I hope you are all following my work on teaming and collaboration being published on the Baltimore Chapter's blog Felt Tips. Its a series of articles on a collaboration or "partnering" exercise that I am involved in on a large biomedical research project at a university in my area. It is also be used to form presentation T14 Building a Highly Collaborative Team to be presented at CONSTRUCT and the CSI National Convention in Baltimore in September.
Our collaboration team has met four times now, including today, and I've posted three blog posts on the effort. As of today, I am two meetings behind in my writing plus I'm working on a post related to our design development cost estimating and value engineering efforts. Though behind, I hope to catch up in the coming weeks.
In today's session, the project exec for the CM mentioned a research study taking place at a nearby university that peaked my interest. I'd rather not mention the university as I am trying to find out more information about the study and perhaps find their blog or other on-line items about the research. I'll report on that if I find anything.
Our collaboration team has met four times now, including today, and I've posted three blog posts on the effort. As of today, I am two meetings behind in my writing plus I'm working on a post related to our design development cost estimating and value engineering efforts. Though behind, I hope to catch up in the coming weeks.
In today's session, the project exec for the CM mentioned a research study taking place at a nearby university that peaked my interest. I'd rather not mention the university as I am trying to find out more information about the study and perhaps find their blog or other on-line items about the research. I'll report on that if I find anything.
In general, this research team is studying construction project teams and the influence of collaboration and holding members accountable through a series of surveys that are scored and reviewed quarterly. The results of the survey are then discussed by the team and used to alter behaviors to make the team more effective. According to the CM, there are several projects using this method and when compared against recent projects also performed for this same university, there are fewer RFI's, fewer change orders and fewer disputes.
A survey was created by the research team to assess the construction team members's respect for each other, their level of trust of each other, their sense of teamwork and when issues were raised, how the team communicated and work together in a timely manner. The construction team includes representatives of the university project management team, the CM at Risk and sub-contractors and the A/E team. The surveys are given using an on-line survey engine, like Survey Monkey. A designated group of day-to-day participants, like the project managers from each member firm, take the surveys quarterly and are asked to assess the performance on the Owner's team, the CM's team, the A/E team and the sub-contractors team in the categories listed above. A 1 to 5 scale is used with 1 being lowest. The goal is to target areas where team behaviors are lacking and take corrective steps to make the team function better.
The surveys are reviewed by an executive team made up of the VP in charge of the physical plant, the project executive of the CM firm and the principal in charge from the architect of record. All of these individuals are involved in the project but not a day to day basis. After reviewing the survey results, they would then ask the tough questions that need to be asked and work with the other team members to enact the necessary measures to improve the results.
My first thought was, "if I have a problem with an individual member of the A/E team, how can a survey asking me to rate the entire A/E team be of value in enacting change?" The CM cited an example of his own team. There was a superintendent on the team he described as the "Git 'er done" type who didn't have time to listen to or deal with anyone. He was dragging the entire team down with his brusque and rigid behavior. When the quarterly survey results came out, the CM firm was graded much lower than previous, so the executive team started asking questions. It came out that this superintendent was an issue and he was removed from the project.
That's probably an extreme case, but I can see other, less dramatic but equally effective results coming out of this exercise. The purpose of the exercise is to expose the "blind spots" or biases that we all have and hopefully allow each of us to work through them or set them aside for the betterment of the team. If all team members are held accountable by their fellow team members, the effectiveness of the team should be increased.
The collaboration team I'm involved in started the ground work for a similar survey today. I'll report on that effort on Felt Tips in the coming weeks.
A survey was created by the research team to assess the construction team members's respect for each other, their level of trust of each other, their sense of teamwork and when issues were raised, how the team communicated and work together in a timely manner. The construction team includes representatives of the university project management team, the CM at Risk and sub-contractors and the A/E team. The surveys are given using an on-line survey engine, like Survey Monkey. A designated group of day-to-day participants, like the project managers from each member firm, take the surveys quarterly and are asked to assess the performance on the Owner's team, the CM's team, the A/E team and the sub-contractors team in the categories listed above. A 1 to 5 scale is used with 1 being lowest. The goal is to target areas where team behaviors are lacking and take corrective steps to make the team function better.
The surveys are reviewed by an executive team made up of the VP in charge of the physical plant, the project executive of the CM firm and the principal in charge from the architect of record. All of these individuals are involved in the project but not a day to day basis. After reviewing the survey results, they would then ask the tough questions that need to be asked and work with the other team members to enact the necessary measures to improve the results.
My first thought was, "if I have a problem with an individual member of the A/E team, how can a survey asking me to rate the entire A/E team be of value in enacting change?" The CM cited an example of his own team. There was a superintendent on the team he described as the "Git 'er done" type who didn't have time to listen to or deal with anyone. He was dragging the entire team down with his brusque and rigid behavior. When the quarterly survey results came out, the CM firm was graded much lower than previous, so the executive team started asking questions. It came out that this superintendent was an issue and he was removed from the project.
That's probably an extreme case, but I can see other, less dramatic but equally effective results coming out of this exercise. The purpose of the exercise is to expose the "blind spots" or biases that we all have and hopefully allow each of us to work through them or set them aside for the betterment of the team. If all team members are held accountable by their fellow team members, the effectiveness of the team should be increased.
The collaboration team I'm involved in started the ground work for a similar survey today. I'll report on that effort on Felt Tips in the coming weeks.
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