For public emergencies, call 911. For plant emergencies, call plant security. But whom do you call when your project team doesn’t act like a team, progress isn’t happening and you’ve come to your wits end? You call the ‘ire’ department for anger control. Of course, there is no such department. It’s like a Chinese fire drill. Things become chaotic when nobody listens, nobody follows the plan and individuals act like there is no team. You had better start looking for the paddle because the project is up the creek without one. And, if the team doesn’t start acting like a team, it will be an uphill battle.
Start with a mission
Great projects begin by visualizing the end. Each project should have a charter or statement of purpose like “Committed to a quality start-up” or “No hurts and no leaks.” With the mission in place, it’s simple to get started, but be aware teamwork can be difficult if egos get in the way. You can’t be successful if some weak leaders take the position of “It’s my way or the highway.” The “way” has to be the team way. Since no leader can do a project alone, the proper use of crafts is where success or failure happens. Allowing crafts to play an integral role is vital. I’ve seen successful projects where crafts were assisting in safety indoctrination, inspection walk-throughs, behavioral observations and even the awards and recognition program. When that level of involvement happens, success follows. For maximum efficiency, crafts must buy in to every element of the project.
Give teammates duties
When I mention duties, I’m not talking about complying with OSHA regulations or purely following the customer’s safety rules. Construction success is not measured by compliance alone. True success occurs when the customer is satisfied with the execution of the agreed upon scope of the work with minimal rework, no workers are harmed, there is no damage to the environment and start-up proceeds without hitches. Once done, accolades abound.
To go beyond compliance and end up with outstanding results, the project team also has to include improvement teamwork. This involves determining what the metrics should be, gathering a team to work on what’s important and then making it happen. Success requires stating expectations, expanding teams to include crafts and setting timelines for measuring success. Once all are aligned and in agreement, teams get to work and the project team begins to see success beyond what was believed or even expected. Recently, after a municipal project team was struggling with injuries, quality and schedule, they took a different approach. They came together using the aforementioned teamwork techniques and enjoyed a level of success many of the leaders had never enjoyed. It can happen to all our projects. This realization is what is known as “success beyond compliance.”
Monitor, measure and mention
Project teams can meet during construction execution and not harm the schedule or budget. I’ve helped contractors put teams together by meeting at lunchtime thus not detracting from the schedule. Such teams lead to culture change where crafts and laborers feel they are welcome in the group. When safety content and culture come together correctly, that’s when workers feel the “essence” of really belonging to the team. When the teams monitor their work, measure their progress and provide feedback to the entire team, continued success is enjoyed. Capturing and communicating progress is key to the whole team meeting all the agreed upon metrics.
Call the ‘ire’ department
Frustrations and anxiety melt away when the entity works together. If leaders attempt to do it alone, they end up with angst. What better way to solve problems than not to have them to begin with? Not having to solve problems is a great feeling.
It is true that, when needed, the emergency team will answer the call, but wouldn’t it be better for them never to get the call? Like the old Maytag man, the ‘ire’ department could get pretty lonely — and that’s a good thing.
For more information, contact HASC Customer Relations (281) 476-9900, Ext. 310 or visit www.hasc.com.
