Strategy for Change

We propose to develop and implement the “Get It Right” campaign to change and align attitudes across the sector so that all involved are committed to reducing errors and improving the quality of what we do.

Aim

To change and align attitudes across the sector so that all involved are committed to reducing errors in what we do.

Audience

Clients, consultants, contractors, regulators, education and training providers, Professional Institutions and trade bodies.

Message

1) Error is a big problem in our industry.

• It results in wasted materials, energy, time and money.

• The annual cost of error in our industry is estimated to exceed £10Bn. This is enough to build 500 new secondary schools or 100,000 houses a year.

• It damages the reputation and standing of our industry making it more difficult to recruit the skilled people that we need.

2) Take pride in what you do

• What you do matters.

• Do it as well as you can and be proud.

• Imagine yourself standing with your grandchildren in front of something that you have helped to build saying “We did that”.

• You are members of one of the most respected professions.

• Remember that we build and maintain the stuff that makes civilised life possible.

3) Control the controllable and follow the plan

• Errors are nearly always the consequence of deviating from the plan or a failure to comply with the planned process.

• For this reason wherever possible we should follow planned processes.

• If you think of a better way to do something, beware, you may not know all of the potential implications, and check before you revise the process.

4) Plan and re-plan carefully when you need to

• Construction projects happen over relatively long timeframes in complex environments that are difficult to control.

• This means that we have to adapt our processes as we go along more often than industries like car making.

• This isn’t an excuse for making mistakes but it means that to avoid errors we have to be better at planning and re-planning as we go along.

5) Respect the others involved in the process and learn about what they do

• Errors are usually the result of bad decisions. Bad decisions are often made because you don’t have all of the information or because you don’t know about or understand the potential consequences of your decision.

• Construction projects are complex and involve lots of people doing different things for different reasons. Your decision making will be better if you understand who is involved and what they do. If you are in any doubt then ask.

6) Sometimes it is just better to stop!

• Construction is a “can do” industry. We hate stopping or slowing down and when we encounter a problem we want to solve it and move on.

• Unfortunately, when we don’t have all of the information necessary and we don’t revise the plan properly, we may just make things worse.

• We never have time to Get it Right. We always have time to put it right.

• So we need to know when we are out of our depth, stop what we are doing and ask for help and guidance. That is what the team is for!