To meet client requirements and reduce risk, some form of alliance is becoming obligatory on many contracts, says Donnie MacNicol, so greater focus is required on getting it right first time

1. April 07 Construction Journal 13
People matters
Playing the team game
To meet client requirements and reduce risk, some form of alliance is becoming obligatory on many contracts,
says Donnie MacNicol, so greater focus is required on getting it right first time
lliances come in many forms: PFI contracts
are at one end of the spectrum but small
surveying practices are increasingly seeing
the advantages of working with peers who have
complementary skills and experiences. Here are 10
ways to help you create a strong sustainable alliance
– assuming you have the commercial and contractual
aspects ‘correct’ (‘partner’ is used to describe alliance
members, whatever the form of relationship).
1. Start as you mean to go on
Invest the resources and time to create a strong
relationship. Ensure that what is promised can
be, and is, delivered to build and maintain trust.
Agree with your partners what the contract
means in practice, e.g. where responsibilities
start, are handed over and then end. The quality
of these relationships is crucial to resolving
conflict and taking advantage of opportunities.
2. Identify written/unwritten protocols
Distinguish the different ways each partner
works, e.g. how decisions are made, bad news
is communicated or conflict resolved. Then
identify the protocols the alliance will work to,
e.g. clients are immediately informed of any
delays or overspends. Prepare to abandon
traditional attitudes to allow the alliance to function.
3. Identify the value each partner expects
This is not purely the commercial benefits
identified in the contract. A partner may expect
networking opportunities or improvements in
their own capabilities, e.g. experience in managing
party wall issues or exposure to new systems for
monitoring/rewarding employee performance.
4. Agree on a universal governance model
Information flows, decision-making routes, authority
levels for approval of change, and communication
routes inside and outside of the alliance must be
agreed. The means of resolving conflict should
also be identified, e.g. senior members of each
partner must be presented with a joint description
of the issue (including differing viewpoints).
5. Identify what project you are talking about
People will have different perceptions due to
conflicting priorities and objectives, e.g. a new
hospital may be viewed as a way of improving
wellness or as a means of generating long-term
revenue. These differences will drive behaviours
and, ultimately, affect the decisions made.
Understand the other partners’ drivers and check
they don’t change.
6. Create an appropriately performing team
Invest in creating an organisation that is fit for
purpose: so use as simple a structure as possible
with the minimum number of interactions to deliver
what is required – and nothing more. If the alliance
is to be relatively short lived, or does not require a
high level of interaction, then complex reporting or
information sharing systems may not be beneficial.
7. Accept that people wear conflicting ‘hats’
Individuals have personal, team, organisational
and alliance objectives, which may conflict and
even raise ethical issues, e.g. they may be part of
a team they are fiercely protective of and see the
alliance as (at worst) a threat and (at best) a vehicle
for publicising their team. Aim to understand and
then deal with interests that clash with project needs.
8. Benefit from different views
Learn from people with different objectives,
experience, values and expertise. Remain open
– value diversity rather than defend against it
and harness the creative opportunity, e.g. seek
partners’ input to your own problems and identify
role models.
9. Leadership is critical
Identify who will lead the alliance. If it isn’t clear
to you, it won’t be to anyone else. The leader
must ensure single-point accountability for
delivery, irrespective of organisational boundaries
and that there are no ‘don’t go there’ subjects
that could lead to resentment or uncertainty,
e.g. responsibilities flaunted by one partner
that go unchallenged.
10. Capture the value
An alliance’s value can be lost if it is not captured,
communicated and made available to future
projects. Plan how you will use new tools, systems
or approaches before being pulled onto a new
project, or how individuals can make direct use
of the new experience and capability. And
remember, celebrate success.
Keeping it simple is, as always, best. The more
effort put into a relationship, the greater the trust
and the higher the chance of success. Strong
leadership of an alliance will allow it to deal with
any issues. Is your alliance ready for the challenge?
A
Donnie MacNicol is director of
management consultancy Team
Animation and chair of the People
Specific Interest Group at the
Association for Project
Management
donnie@teamanimation.co.uk