By Jim Eisenhart One of the biggest excuses people make about fixing problem projects is that “So and So won’t/can’t change. There is no point in even trying to change them, so we must remove them, cope with them, complain about them or, more typically, use them as an excuse for lack of success on our project.” Equally prevalent is the assumption that a particular company or organization will never
26
Sep 2019
And the Award Goes To…
We are proud to report the following VCG-Partnered projects recently won industry awards with project teams recognized for their excellence in Partnering, innovation, safety, quality, and more. We commend them all for their dedication to Partnering and achieving world class project team status. Please join us in congratulating these award-winning teams: Calaveras Dam Replacement Project Award: 2019 San Francisco Collaborative Partnering Award Owner: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Construction Management:
27
Jul 2018
Caltrans Acknowledges Best Partnered Projects
Three world class heavy/highway project teams facilitated by Ventura Consulting Group were honored at the 2018 Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) Excellence in Partnering Awards ceremony in June. In its 18th year, the Caltrans Partnering Awards recognize Caltrans project teams for utilizing Partnering and its best practices to facilitate successful project implementation. Read on to learn why the following VCG-facilitated projects were among those honored. Highway 101/Petaluma River Bridge Best
02
Aug 2017
A Senior Manager’s Role in Issue Resolution
By Neal Flesner with excerpts from Jim Eisenhart During our partnering workshops, we stress the importance of owning project success as a team with no excuses. Part of truly owning the game as a team is managing issues at the lowest level possible, then escalating them to senior or executive management only when necessary. As VCG President Jim Eisenhart discusses in his book, Raising the Bar on Construction Project Teamwork,
02
Aug 2017
How to Deliver Bad News
By Neal Flesner Communication in general is a daunting undertaking on construction projects involving various companies and team members with different personalities. When problems arise and you are tasked with delivering bad news to a project owner, communicating this sensitive information becomes even more challenging. I was recently interviewed for a United Rentals’ blog post about 3 Ways General Contractors Can Improve Communication with Owners. During the interview, I expressed
02
Aug 2017
Partnering Innovations: Derivative Partnering on the Exposition Phase II Light Rail Project
By: Candice Evenson, Operations Coordinator, IPI Jim Eisenhart, President of Ventura Consulting Group and author of “Raising the Bar on Construction Project Teamwork” specializes in a method for Partnering that simplifies large, complex projects such as airports, railways, and hospitals. He calls it “Derivative Partnering.” Derivative Partnering involves shorter and generally smaller sessions where key players meet to discuss specific goals and concerns. The full team comes together for a
The International Partnering Institute (IPI) recognized the 2017 Partnered Project of the Year (PPY) Award winners this past May during IPI’s Collaboration 2017 Conference and Award Ceremony at the Hilton San Francisco Airport Bayfront in Burlingame, Calif. VCG Partnering Facilitator Neal Flesner attended the annual event along with other design and construction professionals. As reported by the IPI, the awards ceremony recognized the most collaborative organizations and project teams of
The Virginia Street Bridge replacement project in Reno, Nevada not only ensured a means of transporting residents and visitors over the Truckee River into the heart of the “Biggest Little City” in the country, but it also brought together the project team, various project stakeholders and the local community in a phenomenal way. Highlighting the project’s collaborative partnership, the team was recently honored with the International Partnering Institute’s 2017 Partnered
14
Dec 2016
Six Partnering Lessons Learned In 2016
It’s that time of year again! Whether you are ordering a peppermint mocha in Starbucks, waiting for your flight in an airport or buying gifts at the mall, the sounds of the season fill the air. (While many of us welcome the feeling of good cheer these joyful tunes evoke, I feel a great deal of empathy for the employees who must endure the same soundtrack for 30-plus days straight.) Along
Congratulations to the world class project team on the official opening of the General Services Administration’s (GSA) new $350 million United States Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. The design and construction team joined with local, state and federal public officials to celebrate this momentous occasion during a recent ribbon cutting ceremony. Built by the design-build team of Clark Construction Group and SOM, the 633,000-square-foot project was substantially completed this past