With apologies to Hans Christian Anderson, I would like to use his story to address the all too appealing action, or rather in-action, of many construction managers with regard to their client’s “genius ideas”. We have all sat in a meeting or two, with our client as he revealed his new “wardrobe” and heard them tell us one of their “great ideas” like building a temporary dirt off-ramp from the freeway to allow the off-road trucks to run along the shoulder and across the bridge to shorten the haul route. Then, to no one’s surprise did the idea get any push-back from the room full of stunned supposed experts. There may have been a few “Great idea L.R.” or maybe someone stated that it was a good idea that may need some “refining”.
Why is it that so many consultants are reluctant to be the voice of reason when confronted with these “New Clothes” situations? Are we so afraid that to tell the truth, or by bringing our expertise to bear may jeopardize our job because of the myopic attitude of our client? Often, we are so eager to please the client that we have become nothing more than “yes-men”.
As a construction manager, we are paid for our expertise based on our education and experience, not to say anything is tantamount to stealing. I am not suggesting that you should stand up immediately after the Emperor has just revealed his new wardrobe and yell that he is butt-naked/insane. However a comment to the effect that what L.R. is proposing is highly unlikely to be approved and why. Then follow up with how you would be willing to investigate the potential plan. However, it is important to help the client re-adjust his plan with reasonable expectations.
I personally have lost clients because I refused to “drink the cool-aid” but I always felt that I have to be able to look at myself in the mirror every day (I grow an ugly beard) and stay true to my commitment as a Professional Engineer and consultant not a yes-man.
So why has our profession become more a paper pushing and buck passing job than a managing the project one? I believe it is because there is a basic misunderstanding of the phase “To Serve the Client”. Often the client does not want to hear that their decision is flawed in any way and they expect blind obedience as well as not accepting any bad news that they may be the root of the cause. However, that is what we are paid to do and what our training dictates. As construction managers, we should work to ensure that the project is constructed on time and within budget while working with both the client and the contractor. Long before “Partnering” became vogue, we worked together supporting each other to achieve a successful project outcome. It was in everyone’s best interest that both owner and contractor were satisfied at the end of the day. This was achieved when the construction manager acted as a support role for the contractor and owner, not an enforcer of orders for the sake of following orders.
To act as a non-thinking automaton is not managing the project and takes no construction acumen to perform. Therefore, we either act like the managers we should be and manage the project the way our experience dictates or we are just over priced messengers.
I believe that our role of construction managers is to be the one person who has the ability to rise above the limited view of either the owner or contractor to see the big picture and bring both sides to a successful project completion, often in spite of themselves.