Do you have the A-team?

Do you remember the A-team? It was a popular TV series in the eighties, later made into a film in 2010. (Apologies to younger readers, who may not have seen the series, but it was good fun even though the plots got repetitious.). The series revolved around four Vietnam vets who sorted the bad guys out, helped those in need, and kept one step ahead of the law who didn’t approve of their methods. The most memorable character was Mr T, the mechanic who provided the muscle – he also incidentally wore lots of gold chains and had an interesting hair style. The group was led by Colonel Hannibal Smith who developed the plans and gave direction to the others. His favorite saying was “I love it when a plan comes together”. The 3rd member was Templeton Faceman Peck a suave organizer and con man who could organize anything. The 4th was Murdoch their crazy pilot.
All four characters had critical flaws and wouldn’t have been able to operate on their own, yet, when put together in a team they performed impossible missions – even though of course these were only on the TV screen.

What can construction and field service companies learn from the A-team?

• We need to work as a team – I know in some instances there are one man (or woman) businesses where the owner does everything themselves – quoting on the project, ordering materials, doing the work, issuing invoices, etc. But this is hard work and invariably mistakes are made. Most of us rely on an estimating team, accountants, project managers, supervisors, tradespeople, and on bigger projects planners, contract administrators, safety officers and quality managers. We rely on these people because they often have knowledge which we don’t possess or have more experience in a particular field than we do. Invariably we also can’t cover all the bases and require help. The most successful football teams aren’t always the ones with the most star players, but rather the team that plays as a team, using the strengths of their strongest players. Invariably they have a well-practiced game plan which matches their players’ abilities and their opponents’ weaknesses.
• There was always a plan which included who needed to do what, what resources had to be found, the timing of the project and a predicted outcome.
• The plan was communicated to the team ensuring they understood what was required from them and the timing.
• Often things didn’t go exactly according to plan, and in these cases alternative plans were rapidly made.
• When someone on the team was in trouble the others stepped in to help.
• The individuals had their arguments and disagreements, but the next day these were forgotten and the team got on with the job at hand.
• They celebrated their successes.
• Most importantly though was that each individual wasn’t perfect and wouldn’t have been our first choice for the A-team. But the leader adapted the plans to suit the strengths of each team member and to cover for their weaknesses. I always emphasise how important it is to understand the strengths and the weaknesses of those that work for you. In almost every case when I had a problem project it has been partly a result of me working with a new team and not understanding when they required support.

So what are the essentials for the A-team on your project?Well most would answer to have the best people. My answer is to have the best people for your project.

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(The full article written by Paul Netscher is published on the ClockShark website)

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