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Background
New facilities represent one of an organization's most significant
capital investments, and the cost of that facility is forever embedded
in the price of products or services rendered. A complex construction
project brings together a host of characters such as architects,
engineers, construction managers, contractors, suppliers, sometimes
craft unions, and, of course, the owner.
Intense
competition for engineering and construction work frequently results in
razor-thin profit margins, requiring the participants to exercise highly
effective management principles and strategies. But new construction
tends to be one-of-a-kind work, and unknowns appear frequently. Design
changes and construction delays create havoc for everyone, chipping away
at those already thin profit margins.
In
this environment, litigation is rampant and commonplace. Participants
enter the project with skepticism and mistrust, and cooperation and true
collaboration are difficult. For this reason, direct team building
interventions known as "partnering" have grown in popularity in the
construction industry and are used today by insightful owners and
construction managers to create better conditions for true cooperation
and collaboration.
What is Partnering?
Partnering begins as soon as the primary parties are selected, and is
kicked off with a one or two-day partnering session. Subsequent
partnering meetings occur over the life of the project to stay on track.
The purpose of the partnering session is to help participants know each
other better, develop a shared approach to the project, share
best-practices that can be applied, and commit to working together as a
true project team.
As
part of the session, participants will:
-
learn
more about each other through targeted exercises
-
engage in simulations that demonstrate
teamwork
-
perform an assessment of their personal
styles of operating or communicating
-
delve into causes of resistance to
teamwork and collaboration, and ways to overcome them
-
share best practices in construction
management
-
define processes they wish to use on
this project
Our
Experience
Teambuilding, Inc. experience with team building in construction dates
back to 1980 when its founder, Peter B. Grazier, was asked to lead a
unique and ground-breaking p erformance improvement program as part of
his duties as Project Engineer of a $40mm silicon wafer manufacturing
renovation project. The program resulted in unexpected success and was
highlighted in such publications as The Wall Street Journal,
Civil Engineering magazine, Engineering News-Record magazine,
and AFL-CIO publications.
In
1983 he was asked to become a full-time program manager and create
another new and unique program for Public Service Electric & Gas
Company's Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Station in New Jersey. The
program became a successful major partnering process between all
parties, and was subsequently heralded by the Institute for Nuclear
Power Operations and the (then) Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Today Teambuilding, Inc. conducts partnering sessions for construction
projects of any size, the most recent being the new Pickering Valley
Elementary School project in Downingtown, Pennsylvania.
Length of Session - 1 or 2 days
Follow-up Sessions - 2-4 hours each or as needed
Participants - Leaders assigned to the project representing the
major organizations involved
Construction Partnering News
Construction
Partnering for New Pickering Elementary School Project
Teambuilding,
Inc.'s Peter Grazier recently conducted an all-day partnering session
with the project construction team of the Downingtown Area School
District's new Pickering Elementary School. The day was intended to
bring together all the primary parties---owner, architect, construction
manager, engineers, and contractors---to help them develop their team
more quickly. Construction Partnering has grown over the years to
enhance teamwork and collaboration and reduce conflict and litigation
that characterizes construction work. According to Lee Snyder, Principle
of consulting engineers Snyder Hoffman Associates, "Teambuilding,
Inc. did an excellent job and the project will be better for it."
Construction Partnering for the City of Lincoln, Nebraska Sewer
Projects
Teambuilding, Inc.'s Peter Grazier conducted two back-to-back partnering sessions for two projects that
comprise the City of Lincoln's sewer upgrades. In addition to the
project team of engineers, architects, and contractors, the City
included various other stakeholder groups affected by the projects. For
example, environmental groups concerned with the trunk line running
through the City's Wilderness Park were invited, and provided insights
that contributed to the goal-setting process. The goals established for
both sessions were focused on providing win-win scenarios for everyone
concerned.
The theme that
runs through each partnering session is that there is power in teamwork
and collaboration that benefits everyone involved. Construction projects
are complex processes that involve a myriad of participants that need to
work in a highly coordinated fashion to truly maximize the benefits to
all stakeholders. The partnering process adds value by raising awareness
of issues such as communication, collaboration, team problem solving and
innovation, and relationship building.
The
stakeholders of these two City of Lincoln projects dedicated themselves
to completing these projects in a manner that would be recognized for
excellence in execution, cooperation, awareness of the community, and
environmental consciousness.
Our thanks to
the representatives of the City of Lincoln and Olssen Associates for allowing us to conduct these
sessions.
Springton Manor Elementary School
Project
Teambuilding,
Inc. recently conducted a partnering session with the
project construction team of the Downingtown Area School
District's new Springton Manor Elementary School. The
session was attended by about 30 project personnel including
officials of the School District. Participants enjoyed and
benefited from the team development activities, this time
incorporating our
Jungle Escape exercise to demonstrate the
learned tendency of people in separate teams to compete
rather than collaborate. The participants did, however, an
excellent job in completing the exercise and breaking down
barriers to cross-team collaboration. High marks were
received for the session's content and delivery.
For more information either call us at the number below or complete our Request for a Quote form.
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