By Neal Flesner
As the president of Velo Group and an IPI Master Construction Partnering Facilitator, I’ve always been a firm believer that the foundation of any successful construction project is strong collaboration. So, when Scott Jennings, P.E., founder of SJ Construction Consulting, based his latest blog post and Pipeline Podcast episode on the lessons learned from our construction partnering sessions at Velo Group, I was thrilled. It was incredibly rewarding to see how Scott embraces these principles in his work, which focuses on providing professional services to contractors, owners, engineers, and attorneys within the heavy/civil construction sector.
Scott’s February blog post, titled Will You Marry Me? Well, How About We CollaborDate?, offers a compelling analogy by comparing successful construction projects to successful partnerships, specifically drawing parallels between collaboration in construction and the dynamics of a marriage. This analogy underscores the importance of communication, trust, and mutual respect—all of which are essential elements in building a strong foundation for any project.
In both the article and the podcast episode, Scott delves into Velo Group’s Collaboration Analyzer, a tool I developed to help project teams assess and improve collaboration among all stakeholders. The tool is based on 10 key areas crucial to ensuring project success, and Scott does a fantastic job of breaking them down. These include:
- Communication – Ensuring all stakeholders stay informed and engaged throughout the project.
- Goal Setting – Creating clear, measurable goals that the whole team can work toward.
- Decision Velocity – How quickly decisions are made and acted upon to keep the project moving forward.
- Accountability – Identifying decision-makers and holding everyone responsible for their actions and commitments.
- Challenging Conversations – The importance of having tough discussions early on to address issues before they grow.
- Risk Management – Effectively managing risk by being proactive rather than reactive.
- Mentoring & Knowledge Sharing – Promoting continuous learning within the team to improve overall performance.
- Innovation – Encouraging creative problem-solving and new ideas to overcome obstacles.
- Continuous Improvement – Embracing a mindset of ongoing growth and process optimization.
- Relationships, Culture, and Fun – Building strong, positive relationships to foster a supportive and productive team environment.
Scott’s insights resonate deeply with the philosophy we champion at Velo Group: building strong relationships and cultivating a culture of collaboration is the key to overcoming challenges and ensuring that projects stay on track, on budget, and on schedule.
What’s particularly striking is how Scott wraps everything up with the concept of “CollaborDate.” The idea is simple but powerful: just as a successful marriage depends on both partners working together and communicating openly, so too does a successful construction project. By focusing on the 10 key areas outlined in the Collaboration Analyzer, project teams can form strong, effective partnerships that lead to better outcomes for all stakeholders.
If you’re looking for ways to improve collaboration and drive success on your construction projects, I highly recommend listening to Scott’s Pipeline Podcast and reading his blog post. The strategies and lessons he shares—shaped by the work we do at Velo Group—offer practical, actionable steps that any team can implement to elevate project performance.
Read Scott’s blog post and listen to the Pipeline Podcast HERE
