How to Break Bad Habits in Construction Project Management
Trust is a tricky animal, isn’t it? You hold it sacred one minute.
And then. Suddenly.
You’ve hit a crisis mid-construction-project and hiring a new contractor seems like the biggest hassle on the planet, and you just want to pretend that nothing bad happened and you so desperately want to re-trust that contractor that went awry because that would be so much easier. . . . .
But I’m here to tell you: it’s not worth it.
Let me explain.
Trust is made up of three core components:
1. Competency: Can they do the job right?
2. Reliability: Can they complete the job on time?
3. Sincerity: Can I believe what they say?
As you build trust with anyone– a partner, a babysitter or a contractor–consciously or not, you slowly assess these three factors. And when one of these is broken, you only have two options. Stop trusting them or renegotiate the terms. So for example, maybe your mother-in-law is great with your kids and is a very authentic person, but she never shows up on time. Because you don’t want to cut her out of your life (or rather, you can’t), you “renegotiate the terms” and tell her to be somewhere 30 minutes before it starts.
But now let’s talk about a real construction issue. See if it sounds familiar.
The Situation
You’re a construction project manager. You’re familiar with contractor pitfalls. It’s the last few months of a big project when your flooring subcontractor says the concrete just isn’t right. They say the glitch will put the project three weeks behind schedule. Your structural engineer does not see a problem with said concrete, but they hold firm.
But here’s the real glitch.
They don’t say: “Hey, let’s sit down and talk about our costs and options.” Instead, they become accusatory and combative. They bad mouth you to peers. They create barriers rather than solutions. You smell ego in the room. Everyone reverts to CYA mode. The atmosphere becomes toxic. The flooring subcontractors become a liability on the work site.
What We’re Tempted to Do: Keep Them
It’s human nature to fight harder to keep what you have, than attempt to to find something new. So we think: “Let’s try and convert those bad eggs to good eggs!” Your goal is for everyone to be happy and work together. Firing or removing a member of the team feels bad, so you skillfully avoid that option all together. Instead, you acquiesce to the bad eggs. You handle them delicately. You accommodate to make stuff work. You are determined to adapt. You optimistically and foolishly surmise that you can change their attitude. You think “C’mon! If we really try, we can get back to that good feeling again!”
What I Suggest We Do: Find a New Contractor
First, ask ourselves the tough questions: Even if they finish the job, can I trust them to do it right? What are the consequences of them being on the team for the project duration?
Second: Realize that the foundation of the project is cohesion and collaboration because it impacts every aspects of the job.
Third, accept that Maya Angelou was right when she said: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them.”
Fourth, assess the three aspects of trust (competency, reliability, sincerity) and realize that you cannot re-negotiate anything when all three are broken.
Finally, make the decision to replace the subcontractor.
I know I’m making this sound easy. And it’s not. Not by a long shot. But building your own self-awareness with a serious look at your habits is the first step. How could you react differently to crisis? How could you think long-term and get honest about trust?
And PS – I know contracts are complicated legal documents so make sure you work with your legal council to end contracts. There is a way once trust is broken.
