Crop circles, the CKE and Chigwell's finest

Mon 3rd April
Close encounters with an innovation circle

Been in contact today with London Constructing Excellence colleague Isabelle Beaumont and London South Bank University's John Hampson. I am involved in an exciting project with these good people called "Innovation Circles".

Not as well known, or as controversial, as the phenomena that is crop circles, innovation circles have been used with great success in many industries to help with real-life problem situations that were referred to by systems writers Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber as wicked. Obviously ‘wicked' is not used here as on the stree', where it means something, or some one, is ‘cool'. In this context a wicked problem is characterised by the difficulty in actually defining what precisely the root cause of the problem is, plus there is no one correct solution. There could be many and all potentially would be acceptable.

In a nutshell, with a wicked problem there is no consensus on what the problem is, let alone an agreed and actionable way forward in how to resolve it. Situation normal for most construction projects on a daily basis!

Hence the use of a creative problem solving techniques, such as an innovation circle, to douse the emotion and potential conflict wicked problems can emanate, plus provide a method of bounding the problem, i.e. getting consensus on what the actual problem is, generate feasible solutions and finally provide an action plan to implement.

Wicked problems often arise when an organisation must deal with something new, which incurs change, and multiple stakeholders have different ideas about how the change should take place. Deciding on the best way to re-engineer a business process like ‘perfect delivery' is a good example. Hence the innovation circle John, Isabelle and I are organizing focuses on perfect delivery in construction.

Circles offer, as the marketing blurb states, a "safe place to discuss dangerous ideas". In effect, people directly involved with a wicked problem can discuss their perceptions of the situation in confidence with their peers. It is actually quite a liberating experience, as genuine trust, openness and positive energy are nurtured in a facilitated environment, as hierarchy takes a back set to allow the free flow of knowledge and experiential learning to take place.

Our inaugural innovation circle, which also includes a session with Isabelle on leadership, is being held on Wednesday 17th May at London South Bank University and hosted by the Construction Knowledge Exchange (CKE) and London's Constructing Excellence (CE) Club.

Readers of this blog will be aware of CE in general and the London club in particular, but less likely to know of the good work carried out by CKE, a government initiative to support higher education institutions working with business and the wider community. For further information on CKE, please click here, or alternatively email hampsojd@lsbu.ac.uk

So look forward to seeing one or two of you there. Can't promise the wild and alien experience of a crop circle gathering, but at least you'll enjoy a glass of wine and network with some radical innovators. Which probably equates to a close encounter in our industry!

Tues 4th April
Spring, and regeneration, is in the air

Things are definitely picking up. Spring is well and truly in the air. Spent a very enjoyable morning with the CIOB's Innovation and Research panel, down in glorious Ascot within the hallowed halls of Englemere, the fine old Institute's stately home. (excellent venue for a wedding by the way!)

After a marathon 3-hour journey, taking in the joys of the 4 lane car park commonly known as the M25, I had the chance to catch up with my fellow panel members on the work the CIOB have in hand to focus on delivering projects that meet the customer and client needs. Most appropriate in the wake of debacles like Scottish Parliament and Wembley. It's a five-year programme covering specific market sectors where our great industry must provide a significantly enhanced and socially aware service. The market sectors are: regeneration, health, education and infrastructure.

The first sector under the microscope is regeneration, with the aim to develop an understanding and response to achieve a customer (client) focus in regeneration and sustainable community projects.

A selection of leading practitioners and policy makers are required from the field of regeneration to cover its spectrum, such as government regeneration policy, developers' response to regeneration and financing regeneration.

If you are interested in participating in this extremely worthwhile project, or know of someone who would be, don't hesitate to respond to this blog, love to hear from you!

Also took the opportunity to catch up with CIOB's Simon Avenell and discuss this year's Construction Manager of the Year Awards. As I am one of the adjudicator's this year, obviously I am more interested than usual in what is widely regarded as the industry's premier award for project managers. With luck and a fair wind the tour of the UK's construction projects to determine the Construction Manager of The Year will take place within the next six weeks.

If you have been nominated, I look forward to meeting up with you real soon. Just don't forget to get out the posh china, ready for the judges visit! And of course some nice chocolate biscuits.

More of that later, it is bound to be interesting…

Thurs 6th April
Delegation, abdication and the Chigwell Choke

Last night's edition of the apprentice was an excellent exhibition of how not to do that most abused and misunderstood of management skills: empowering your staff.

In a really interesting and exciting task, set within the hive of retail activity that is Top Shop Oxford Street, the star struck project managers had to achieve top sales for one day in the highly competitive and nauseatingly fickle world of ladies fashion. With ‘Back-stabber Supremo' Michelle subsequently providing a master class in the art and craft of mismanagement.

Although the show's most untrustworthy entrant was a complete waste of space as a project manager, and her team lost the challenge by what has to be said was a very tight margin, it was the unsure and less than charismatic Samuel who bit the dust as Essex's finest entrepreneur uttered those infamous words, "You're Fired!"

In most people's view, Sir Alan made the correct decision. Either the self-obsessed Michelle, or dithering Samuel, could have gone without any qualms. It is just that Samuel has not demonstrated that he has the mettle, nerve and energy to be the innovative apprentice Sir Alan is seeking. The opportunity to put the nice, but unfortunately totally ineffective Samuel, out of his misery presented itself.

Which was so lucky for Michelle! Her approach to empowerment was actually nothing more than dishing out the tasks to her team members, whilst she swaned around in the V.I.P shopping area with equally self obsessed customers! It was an excellent demonstration how, when in the wrong hands, the delicate project management operation of delegation, could easily become abdication. Michelle considered not for one minute how the task was going, were her team comfortable in their roles, or should she change tactics. She only considered herself. In her misguided mind, if they failed, it was ‘their' fault, not ‘mine'.

Only when the lumbering, but wonderfully effective, Ansell called her on her mobile to suggest that maybe she might leave her Ivory Tower and get with her troops did the ineffective Michele deem it necessary to grace the shop floor with her presence.

Michelle made the classic mistake of believing empowerment is one-size-fits all, no fashion clothing pun intended, when actually it is contingent upon such important issues as the business strategy, ‘tie to customer' and the environment the work is being carried out in. With Michelle and her team's task being very much low-cost, high volume, and just short periods of time with customers, plus the predictable, surprise free environment of Top Shop, the need for empowerment was virtually absent. A more traditional production line approach that the other project manager, Tuan, favored was far more appropriate; constantly on-the-prowl and like an army commander who dare not take their eye off the battle.

Yeah, so, who is going to win? Well, my money is not going on Michelle! Sir Alan definitely has her card marked and he will take the next opportunity to give her the ‘Chigwell Choke'. Tuan lacks strength of conviction, Sharon is too agitated, Syed lacks relationship building skills and Ansell is, strangely, too efficient; you never see the great work he does. Leaving just Paul and Ruth.

And I'll give my opinion next week on which of these two top Sales people will take the spoils of victory.

And finally…

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."
Bill Cosby