Quantum Executive Director, Steven Beaumont, continues to look at the game of football and how Qatar’s construction industry may have more in common than the World Cup.
I have recently been working on a construction dispute in the Far East. The dispute had all the ingredients we have previously highlighted, poor records, poor performance, inadequate design and the parties were entrenched in their positions and not talking. Did I say poor records? They really were poor. The game was over, the score was 0-0, neither team won but nobody knew why. After extensive investigation and discussions we summarised the issues in a ten minute movie capturing the full game, key highlights and lessons learned. This opened negotiations and allowed the teams to reach an amicable settlement so the final whistle could be blown on this game and no penalties were required!
Highlighted in my earlier articles, I discussed the benefits of capturing football on the television to allow replay, review key highlights and to learn from the last game. So let’s think about the mistakes we see on the football field and the errors some players make, some are minor and some cost the team the game. In a similar manner for construction disputes, making a movie demonstrates what, how and why a construction dispute occurred and why one of the teams should deservedly win.
Flying back to Doha, I was thinking about how we can learn and play the next game where both sides win. In Doha I watched a game of football from the English Premier league where a top league team was firmly beaten by a lower division team. They deserved to win the game and it was clear that they were better prepared.
This got me thinking about the recent Far East dispute. You see, both parties were at fault in some way or another but neither could recognise their own mistakes and I thought if they don’t recognise their own mistakes how can they learn and get it right the next time? How can they be better prepared to identify the risks, train themselves and their team not to make the same mistake again?
“Games can be won and construction disputes avoided if the teams are prepared to manage risk, synchronise and work together as a team”
Games can be won and construction disputes avoided if the teams are prepared to manage risk, synchronise and work together as a team. I then thought how learning from previous games and training in football happens every week so the team are better prepared for the next match. Let’s take note here, football teams train every week to reflect and learn on their performance. Now I ask you, does this happen in the construction industry?
Perhaps if construction organisations learned from their last project; that structured training ensures the team is better prepared to manage risk, and inevitable change, then they might be able to complete the project without disputes occurring.
League Champions do learn and pick up the trophies year after year. To be the ‘Construction Champion’ – why not invest in training? Learn from the last game and train your team for the next.
Going back to construction in Qatar, which is all around us as we prepare for 2022, let me reflect again on the recent Far East dispute. Why did it happen? The contractor on the project was not fully prepared and did not look at the risks before starting work. If we don’t manage risks, problems will arise affecting time and cost and will probably result in a dispute. This is precisely what happened.
Learn from the last project – identify and manage risks – train your team.
Let’s return to football where the top league team were firmly beaten. They hadn’t identified the risks for this particular game and simply thought they could play the normal game. How wrong they were! They experienced a strong attacking formation which was met with a weak defence – a clear mismanagement of the risks of the game. I have to tell you the game was very entertaining and enjoyable to watch. It is interesting to note that the following week the top league team didn’t make the same mistake – they learned.
“If we don’t manage risks, problems will arise affecting time and cost and will probably result in a dispute”
So to conclude – construction teams should learn from football. Teams do mismanage risks and lose games but they learn from this, change their game and win.
In my experience – the best prepared and successful construction companies do invest in employee training which includes identifying risks, effective planning, close management of projects and educating the project team to work together like a football team.
A football team works as one and each player understands the others’ strengths and weaknesses so that the team as a whole is strong. An attacking player is in constant communication with the midfield so they know where they are. They adjust the strategy to suit the game which means they can effectively manage risk and change. This strategic approach was in complete contrast to the project in the Far East, which experienced the dispute, and a clear lack of communication compounded the problems. So what do we learn?
Finally, let’s reflect on some simple lessons from our ‘winning” friends on the pitch – identify and manage risks, train and be prepared, communicate and manage the game effectively.
Football teams do, construction companies should do the same.
Steven Beaumont, Executive Director
Steven Beaumont, a Quantum Executive Director, is a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Steven has over 20 years of experience in both local and international construction project disputes and regularly delivers construction claims classes and lectures to industry professionals throughout the GCC. QGS is acknowledged as one of the leading management consultancies dedicated to serving the interests of national and international construction and engineering organisations.
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This article was previously published in the November 2014 edition of Business@Qatar Magazine published by the Gulf Times Newspaper