If your organization has undergone a space transition, you most likely followed a typical path. First, you gathered input from managers and perhaps even staff about their needs and preferences. Next, you may have worked with a planner to identify the required square footage. After these initial steps, you get to the “meat and potatoes”—designing and constructing the space. (Finally, there’s the ribbon-cutting ceremony, but we’ll save that for another blog!)
But is there an opportunity to blend planning and analysis with design and construction? And would this collaboration of very different skill sets benefit the project?
A Real-Life Example of a Planning and Design Collaboration that Worked
Several years ago, I worked on an exciting space transition project. I was part of the needs assessment team for a large organization consolidating several central city locations into one building. The intent was to provide separate, updated office areas in the building for each division and to create areas where standard services could be shared (human resources, a mail room, conference areas, etc.).
The project was a significant effort, and the organization pulled together a large team of contractors with unique areas of expertise. The stages included the initial planning, the schematic layout and design, and the pre-construction logistics (final design drawings and construction cost estimates). I was prepared for my piece, which analyzed workload and staffing trends and developed space projections based on this analysis. What I hadn’t planned on, however, was being involved in the stages that followed, which are typically the bailiwick of the A/E specialists. And I certainly hadn’t expected architects and designers to be part of our analytical effort. But surprisingly, that’s what happened.
The client asked all contractors to participate in the project from the beginning. At the kick-off meeting, with over 30 participants around a huge table, I was skeptical that the project could be successful. After all, although I was happy to offer my opinions about innovative office designs to the architectural and design team, I wasn’t sure they would be that interested in hearing my views on the subject (even if I had left out the clever little coffee bar that I was envisioning for the office). And as skilled as these professionals were in their disciplines, I was confident they would have nothing to contribute to my planning work. However, as our work progressed, I saw the value of having people with very different mindsets simultaneously engaged in the project planning. I also appreciated the opportunity to contribute to the space configuration and design phases.
In the end, the project was very successful, and I learned an important lesson about space transition projects. The needs assessment and design stages aren’t separate phases that each require a team with completely different skill sets. Rather, these steps can be closely integrated, and the project can benefit greatly from the contributions of planners, designers, and architects at every step of the process.
How You Can Make Project Collaboration Work for You
Here are some thoughts on successfully blending these skills throughout a space transition project to help ensure a successful outcome.
1. Develop a project plan that describes the stages and team member responsibilities.
At the project's onset, the prime contractor did something sagacious. They presented a comprehensive plan that detailed each stage, the tasks involved, the expected outcome and deliverables, and most importantly, the responsible party. This detailed plan made complete sense for a project of this size, with numerous client representatives and multiple subcontractors. It brought us all together and gave us a clear understanding of our individual responsibilities and how each would fit into the overall work effort.
This may seem intuitive to project planning, but surprisingly, it doesn’t occur that often, especially in smaller projects. Very frequently, contractors are hired to execute one step in the overall process and don’t clearly understand the overall project or how their work fits into the bigger picture.
I started using this tactic for all my projects, even those involving a planner and an architect. Ensuring everyone understood their role and responsibilities in each step helped keep us all on the same page and accountable.
2. Include time for input from the other skill areas in each phase. Include them in each step, if possible.
Back to my large project, to the initial project kick-off meeting, where all the client representatives, contractors, and subcontractors were present (30+ people sitting around a huge conference table). The prime contractor did something unusual and questionable. They let all the subcontractors know that each was welcome to participate in every project phase as an observer. This resulted in several things. First, it ensured that we felt like valued team members rather than professionals brought in only for our pieces of expertise. Second, it emphasized that although our involvement in other stages was welcomed, it was to be as an observer rather than as a producer. This helped ensure that the project would honor the individual areas of expertise and that the sessions wouldn’t become free-for-alls, with people chiming in from every direction.
Finally, this approach resulted in an unexpected benefit. The contractors who participated in project sessions as observers became a second and third pair of eyes and ears for the lead contractor. I was very grateful when another contractor provided her notes for a session I was running, and I was happy to return the favor when her time came. This leads to my next suggestion.
3. Keep an open mind about your role and the role of experts in other areas.
Because we met the entire project team at the beginning and remained in contact with each other, we found that the contractors tried to stay in touch and connected during each stage, even if it didn’t involve them. As a result, we started to rely on each other – sometimes in the individual’s area of expertise and sometimes just as another professional.
Too often, I’ve been brought into a project for my particular task, and once I’ve handed off my deliverable (a needs analysis, an initial program of requirements, etc.), my involvement in the effort is over. That didn’t happen in this case, and it created a sense of camaraderie among the entire team, solidifying the concept that we were … a team! I collaborated with my project partners during several needs assessment stages to validate and confirm what I was learning and discuss our direction. My work benefited from the input of others who were experts in other areas but were also developing a relationship with the client and becoming familiar with the project's mission. I was also able to provide valuable help to other contractors during their phases. The contractor conducting detailed workplace surveys asked for my assistance during one on-site trip when she needed an additional resource. I also provided input and feedback during the concept design phase to aid the architectural contractor.
Coming Together in the End – The Happy Result of Team-Based Collaboration in a Space Transition Project
At the end of this large space transition project, all the contractors were asked to contribute and provide feedback on the final Master Plan – the significant deliverable culminating all our efforts. By this point, we were no longer individual subcontractors responsible for our piece of the more substantial effort. We were team members, very familiar with the entire project and all the stages that led to producing the comprehensive plan for the client. I’ve worked on and have led many successful projects, but this was one of the most unusual for me, not just because of the sheer size but also because of the collaboration and collegiality that emerged throughout the effort.
Each phase of a space transition project involves a specific area of expertise and often different contractors. Rather than treating each step as a separate area of expertise, consider bringing a team together to work together every step of the way. And think how much fun the ribbon-cutting ceremony will be!
