ProjectSight - Construction Project Management Software
05
In the military, soldiers are taught to improvise, adapt, and overcome because, as German military
strategist Helmuth von Moltke once said, "No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy."
Essentially, military leaders know that no plan is perfect. Since project plans are not a life safety
issue, the fifth habit borrows from military expertise. Best-in-class contractors empathize, adapt,
and overcome, especially when it comes to technology-driven process implementation.
A best-in-class contractor realizes that the ideal solution to improve productivity, streamline
processes, and drive efficiency is going to require some adjustment once it makes it into the field.
Therefore, these leaders listen; they ask stakeholders what they need to make their jobs easier and
where the bottlenecks are that slow processes. These front runners talk to adjacent stakeholders,
including those in accounting and finance, as well as architects, engineers, subcontractors, and
owners.
In summary, best-in-class owners seek first to understand, then to be understood — a
fundamental tenet of active listening.
EMPATHIZE, ADAPT, AND OVERCOME
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