No break for Construction – and it’s not a bad thing.

There has been a fair bit of backlash from industry bodies on the government’s industrial strategy that was announced recently. Construction has been left out, and as far as the industry is concerned this is a glaring omission considering the emphasis that was placed on building Britain back up after covid.

It may be true that construction has always been considered part of economic development. But maybe that’s part of the problem, because it hasn’t been delivering. Maybe this omission is exactly what construction leaders need to change how they operate.

If the conversation is about economics and investments, construction’s performance hardly has a track record that would prove to be an incentive for investors. Not with project over-runs and low productivity accepted as the norm, and continued high numbers of administrations. The conversation would more likely revolve around why not to invest in construction.

I say this not to be negative. Instead, I see it as a reality check. One that is long overdue. In construction, change has been small and slow. Efficiency and innovation remain the exception rather than the norm. There are many big name, Main Contractors that have secured major frameworks. Yet positive productivity and profitability remain the exception. One that elicits the response: “My, how did they achieve that!” As though it’s an impossible feat.

Those companies that are getting it right are proving it’s not impossible, so what’s the difference? Leadership, operations, finance? My bet’s on leadership. As much as we use technologies and have policies and operating procedures in place, these are all driven by leadership. Poor decision making and everything gets harder. Funny how that’s about the time when the blame is shifted to government, lack of investment, inflation, skills shortages…

There are some incredible leaders in construction that are achieving success against the odds. They’re not making excuses and citing all the challenges. They’re simply turning them into opportunities. We need more of that. When we talk about skills development, it has to go beyond technical requirements.

We need more problem solvers and collaborators. People that can communicate well, negotiate effectively, are aware of all the necessary technical details, yet still have a big picture view of what’s needed. And what’s needed now is for construction to prove itself. Prove that it can be productive and profitable, and prove that it is an industry worth investing in.

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