Slide Me a Slice of Pizza and Leave Me Alone
In the engineering world, most engineers and project managers rely on tools like programmes, schedules, designs among others to produce an infrastructure asset. An environment where, to a large degree, we rely on two mediums: material elements in the form of aggregates, steel, concrete, machinery etc. and communication elements (Designs, email, drawings etc.). These tools and methodologies are widely accepted in industry as the norm for infrastructure delivery.
We are also too familiar with the common occurrence of cost overruns and time delays. Research estimates show that globally 98% of megaprojects suffer cost overruns of more than 30 percent according to McKinsey Global Institute. According to nPlan, 9 out of 10 large-scale construction projects in the UK are delivered late.
Our continuous inclination to follow the same approaches, tools and methodologies and reluctance to learn from these experiences over decades is somewhat of a phenomenon worth exploring. The reluctance to reflect and change or tailor our traditional approaches to suit the contextual demands is endemic in industry.
My own experience highlighted a moment in a design review at a major UK water utility that truly startled me. A senior designer, after thirty years in the field, flatly declared, ‘It won’t work, I’ve never seen this done before… Leave it to me.’ My shock wasn’t about the validity of his technical assessment, but rather the profound impact his approach – given his influence – would have on the wider team and the discouraging message it sent to younger talent on the call. My concern was the lasting impact of this statement which not only changes the mood of a team but also suppresses and conceals new worlds of opportunity.
This begs the question, how often are we opening up avenues for conversation and rigorous debate with the aim of advancing our embedded cultures?
It’s often hard for us to recognise how our immediate behaviours affect the broader picture especially when, ultimately, it’s the public that bears the financial burden of these projects.
At the same time, for those of use that find ourselves stuck in this world, it is also not uncommon to experience fear of change… ‘It’s easier for me to follow the same approach that I know regardless of the result(s) than to go through a new learning cycle?’
We go through feelings of fear of judgment from others.. ‘What will my Manager or fellow peers think of me if I provoke the norm or dare to challenge the standard practice?’ Do we, in organizations, create the safe-to-fail environments to innovate, fail fast, learn and adapt?
There is a lot to be said about the type of conversations we are having in industry, the risk appetite of innovative organizations, and the understanding of professionals to see different perspectives, challenge the norm and find different approaches to suit the context to satisfy the broad elements of cost, time and quality. In contrast to my own experience, by having a different conversation with the intention of disclosing new worlds is a gateway to the shaping of new cultures and ultimately generating new outcomes. The shift? A reflection on how we operate – fresh approaches and the emergence of new cultural norms.
The way we think about work is inadequate, because in framing our work as being only about static tools we ignore the most essential element of work: the people.
‘Slide me a slice of pizza under the door, leave me alone and let me do the work’..
My time at VISION has offered me a unique vantage point to not only identify our sector’s current limitations but also recognize the groundbreaking opportunities within our reach. At VISION, we work within the 3rd dimension by working in the world of people where we have realised success by introducing new approaches to infrastructure projects by realising between 20-30% cost savings and getting to site in half the time.
The VISION approach, embedded in philosophy and behavioural science, focuses on people and the network of commitments within the infrastructure delivery space. This has enabled major utilities in the UK and Ireland to achieve ambitious project delivery targets.
Partnering with VISION unlocks a new dimension for organizations. We introduce a unique operational approach that not only achieves commercial objectives but also drives essential cultural reform. Organizations that embrace this approach will see how it leads to successful project delivery and cultivates a learning organization capable of thriving in a continuously evolving environment.
Written by Ulrich Pearse, Engineering Consultant at VISION.