Partnerships are a cornerstone of every successful project. Whether you have the luxury of choosing your partners or find yourself in assigned pairings, adapting to change is key. Every new project is an opportunity to meet new people and learn new ways of building. This is one thing I find rewarding about working in construction—it’s a constant learning experience.
Building Relationships with your Partners
Construction partnerships are wide ranging from design firms and consultants to manufacturers and trade contractors. Establishing effective relationships with these partners is crucial for a project’s success. Here are some considerations when forging connections with new partners:
- Communication is key
- Identify their key contact and the team players.
- Establish preferred communication channels, be it email, text, phone calls, Teams, etc.
- Create a project directory with names, project role, and contact information.
- Confirm roles and responsibilities
- Define roles early to avoid duplicate work.
- Look for gaps in the responsibilities and make assignments.
- Sometimes these gaps require a new partner to fill the role!
- Bring clarity to the team
- Clearly communicate expectations.
- Clearly define work scopes and discuss gaps and overlaps.
- Don’t make assumptions about what your partner knows …ask questions.
- Discuss critical project requirements such as budget and schedule.
- Transfer knowledge
- Facilitate knowledge transfer sessions, leveraging the experience of the team member with the longest project history.
Navigating Partnerships: Lessons from Experience
In my experience, it is a joy when you get to pick or work with a familiar partner. Familiar relationships bring a sense of predictability and ease to the project. I was working on a new concert venue for White River State Park in Indianapolis. One aspect of the project was a significant metal panel covered canopy with complex angles and patterns. I asked Engineered Facades to join our team and help with constructability of the canopy. Their knowledge and expertise in metal panels filled a gap on the team and set us up for a successful construction phase. They ultimately won the work and installed the panels. It was a great partnership from start to finish. The cover image is from this project.
Some clients will have established relationships with manufacturers or trade contractors and require you to use them, but your client may not understand the importance of bringing these up during preconstruction. Make sure you ask your client about preferred manufacturers and trade contractors early in preconstruction so you don’t engage the wrong people in the work.
Occasionally you may work with a partner with whom you had a bad experience in the past. Keep an open mind and understand that everyone has a bad job. Take some time to reflect on those past experiences, discuss concerns openly, and develop strategies to enhance collaboration.
In Closing
Building and maintaining relationships is not just a formality but a pivotal element in a project’s success. As you start your next project, keep these insights in mind. Feel free to share your thoughts or experiences in the comments below—strong partnerships are a journey worth discussing!
douglas adams 