The surprising way Covid has improved how international teams work in the construction sector

International teams in the construction sector face multiple challenges. There is the need to travel long distances and the issue of using different languages.

But one of the most significant issues I have noticed working in an international design team is what I call the "one room effect." This is where, without intending to, the participants who are physically present in the meeting room dominate proceedings while virtual participants are sidelined. Instead of the meeting taking place virtually, it is in fact only happening in the room, and those who are joining from abroad are just observing and listening rather than actively participating.

This "one room effect" was a big problem because it really limited communication within a project team. And if there is one ingredient that is definitely needed for a successful project, it's effective communication.?

But during the quarantines resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, something has changed (for the better) in the way international teams participate on these platforms. In this article, I want to explore the benefits of having an international team and the challenges of international participation in virtual meetings. Then I'll examine how COVID-19 fixed this problem here at Staticus. Finally, I'll consider some of the implications of hybrid working in the coming months and years within my team, our company, and the construction industry as a whole.

This has also already been cited as a global trend and beautifully positioned by the Aperian Global team.

(Source: Aperian Global)

The benefits of an international team?

Staticus is a very international organisation.?

The design team that I am part of is spread across Vilnius, Kaunas, Vienna, Oslo and London, plus we work with freelancers in Spain and Italy. Then there are also our regional, client-facing offices in Stockholm, Oslo and London, plus our office for sustainability and CO2 reduction in Basel.

This highly international approach makes sense for our sector for a few reasons:

• We get access to the best talent: The fa?ades we design, construct and install are at the very cutting edge both technologically and aesthetically. Basing ourselves in multiple countries, and sourcing freelancers from across Europe, enables us to find the specialists we need.
• We can work closely with clients and partners: Each of our projects is unique: different clients, different architects, different locations. Being able to meet stakeholders in person, and to visit sites together, makes a huge difference, and having international offices really enables this level of collaboration.
• We understand the different cultures of our clients and stakeholders: Whether it is during the design stage, during construction, or when we're providing aftercare, it is important to understand expectations and work cultures in different countries. Having offices in the locations where our projects are actually implemented enables us to understand the local culture, which leads to improved communication and collaboration.
• We get different points of view: We work in a creative field, so having different perspectives on a project is essential. And what better way to achieve this than having people from a wide range of countries and backgrounds?

How virtual meetings used to exclude international colleagues

So, the benefits of an international team are clear. But how do you set up working practices to ensure that you actually get all of these benefits?

Clearly, virtual meetings are going to play a significant role in the way your team works together. That's why at Staticus we were already using Microsoft Teams back in 2017.?

But we noticed a significant problem with these Team meetings - what I call the "one room effect."?

It looks like this. Usually, the majority of the meeting participants were in one location - for example, our HQ in Vilnius. Then one or two others would join us from somewhere else (let's say Stockholm and Basel).?

Even with careful management, these meetings usually suffered from the following problems:

• Those who were physically in the conference room tended to dominate proceedings,
• It was difficult for virtual participants to be as actively involved,
• Sometimes the meeting language would shift to that of the "home" team, excluding the others.?

Basically, the conversation was only really happening in the room itself, and the remote participants were excluded.

A significant improvement when everyone is participating virtually

When COVID-19 hit and the whole team moved online, we noticed something interesting. The meetings improved.

With all the participants now equally involved, and with nowhere else for the conversation to happen than in the Teams meeting itself, everyone was equal. This led to a wider range of contributions and a better integration of all of our international team. And this in turn resulted in smoother meetings, and indeed smoother projects.?

Of course, there were downsides to remote work. Team members missed their colleagues and motivation was sometimes tough when they were spending days and days by themselves. On the other hand, many chose to move location to places they loved - the village they grew up in or a favourite countryside retreat.?

Towards the end of the lockdown, we ran a survey with our engineers to ask them what work set-up they favoured. The majority said that they favoured a hybrid work set up, where they work partially from home and partially from the office.?

A move to hybrid working

As a result of this feedback, and the positive experience we have had of operating a remote team, our design and R&D teams are moving to a more hybrid work set up. Each department at Staticus is looking at office-to-home ratios ranging from 50/50 to 80/20, depending on the function. As a design team, we are aiming for a 50/50 or 60/40 home to office ratio.

This presents us with two challenges. On the one hand, we have to ensure that there are clear expectations when it comes to how team members work remotely. And on the other hand, we have to ensure that a return to the office (even if it is only a partial one) doesn't lead to a return to meetings dominated by those in the conference room.?

Challenge 1: Ensuring work from home is productive

Defining how remote work happens requires careful consideration. Your team members need to understand what is expected of them. They need to enjoy the flexibility that work from home provides, but they also need to be accessible to their colleagues.?

At Staticus, we have organized working practices and standards that ensure the right balance is achieved:

• Team members can work whenever they want. But these working times need to be agreed upon. And, once they are agreed, they need to be available and accessible at those times.
• A good internet connection is a must. If team members aren't accessible because there is a poor internet connection where they are, then they'll need to fix it or return to the office.
• It's up to each team member to deliver. In the end, if the quality of the work is at the right standard and it is delivered on time, that's what really matters. So, if we have issues with quality or meeting deadlines, we might ask a team member to come back to the office.

With these guidelines in place, everyone knows what to expect, and you get flexibility while still being available to your colleagues.

Challenge 2: Maintaining equal participation in meetings

Our hybrid work plan will see team members spend around half of their time in the office.?

And this brings a risk that we see a return to the pre-pandemic practices of meetings being dominated by those who are physically present.

How will we avoid this from happening? To be honest, it is not clear yet. First, we have to get back into the office and see what happens. Has the cultural shift in meeting practice that occurred during the lockdowns been a permanent one? Or will we see a regression back to the old ways?

Personally, I am positive on this topic. I think that, with most teams working using a 50/50 hybrid model, there will be such a mix that there won't be a difference to the working practice and culture that we developed during the lockdown. For example, if we have a team of 10 people spread across different locations, it's very unlikely that more than 2 or 3 of them will be physically in the same meeting room at one time. So, the majority will not be in the room, and this should prevent the dynamic of virtual attendees from being sidelined.

Hybrid working in the construction sector - a look to the future

Here at Staticus we are figuring out the balance that is right for us. But what could the wider trend in the construction sector be?

It's definitely true that the construction industry doesn't appear to be a natural fit for hybrid working practices. But look a little deeper and there is actually plenty of potential.

In a recent analysis, McKinsey defined the types of tasks that are most and least suitable for remote work. And many of the activities that are typical of a design or R&D team - updating knowledge and learning, interacting with computers, thinking creatively, processing, analyzing, and interpreting information - rank as some of the most suitable for tasks for remote work.

(Source: McKinsey)

But I still think there is great potential for increased use of technology in these areas. For example, digital twins, wearables, sensors and IoT technology can all help in removing the need for the whole team to be physically present, as this article on the challenges of hybrid work in construction points out.?

And the benefits of remote work are worth the investment. Having an international team that can seamlessly collaborate gives any construction company a huge advantage.