Learning on the Jagged Edge

In the construction industry, the boundaries of the playing field are no longer static. Determining a standard of measurement that matters is the most frustrating part of managing change. Early declarations of victory following initial total quality management startup are overcome by discouragement and, frequently, atrophy. Leadership is no longer the unique domain of CEOs, rather, it has become a required characteristic of each employee. We are no longer accountable for just technical accuracy, facility reliability, and cost control; we must supplement these with the broader societal expectations for environmentally responsible behavior. Construction job site safety and health are becoming quality planning concerns on a par change, only the rate of real change and the amount that positively impacts clients, employees and stockholders. Traditional measures of success--profit, percent complete, cost-to-date, billable goals, ROI--will continue to be used. But in a fiercely competitive market, such measures often provide useful information too late. Perhaps the two most credible indicators of real change are feelings of insecurity or loss of control, and a lag in annual productivity and/or profitability. By that time it is too late. What is needed are subjective qualitative measures that ensure that employee values are aligned with a goal and management team behaviors reflect that goal. Once these two parties understand the parameters of the goal, it is important that they identify traditional barriers to change and that they devise strategies to eliminate them. It is also important to pinpoint the keys to success in achieving the goal.