Recommended Lean Countermeasures (and How You Would Approach It)

Rather than pushing more "formal training," the countermeasures would lean heavily into:

1. Reframe Lean for a Self-Employed Mindset

• Position Lean tools not as "corporate control" but as enhancers of autonomy:
  "If you have a standard, you can spend your energy being creative where it matters, not reinventing every wheel."

• Emphasise Lean's craftsmanship roots:
  "True masters standardise the basics to focus their genius on the special parts."

2. Micro-Hoshin: 'Personal Hoshin'

• Introduce mini Hoshin Kanri at individual level, not company-wide first.

• Let each subcontractor identify their own small improvement goal aligned with the bigger business objectives.

• Small personal goals create ownership and connection to team objectives naturally.

3. Use Visual Management and Visual SOPs

• Replace heavy text SOPs with pictorial standards.

• Show before/after examples on site walls.

• Use storyboards to show "best practice" instead of manuals.

4. Introduce Quick Kaizen Events

• 1-hour, standing "Fix What Bugs You" sessions.

• Focus on immediate, small wins that show Lean brings relief not paperwork.

5. Embed Peer-to-Peer Mentoring

• Match "lean-friendly" team members with more resistant ones.

• Use an informal buddy system to share practices, not as "trainers" but as "mates sharing tricks."

6. Modify SOP Language

• Instead of "Standard Operating Procedure," call it "Best Known Way", it sounds less rigid.

• Invite everyone to "beat the Best Known Way", appealing to their craftsman pride.

7. Apply Lean to the Team Structure

• Set up cross-functional squads on small tasks.

• Reward teamwork openly with visible recognition (e.g., ‘Team of the Month’ with a prize aligned with their world like a quality tool voucher, not a corporate dinner!).

How Do You Convince a 1-Man-Band/ Freelancer to Apply Lean to Themselves?

Most freelancers are time-poor, overwhelmed, or reliant on memory and hustle. They don’t realise they’re leaking time and energy through avoidable inefficiencies, often because they’ve never been taught to spot them.

What speaks to Them/Us?

Reframe Lean as:

• "Making space for creativity."

• "Keeping your promises to yourself and your clients."

• "Having systems that protect your sanity."

• "Replacing chaos with calm, without losing flexibility."

Focus on small, tangible wins:

• 1-click templates (SOPs without calling them that)

• Personal Hoshin (e.g., “What’s your one focus this month?”)

• Fix-What-Bugs-You lists for their digital workspace

• Daily wrap-up checklists (visual control for your own workflow)

• File naming conventions, batching comms, or automating routine admin

Example message:

"You don't need to be a big business to run smarter. Lean isn't just about improving teams, it's about improving your relationship with your own time. Think of it like this: if you're doing the same thing three times, it's time to Lean it."

And if you’re reading this as a solo freelancer or one-man band, not part of a wider team, this still absolutely applies to you.

Lean isn't just about managing people. It’s about managing your relationship with your time, your tools, and your task load. If you’re doing the same thing more than twice, dealing with recurring errors, or feeling overwhelmed, then Lean thinking can radically reduce your friction.

Start with micro-changes:

• Use a visual to-do board to track your personal WIP.

• Create a “Best Known Way” for your proposals, posts, or invoices.

• Batch your communication windows instead of reacting in real-time.

This is Lean for independence, structure that supports freedom, not strangles it.

What This Would Look Like as a Lean Project

If you were leading this intervention:

Step 1: Diagnostic Phase

• Value Stream Mapping workshops (informal style, flip charts, sharpies, Post-Its).

• Individual interviews to listen and understand resistance points (Gemba spirit).

• Step 2: Pilot Phase

• Choose one site/project to trial Personal Hoshin and Visual Standards.

• Quick wins to show results fast (improve tool access, small quality wins).

• Step 3: Full Rollout

• Gradual introduction, starting with willing participants ("coalition of the willing").

• Recognise and celebrate the positive results.

• Step 4: Sustain and Build

• Continual improvement meetings, short and sweet, embedded in the site routine.

LEAN IS NOT ABOUT FORCING STRUCTURE

This case is a classic reminder that Lean is not about forcing structure on people; it's about freeing people through structure they respect and own. Especially with self-employed mindsets, Lean must feel empowering, not imposing. The key is not to "corporatise" but to "craft Lean into their craftsmanship."