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Written by Sue Dyer, Founder, IPI  

In construction, we measure success in concrete deliverables: schedule adherence, budget performance, and quality metrics. Yet the most powerful tool for achieving these outcomes costs nothing and requires no special equipment—the ability to ask good questions. According to the Construction Industry Institute, poor communication contributes to 57% of project failures, while effective partnering can reduce change orders by up to 40%. The difference often lies not in having the right answers, but in asking the right questions.

Beyond the Defensive Response

Too often, project conversations become exercises in position defense rather than problem-solving. When a contractor asks, "Why didn't you catch this in design?" or an owner demands, "How could costs increase this much?" the natural response is defensive. These questions, while understandable, create adversarial dynamics that shut down collaboration before it begins.

The challenge isn't that team members don't communicate—it's that they talk at each other rather than with each other. Each party advocates for their position without truly understanding the constraints, pressures, and perspectives driving other stakeholders' decisions. This leads to what partnering experts at the International Partnering Institute call "listening to reply" instead of "listening to understand."

The Anatomy of a Good Question

Effective questions in construction partnering share three characteristics: they seek understanding rather than assignment of blame, they explore the "why" behind positions, and they open pathways to collaborative solutions.

Consider the difference between "Why is this late?" and "What challenges are you facing that we might help address?" The first question implies fault and triggers defensiveness. The second acknowledges complexity and invites partnership. Both seek information, but only one builds the foundation for co-creation.

Good questions also demonstrate curiosity about constraints and motivations. Instead of "Can't you just expedite delivery?" try "What would it take to accelerate this timeline, and what trade-offs would we need to consider?" This approach recognizes that every stakeholder operates within real limitations—budget constraints, resource availability, regulatory requirements, or organizational policies.

Questions That Build Bridges

The most powerful partnering questions help stakeholders step into each other's shoes. Project managers should regularly ask: "From your perspective, what does success look like on this project?" or "What concerns keep you up at night about this phase?" These questions reveal underlying priorities and fears that rarely surface in status meetings.

When conflicts arise, resist the urge to immediately solve. Instead, ask: "Help me understand how this impacts your ability to deliver" or "What options have you considered, and what makes those challenging?" These inquiries transform adversaries into advisors, creating space for team members to share not just their positions, but their underlying interests.

From Understanding to Co-Creation

True partnering occurs when teams move beyond understanding different perspectives to jointly crafting solutions that work for everyone. This requires questions that explore possibilities: "What if we approached this differently?" or "How might we redesign this process to address everyone's concerns?"

The construction industry loses approximately $177 billion annually to poor project performance, much of it attributable to communication breakdowns and adversarial relationships. Yet research consistently shows that projects using “formal partnering” approaches achieve better outcomes across all performance metrics.

Implementing the Question Advantage

Start small. In your next project meeting, replace one accusatory question with a curious one. Instead of asking who's responsible for a problem, ask what factors contributed to it. Rather than demanding explanations for delays, explore what support might accelerate progress.

The goal isn't to avoid difficult conversations—construction projects will always face challenges. The goal is to approach those challenges as partners rather than adversaries, using questions as tools for understanding rather than weapons for blame.

When project teams master the art of asking good questions, they transform conflicts into collaborations and problems into opportunities for innovation. In an industry built on relationships and trust, this may be the most valuable skill a project manager can develop.

Ready to strengthen partnering skills across your organization? Join the International Partnering Institute to access proven frameworks, best practices, and a community committed to collaborative project delivery. You can join IPI here.

Written by Sue Dyer, Founder, IPI 

Collaborative Partnering has become essential for construction project success, yet many teams struggle to move beyond basic conflict resolution. Understanding where your project team sits on the partnering spectrum—and how to advance to higher stages—can transform not just project outcomes, but profitability for all stakeholders.

What Is Collaborative Partnering?

Collaborative Partnering is a structured approach where contractors, owners, subcontractors, designers, and construction managers commit to working together as allies rather than adversaries. It involves establishing shared goals, open communication protocols, and joint problem-solving processes that benefit the entire project rather than individual parties.

The Four-Stage Journey

Not every partnering session is the same. It should not be the same, because your objective for the session varies depending on how the team is operating. Every project team exists somewhere along one of four-stages. Each stage has a distinct objective, based on what is going on within the team and what needs to occur to achieve the objective. Let’s look at the four stages.

Stage I: Controlled When chaos has erupted or conflict looms, and some teams bring old baggage from past projects. Stage I partnering focuses on getting control. The primary goal is reducing conflict by getting agreements on how we are going to work together. Small agreements lead to alignment and defuse the need to protect your interests. Team members agree on basic working protocols to prevent conflict from escalating. A team at Stage 1 needs to focus on negotiating ways of working together and resolving past issues.

Stage II: Cooperative Here, team members begin knowing each other as people and are less adversarial. Focusing on trust-building allows the team to increase their level of cooperation. Focusing on measurable goals and consistent follow-through helps. Exhibiting trustworthiness by achieving promised deliverables creates the foundation for genuine cooperation.

Stage III: Collaborative The breakthrough stage occurs when the project team develops a successful working history together. The lines between different parties blur as everyone joins the same side of the table to examine project challenges collectively. The project itself becomes the focus rather than protecting individual interests. Trust runs high and communication flows freely across all team members.

Stage IV: Creative This pinnacle stage transforms teams into innovation engines. Creativity drives decision-making, with goals focused on achieving what others might consider impossible. Teams move fluidly to meet new challenges, making obstacles work for the project rather than against it. Here, true quality improvement and breakthrough solutions emerge.

The Reality of Progression

Understanding these stages reveals a crucial truth: real quality improvement happens in Stages III and IV, where creativity and innovation drive the team. Stages I and II, while sometimes necessary, focus primarily on preventing or resolving conflicts – sometimes unavoidable, but not the end goal.

Teams don't always progress linearly. Projects can regress to earlier stages when new challenges arise, team members change, or external pressures mount. The key is recognizing these shifts and making sure that your partnering focus is appropriate for the stage the team is experiencing.

Moving Forward

Progression through partnering stages isn't automatic—it requires intentional effort and regular reinforcement. Teams must honestly assess their current stage and identify specific actions to advance. This might involve establishing measurable trust-building goals in Stage II, or implementing joint problem-solving protocols to reach Stage III.

The investment pays dividends. Moving through partnering stages isn't just fulfilling—it's highly profitable for all parties involved. Projects that reach Stages III and IV consistently deliver superior outcomes: better quality, reduced conflicts, improved schedules, and enhanced innovation.

Your Next Step

Successful Collaborative Partnering requires ongoing commitment and the right frameworks. The International Partnering Institute provides resources, training, and community connections to help construction professionals master collaborative partnering at every stage.

Ready to advance your project team's partnering capabilities? Why not have your team become IPI Certified by taking the three IPI Project Leader Certification Trainings together!!

Take time this week to evaluate which stage your current project team occupies. Then identify one concrete action to begin moving toward the next level of partnering excellence.

Written by Sue Dyer, Founder, IPI     

Real Story: The owner says to his GC, “We need to resolve these issues. We’ve been unable to over the past several months, and now the dispute plays out everyday on the project”.  

Every construction project leader faces a harsh reality in 2025: claims are increasing both in frequency and dollar value. Despite innovative delivery methods designed to boost collaboration and reduce disputes, the construction industry continues to grapple with conflicts that can derail project momentum and damage critical working relationships. What should be collaborative problem-solving often becomes adversarial positioning that benefits no one. 

Facilitated Dispute Resolution (FDR) offers a powerful alternative that's transforming how the construction industry handles disputes. Used successfully on billions of dollars of construction projects across diverse sectors, from transportation and utilities to commercial and institutional work, this process has proven its effectiveness with facility owners nationwide who now routinely include FDR provisions in their contracts. 

The Problem: When Issues Fester During Construction 

The construction industry has long struggled with a fundamental challenge: how to resolve disputes while projects are still active. Traditional approaches often let issues simmer unresolved, creating mounting tension that can derail project momentum. By the time formal dispute resolution kicks in, problems have often escalated beyond simple disagreements into entrenched positions that damage working relationships. 

When disputes remain unresolved during active construction, the consequences multiply rapidly. Project teams spend valuable time documenting positions rather than focusing on completion. Decision-making slows as parties second-guess every choice through the lens of pending disputes. Trust erodes between team members who need to collaborate daily. Most critically, unresolved issues create uncertainty that can impact project schedules, budgets, and quality. 

A Different Approach: Teams Resolving Their Own Disputes 

Unlike dispute review boards (DRBs) or arbitration, FDR doesn't hand decision-making authority to outside parties. Instead, it creates a structured environment where the actual project stakeholders, those who lived through the issues, can work together to find solutions. This approach produces more durable agreements because the people who must live with the results are the ones crafting them. 

The process maintains collaborative relationships while providing the framework needed to tackle complex disputes. Because project teams retain control over outcomes, they can craft solutions that work for everyone involved. Most importantly, the team collectively understands what constitutes a "fair" resolution given the specific circumstances and project realities they've experienced together. 

FDR functions as an extension of the issue resolution ladder established during project partnering sessions. When disputes escalate to the highest levels, the senior executive for owners or the principal for contractors, FDR provides these decision makers with a neutral forum for working through difficult issues based on facts and merit rather than adversarial positioning. 

The FDR Process: Structure That Works 

At its core, FDR brings all stakeholders together with a trained, neutral facilitator in an informal setting. Each side presents their story, supporting facts, and documentation. The facilitator helps break complex issues into manageable sub-issues, allowing parties to resolve disputes piece by piece rather than getting overwhelmed by the entire scope of disagreement. 

The process works because it creates specific roles for each participant. Presenters, typically field team members from both sides, prepare and present the facts for each issue. They know the project best and can tell the real story of what happened. Experts provide technical analysis when needed. Decision Influencers offer oversight perspective without making final calls. Most importantly, Decision Makers, those with actual authority to commit their organizations, focus on understanding issues and crafting fair resolutions. 

Preparation proves critical to success. Each issue requires identification of the core problem, chronological development of events from all perspectives, relevant specifications and documentation, and clear explanation of how work was actually performed. Presentations should match the quality and completeness of formal dispute proceedings, complete with visual aids, highlighted documents, and supporting exhibits. 

Real-World Application: What to Expect 

FDR sessions typically run full days, though complex issues may require multiple sessions. The first meeting often focuses on discovering what the real disagreements are, something that's not always obvious when disputes have festered for months or years. Facilitators assign "homework" between sessions, allowing teams to gather additional information or perform specific analyses. 

A typical session follows a structured flow. After introductions and ground rules, each side presents their perspective on the first issue. Questions and clarifications follow. Decision makers may call individual caucuses to discuss their positions privately, then reconvene in joint sessions to work toward resolution. The process continues until agreement is reached or impasse declared. 

The informal setting proves crucial. Unlike formal hearings or litigation, FDR sessions encourage open dialogue. Decision makers can ask direct questions of field personnel who witnessed events firsthand. Technical experts can explain complex issues without formal rules of evidence getting in the way. Most importantly, parties can explore creative solutions that might not be available in more rigid dispute resolution forums. 

Strategic Implementation: Real-Time Resolution During Construction 

Today's most successful FDR applications occur during active construction rather than at project closeout. Smart project teams don't wait for issues to accumulate, they address brewing disputes immediately when they arise. At major milestones or when specific problems emerge, teams can quickly convene FDR sessions to resolve issues while everyone is still engaged on the project. 

This real-time approach offers tremendous advantages. Facts remain fresh in everyone's memory since events just occurred. Key personnel are still on-site and available to explain what happened. Project momentum continues because disputes don't fester and spread to other work activities. Most importantly, teams can implement solutions immediately, often preventing smaller issues from escalating into major problems. 

Consider a typical scenario: three months into a major infrastructure project, unexpected subsurface conditions create disagreement about changed work scope and compensation. Under traditional approaches, this issue might simmer while work continues, creating ongoing tension and uncertainty. With FDR, the team can convene a session within days, present the facts while they're fresh, and reach resolution that allows work to proceed smoothly. 

Of course, FDR can still prove valuable during project closeout when multiple unresolved issues remain. However, its greatest power lies in preventing that accumulation of disputes in the first place. 

Building Better Relationships 

Perhaps FDR's greatest benefit isn't just faster resolution, it's preserving working relationships. Traditional dispute resolution often creates winners and losers, burning bridges between parties who may need to collaborate again. FDR's collaborative approach allows all parties to save face while finding solutions that work for everyone. 

The process also provides valuable education for less experienced field personnel. Junior engineers and project managers get to see how seasoned decision makers work through complex issues. They learn what documentation matters, how to present technical information clearly, and how to separate personalities from problems. 

Making FDR Work: Critical Success Factors 

Success with FDR requires commitment from the top. Decision makers must actually participate, not delegate authority to subordinates. The neutral facilitator must be truly skilled in dispute resolution, this isn't a partnering session or team-building exercise. Preparation must be thorough and professional, with each side ready to support their positions with solid documentation and clear reasoning. 

Cost sharing between parties, typically split equally as part of the partnering process, ensures both sides have skin in the game. More importantly, it reinforces the collaborative nature of the process rather than making it feel like one party is imposing dispute resolution on the other. 

The Path Forward 

Twenty-five years after its development, FDR remains a powerful but underutilized tool in the construction industry's dispute resolution toolkit. Its success depends not on complex legal procedures or outside experts, but on bringing the right people together in the right environment with proper facilitation. 

For owners, including FDR provisions in project specifications signals commitment to collaborative problem-solving during construction. It demonstrates understanding that disputes are often inevitable in complex projects but that immediate, collaborative resolution is possible. For contractors, FDR offers the opportunity to present their case directly to decision makers without layers of bureaucracy, getting issues resolved quickly so work can proceed efficiently. 

For project leaders tired of disputes that disrupt construction progress, FDR offers a proven alternative that resolves issues in real-time. For owners seeking to improve project outcomes while maintaining positive contractor relationships, FDR deserves serious consideration in project specifications. For an industry that's built on collaboration and problem-solving, FDR provides a way to resolve disputes during construction that honors those values while keeping projects moving forward. 

Written by Sue Dyer, Founder, IPI    

At the heart of the International Partnering Institute’s (IPI) Collaborative Partnering Framework lies a powerful principle: aligning teams around a common purpose and shared goals within a high-trust environment, where communication, coordination, and innovation can thrive. Rather than relying on top-down directives or isolated expertise, the Framework recognizes that project success emerges when all participants, owners, architects, engineers, contractors, and suppliers, co-create both objectives and processes from Day 1. Over years of working with hundreds of A/E/C teams, IPI has distilled eight interlocking theories in six categories, into a unified system that consistently generates alignment, accountability, and breakthrough performance on construction projects. Below, we explore these foundational concepts and explain why IPI is the ideal environment for you to connect with peers, sharpen your partnering skills, and build projects that exceed expectations. 

1. Aligning Around Common Purpose and Goals 

A core tenet of Collaborative Partnering is that high-performing teams must begin by defining a shared vision. When stakeholders co-create success criteria, risk registers, quality metrics, target budgets, and schedules, everyone feels a sense of ownership that fuels commitment. This collective alignment isn’t merely about checking boxes; it establishes a high-trust environment where communication flows freely, coordination becomes seamless, and innovation naturally emerges. By jointly articulating “what winning looks like,” teams avoid hidden agendas and friction, focusing instead on a unified mission. 

2. Harnessing Collective Intelligence 

The Delphi Method (Wikipedia) and The Wisdom of Crowds (Wikipedia) both demonstrate that a group’s aggregated judgments often outperform individual experts. Within IPI’s Framework, initial partnering workshops gather diverse voices, field superintendents, design leads, project owners, and specialty subcontractors, to brainstorm potential risks and ideas. This broad input yields more robust solutions than any single viewpoint. By soliciting input from every team member early on, IPI cultivates an environment where communication, coordination, and innovation can thrive. Teams learn to listen actively, value differing perspectives, and blend insights into a cohesive strategy. 

3. Building Consensus Through Cooperative Games 

Modern Negotiation Theory, as pioneered by Harvard’s Negotiation Project (Harvard PON), emphasizes that true leverage is found by uncovering mutual interests. In construction, interdependence is inevitable: an owner’s success depends on the contractor’s ability to perform, just as a contractor relies on timely design input. IPI’s Framework ingrains the mindset that “if one loses, all lose.” When teams shift from adversarial bargaining to a “team first”, collaborative problem-solving, they forge high-trust bonds, eliminating costly disputes and claims. 

Game Theory (Wikipedia) further reinforces this concept, proving that cooperative strategies yield greater collective benefit than zero-sum competition. In construction we have overlapping interests. The potential of a team is exponentially greater when the team works together versus protecting individual interests. This win-win approach accelerates schedules, reduces rework, and maximizes overall project value. 

4. Consensus Decision Making & Divergence/Convergence 

Consensus Decision Making (Wikipedia) highlights that even the most brilliant idea is futile unless the team commits to action. IPI embeds structured consensus processes into its Framework: issues ranging from constructability challenges to change-order resolutions pass through facilitated workshops where everyone voices concerns, questions assumptions, and proposes alternatives. The facilitator guides participants until they reach a solution everyone can support, building both alignment and trust. 

Complementing consensus, the Divergence and Convergence model (explained at ChangingMinds.org) helps teams “go broad” before “going narrow.” First, brainstorming captures all potential options; then, prioritization exercises focus energy on the top strategies. This ensures that no viable idea is discarded prematurely and that the eventual decision reflects collective buy-in. 

5. Optimizing Throughput by Uncovering Constraints 

Instead of analyzing isolated tasks, IPI’s method considers the entire project delivery process to identify and alleviate hidden bottlenecks. Theory of Constraints (Wikipedia) teaches that productivity is governed by the slowest link—be it permit approvals, design iterations, or material deliveries. In partnering workshops, facilitators use Socratic questioning to guide teams in uncovering root-cause constraints. Once identified, participants collaborate on remedies, adjusting workflows, reallocating resources, or creating parallel processes, to boost overall throughput. By fostering a high-trust environment, teams feel safe sharing vulnerabilities, leading to more rapid constraint identification and resolution. 

6. Cultivating Critical Thinking & Creative Problem-Solving 

Complex construction challenges demand more than technical know-how; they require imaginative, critical thinking. Drawing on Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats (Wikipedia), IPI facilitators encourage participants to adopt different mental “lenses”, objective analysis, emotional perspective, caution, optimism, and so on, when tackling issues. By explicitly shifting between these modes, teams avoid groupthink, consider risks and opportunities from multiple angles, and devise robust, innovative solutions. This structured approach to creative problem-solving ensures that decisions are both visionary and practical. 

Written by Sue Dyer, Founder, IPI 

In an era marked by rapidly shifting dynamics, construction leaders must adapt to evolving collaboration practices or risk falling behind. As of 2025, five key trends underscore why intentional partnering and trust-building are more critical than ever and why joining the International Partnering Institute (IPI) is the strategic advantage to navigate these changes. 

1. Trust Erosion Intensifies: The Edelman Context 
Between 2022 and 2025, the Edelman Trust Barometer documented a deepening cycle of distrust that has profound implications for construction teams. In 2022, the report revealed a “vicious cycle of distrust” driven by diminishing faith in government and media, as misinformation and polarization took hold globally edelman.com. By 2025, Edelman highlighted a “crisis of grievance,” noting that six in ten respondents felt institutions, including government and business, served narrow interests at the expense of regular people. Globally, the overall Trust Index stagnated at 58, with government distrusted in 17 of 28 countries measured, an alarming sign for project leaders striving to unify stakeholders. In this environment, IPI’s Project Leader Certification equips practitioners with proven techniques to counteract skepticism, foster transparency, and cultivate a shared sense of purpose. 

2. Hybrid Work Models Demand Agile Coordination 
By mid-2025, over 60 percent of office-based construction staff operate under hybrid schedules, while field crews rely on mobile connectivity for real-time updates. Maintaining alignment across dispersed teams requires structured processes, virtual stand-ups, cloud-based document controls, and periodic on-site “touch points” to reinforce accountability. IPI’s partnering framework offers ready-to-use templates and best practices for integrating remote workflows with in-person collaboration, ensuring that dispersed teams converge around common goals. 

3. AI-Enabled Field Intelligence Fuels Proactive Partnering 
Artificial intelligence tools have matured from novel pilot programs to everyday decision-support systems. Real-time safety analytics, productivity dashboards, and materials-logistics forecasting are now accessible via smartphone apps and wearables. Yet data alone does not cement partnership, it’s how leaders interpret insights, communicate implications, and align all parties around corrective actions. IPI’s training includes guidance on leveraging emerging technologies to anticipate conflicts, galvanize stakeholders, and keep communication channels open, merging data-driven decision-making with human-centric partnering. 

4. Climate Resilience and Supply Chain Transparency Accelerate Collaboration 
Extreme weather events, from late 2024 floods in the Southeast to early 2025 wildfires in the West, have underscored supply chain fragility and regulatory scrutiny. Successful partners now prioritize sustainable materials, transparent procurement, and joint risk assessments that share both accountability and reward. By adopting collaborative contract structures promoted by IPI, teams can innovate around climate-resilient design, preempt disruptions, and deliver projects that satisfy owners, regulators, and communities alike. 

5. Workforce Evolution: Diversity, Upskilling, and Well-Being 
The nationwide construction labor gap remains acute, with over 650,000 open roles reported in early 2025. However, more women, Gen Z professionals, and digital natives are entering the field. Employers who foster inclusive cultures, invest in upskilling, and embed mental health support experience higher retention rates. IPI’s community provides mentoring circles and leadership cohorts designed to help project leaders develop empathy, emotional intelligence, and strategies for harnessing diverse strengths, turning workforce challenges into competitive advantage. 

These five trends demonstrate that partnering in 2025 is no longer a “nice to have,” but a must-have discipline. IPI membership grants access to a robust network of peers, evidence-based methodologies, and certification pathways that empower you to transform distrust into delivery excellence. By becoming IPI-certified, you commit to elevating collaboration, building trust, and driving performance on every project. 

Written by Sue Dyer, Founder, IPI

In construction, adversarial relationships can quietly undermine even the most well-planned projects. When teams default to contract clauses and legal safeguards instead of open collaboration, costs rise and schedules slip. However, empirical research from the Construction Industry Institute (CII) and International Partnering Institute (IPI), clearly demonstrates that high levels of trust within a project team directly correlate to lower project costs. By focusing on building and maintaining trust, project leaders can unlock smoother workflows, faster issue resolution, and a more positive working environment. 

Why Trust Matters 

Trust isn’t mere “feel-good” rhetoric; it’s a measurable driver of project performance. CII’s RP24‐1 study shows a distinct cost/trust relationship: as trust increases, total project cost decreases. Conversely, low trust is a leading indicator of budget overruns and delays. In other words, teams that rely on fair dealings, transparent communication, and reliable follow-through generate more predictable outcomes and reduce the need for costly reword and dispute resolution. 

Be Unwaveringly Trustworthy 

Even if past events have eroded your confidence in certain teammates, you can always take responsibility for your own trustworthiness. Make “your word is your bond” a guiding principle. For example: if you commit to completing a submittal review by 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday, be there on time. Small, consistent deposits into your team members’ “trust accounts” build credibility faster than grand gestures ever could. Over time, those deposits create a reservoir that helps weather the occasional misunderstanding or schedule hiccup. 

Monitor Your Trust Account 

Trust isn’t static, every interaction either makes a deposit or a withdrawal. If you sense that your willingness to trust a colleague is waning, don’t let frustration fester. Have an open, respectful conversation.  Ask simple questions: “I noticed that this change order came in later than expected. Can you share what happened?” A brief dialogue can clear up misconceptions, prevent resentment, and get everyone back on the same page. 

Assessing Project Trust Levels 

To keep trust front and center, invite the team to evaluate where the project currently stands. Consider these three starter questions (integrated into a brief round-table exercise or a safety-style “toolbox talk”): 

1. How would you rate overall trust on this project? (1 = Distrust, 5 = Very Trusting) 
2. In which areas have you seen trust at its highest? Why? 
3. What practical steps can you take to improve trust—either personally or as a group? 

Encourage team members to share concrete examples (“I felt fully confident when the subcontractor delivered materials a day early”) as well as areas needing improvement (“We need better clarity around scope changes because last week’s shift caught us off guard”). 

Suggestions for Reinforcing Trust 

• Leader-Driven Modeling: Project leaders should openly demonstrate trust (e.g., delegating tasks, soliciting input, acknowledging mistakes). Visibility of this behavior encourages others to mirror it. 

• Regular Check-Ins: Schedule brief weekly “trust check” sessions, either in person or via video call, where each discipline reports one thing going well and one risk point requiring collaboration. 

• Document and Celebrate Successes: When trust-based approaches resolve issues faster or under budget, highlight those achievements at milestone meetings. This reinforces positive behavior. 

• Partnering Workshops: Host periodic Partnering workshops to foster effective communication, active listening, and conflict resolution to get the team aligned so momentum can grow and the more trust you build the faster you will go. 

For project leaders seeking to deepen their skills, the IPI Project Leader Certification Training teaches how to create and grow a culture of trust equipping leaders with proven frameworks, role-playing exercises, and real-world case studies to embed trust into every phase of a project. 

By elevating trust to a proactive focus, rather than waiting for disputes to arise, project teams can foster a collaborative culture that translates into tangible cost savings, schedule reliability, and a more engaged workforce. 

Written by Sue Dyer, Founder, IPI

Laying the Foundation for Success: Eight Ground Rules That Fuel Collaborative Partnering 

Every high‐performing project team knows that success isn’t accidental, it’s engineered through intentional behaviors and shared expectations.  Advanced project controls, robust schedules, and clear scopes are essential, but none will reach their full potential without a culture of trust and open communication.  That’s where Partnering Ground Rules come in: setting clear behavioral norms from day one to unlock true collaborative partnering. 

1. Everyone Is Created Equal 

When hierarchies govern every conversation, field crews and subcontractors may hesitate to speak up.  Flattening perceived ranks, where every voice truly matters, builds trust and encourages early identification of risks.  For example, Charlie was frustrated because, in every owner’s meeting, one representative from the owner’s team monopolized conversation, often veering into ridicule. No one else felt safe to speak.  After Charlie introduced Partnering Ground Rules, people began to share perspectives again, alleviating stress and revitalizing project momentum. 

2. Foster Frank, Honest Discussion 

Silence around tough topics breeds reactive chaos later, budget overruns, schedule slips, and added claims. Ground Rule #2 establishes a “no repercussions” policy for surfacing uncomfortable issues.  In practice, that means: 

• Acknowledging concerns without interruption during meetings. 

• Asking clarifying questions (“Help me understand why you see it this way”) to ensure issues are fully understood before shifting to solutions. 

By validating concerns early, teams proactively address root causes rather than battling symptoms when it’s too late. 

3. Judgments Are Not Allowed 

As soon as someone silently labels another’s idea “impractical,” collaboration grinds to a halt.  Suspending judgment keeps minds open.  Teams can remind themselves at the start of each meeting to reframe “That won’t work” into “Help me understand why this might work.”  Over time, this “yes‐and” mindset replaces “yes‐but,” fostering a safer environment where creative solutions can surface without fear of ridicule. 

4. Concentrate on Issues, Not Personalities 

When conflict becomes personal, “You missed this detail” morale erodes and energy shifts from problem solving to blame assignment. Instead, ground rules redirect language toward the issue itself, such as “Let’s focus on the scope overlap.” If a discussion veers into personal critique, appoint someone as the “gate keeper” to keep the team on track.  They get the team to “pause” and steer the conversation back to facts. This objective stance accelerates resolution while preserving interpersonal goodwill. 

5. There Are No Dumb Ideas or Questions 

Some of the most transformative breakthroughs begin as “crazy” suggestions. By explicitly stating that no idea is off‐limits, teams encourage even the most unconventional proposals, prefabrication strategies, novel sequencing, or alternate supply chains, that might shave weeks off the schedule or drive down costs.  Recording these “curveball” ideas without immediate critique helps capture latent innovation that can be vetted later under calmer conditions. 

6. Focus on the Present, Don’t Rehash the Past 

Dwelling on yesterday’s mistakes creates resentment and stalls progress. Ground rules emphasize, “We can’t change what happened, how do we address this now? ” A “lessons learned” board can separate retrospective analysis from present‐day action planning.  By keeping conversations forward‐looking, teams sustain momentum and avoid reliving grudges that derail collaboration. 

7. You Must Participate 

Partnering is a team sport. When only a handful of individuals drive discussions, the project forfeits the collective wisdom of those closest to the work.  To ensure broad engagement, rotate facilitation roles among team members, and start each session with an icebreaker, “What have you seen on‐site that could be improved?”, so everyone has a stake.  As Charlie discovered, when every team member knows their input is mission‐critical, hidden risks and creative solutions emerge. 

8. It’s OK to Have Fun 

Construction is inherently stressful, weather delays, design revisions, supply‐chain disruptions all test morale.  Injecting a bit of humor or camaraderie (e.g., brief “team trivia” before meetings or monthly “Partnering Coffee Breaks”) helps reduce tension and reminds teams that they’re tackling challenges together.  Laughter and lighthearted interactions strengthen relationships that can be leaned on when deadlines loom. 

Why Ground Rules Matter 

Ground rules are more than meeting checkboxes, they are the connective tissue binding a team together.  When embraced, these principles: 

1. Build Trust Faster: When every voice is respected, assumptions vanish and collaboration deepens. 

1. Reduce Conflict Escalations: By focusing on issues—not personalities—small disagreements don’t spiral into formal claims. 

1. Ignite Innovation: An open forum where “no dumb ideas” exist fosters breakthrough solutions. 

1. Sustain Momentum: Keeping conversations present‐focused and inclusive prevents time wasted on blame and silos. 

Charlie’s story illustrates this perfectly: his owner’s meetings were drifting into hostility until he introduced ground rules.  Once everyone understood they had equal opportunity to speak, and that judgments were off the table, the dynamics shifted. Participants felt safer sharing honest insights, stress levels dropped, and collaboration returned.  In turn, the project regained its rhythm, and small issues were addressed before they ballooned into budget‐busting claims. 

Turning Ground Rules into Habits 

Incorporate a monthly “Ground Rules Review” into your meetings.  Ask each team member to share which rule they find easiest, and which they’ll commit to improving.  By regularly revisiting these principles, you reinforce that partnering is not a one‐and‐done at kickoff, but a continuous mindset driving every decision. 

Written by Sue Dyer, Founder, IPI

In the coming three years, public works construction across the United States will undergo a profound transformation, not because of a single technology or regulation, but due to a convergence of strategic shifts. For owners and contractors delivering roads, bridges, airports, water systems, and research facilities, these changes will redefine how we build, lead, and collaborate. 

At the International Partnering Institute (IPI), we believe these trends demand not only technical adaptation but also a leadership evolution. Project leaders must become systems thinkers, risk navigators, and collaboration proponents. Here are the five strategic trends reshaping our industry and how you can lead through them. 

1. Resilient and Adaptive Infrastructure is Becoming the Standard 

Strategic Why: From atmospheric rivers and fires in California to extreme heat in Texas, climate volatility is no longer a future threat, it's a present mandate. Public infrastructure must withstand not just today’s needs, but tomorrow’s extremes. 

Forecasted Impact: Expect to see a shift from “design-bid-build” based solely on cost, to lifecycle-focused delivery models that prioritize durability, environmental adaptability, and long-term maintenance. FEMA, FHWA, and local jurisdictions are rewriting resilience guidelines. 

Leadership Takeaway: Project teams must now integrate climate data, local risk factors, and flexible design criteria into the earliest phases of project planning. Collaborative decision-making, especially with owners, designers, and environmental agencies will be critical to avoid litigation and rework. 

2. Supply Chain Regionalization is Reshaping Material Strategy 

Strategic Why: Tariffs, geopolitical instability, and supply shocks have disrupted construction timelines and budgets. The result? A push to localize and diversify sourcing. 

Forecasted Impact: Public works contractors are rapidly moving toward U.S.-based and regional suppliers. Recycled materials, domestically manufactured steel, and alternative products (like geopolymer concrete) are gaining traction. Agencies are revising procurement protocols to prioritize availability over price alone. 

Leadership Takeaway: Leaders must get proactive about supply chain intelligence mapping vulnerabilities, developing second-tier vendor relationships, and involving procurement early in the design phase. Early partnering around material availability can save months. 

3. The Workforce Crisis is Driving a Talent Transformation 

Strategic Why: The construction workforce is aging rapidly, and the next generation is not showing up in force. Meanwhile, Gen Z workers expect purpose-driven work, flexibility, and digital tools. 

Forecasted Impact: Public agencies and private contractors will expand partnerships with unions, trade schools, and community colleges to grow the talent pipeline. Robotics and AI augmentation will become necessary to offset labor shortages. Projects will be judged as much by how they treat workers as how they deliver infrastructure. 

Leadership Takeaway: Team culture will be a competitive differentiator. Training and mentoring with good on-boarding strategies will be a must. Leaders who create inclusive, empowered teams will retain talent, those who don’t will lose time and money. 

4. Digital Delivery is Moving from Innovation to Expectation 

Strategic Why: Digital twins, AI-assisted design, and real-time project dashboards are no longer experimental, they’re becoming standard. Public owners increasingly require digital deliverables in RFQs and contract language. 

Forecasted Impact: Projects will rely on integrated platforms that centralize scheduling, clash detection, field changes, and forecasting. Data will be used not just to record but to predict and optimize. Risk will be flagged early, and disputes will decline if teams use the tech collaboratively. 

Leadership Takeaway: Digital tools require digital mindsets. It's not enough to hire a BIM coordinator, you need project leaders who can lead data conversations and use technology as a communication tool. The most successful teams will tie tech use directly into their Partnering commitments and behavior expectations. 

5. Collaborative Delivery and Risk Sharing Are Becoming Business Imperatives 

Strategic Why: Traditional models built on silos and low-bid competition are struggling under the weight of modern complexity. The future demands early alignment, shared success metrics, and collective risk ownership. 

Forecasted Impact: Design-Build, CMGC, and Progressive Design-Build will grow but beyond contract type, expect wider adoption of Structured Collaborative Partnering (SCP). This includes facilitated Partnering sessions, partnering charters with behavior and performance goals, and third-party assessments. 

Leadership Takeaway: Collaboration is not a personality trait, it’s a skill set. It requires training, facilitation, and strategic practice. Leaders who know how to align teams early, foster psychological safety, and structure incentives for joint success will consistently outperform their peers. 

A Final Word: Your Leadership Will Define the Future 

Each of these trends, resilience, regionalization, workforce transformation, digital delivery, and collaboration, is powerful on its own. But together, they’re reshaping not just how we build, but how we lead. 

To navigate this new landscape, you don’t just need more information, you need a framework for action and a community of practice. That’s where the IPI Project Leader Certification Training comes in. It’s designed specifically for public works project leaders like you, equipping you with the tools to: 

• Build high-performing, collaborative teams 

• Navigate complex stakeholder dynamics 

• Lead structured conversations about risk, performance, and innovation 

• Deliver projects that are resilient, inclusive, and future-ready 

Take the next step: Learn more and register here.

Written by Sue Dyer, Founder, IPI

In the construction industry, we often pride ourselves on meticulous planning, precise scheduling, and organized management practices. Yet, paradoxically, the very structure we impose to streamline processes can become our greatest obstacle: organizational silos. These invisible yet powerful divisions not only hinder collaboration but also prevent projects from reaching their full potential. 

Understanding the Impact of Silos 

Organizational silos emerge naturally within construction processes as projects move through distinct phases: planning, programming, design, construction, and activation. While structuring our organizations in this manner makes logical sense on paper, the practical implications can be detrimental. Each department becomes isolated, working towards individual, localized goals, potentially losing sight of the overarching objectives of the entire project. 

This phenomenon is known as local optimization. Teams strive for excellence within their confined scope without adequately considering how their choices impact subsequent phases or the overall outcome. The result? Waste, delays, and frustration—and ultimately, a project that falls short of its original vision. 

A Silent Killer of Projects: Isolation 

Isolation within departments is a silent killer of projects. Communication breakdowns lead to missed opportunities, redundant work, and mistrust among team members. These inefficiencies compound, gradually eroding project budgets, timelines, and morale. 

The real tragedy is that this silo mentality deprives your project of its greatest asset: the collective wisdom of your team. Each member brings a unique set of experiences, insights, and expertise. When isolated, these assets remain untapped. Instead, fostering collaboration across all project phases ensures that knowledge flows freely, informing better decisions at every stage. 

The Nozzle Effect: Maximizing Resources 

Consider a garden hose nozzle. Unfocused water sprays broadly but lacks intensity. Tightening the nozzle focuses the stream, maximizing velocity and precision. Similarly, aligning your teams around common goals focuses their collective energy, ensuring resources—time, talent, and funding—are efficiently directed toward strategic project outcomes. 

Collaborative Partnering allows you to develop the "Nozzle Effect", where team members across various project stakeholders engage proactively to identify challenges early, share solutions freely, and collectively optimize resource allocation. The result? Reduced waste, increased efficiency, and significantly enhanced project outcomes. 

Building Trust and Momentum: Driving Out Fear 

One of the foundational elements to breaking down silos is trust. Without it, fear takes root—fear of blame, failure, or criticism. This fear motivates team members to guard their knowledge, protect their company, and avoid taking risks. As fear builds, silos solidify, crippling collaboration and innovation. 

Conversely, cultivating a high-trust environment fosters transparency and openness, essential for true collaboration. Teams feel safe sharing ideas, admitting mistakes, and offering creative solutions without fear of retribution. Trust, unlike fear, builds momentum. Each positive interaction strengthens relationships, boosts morale, and attracts the industry's best talent—designers, contractors, and employees alike. 

Steering Toward Success: The Partnering Steering Committee 

Owners who establish a Partnering Steering Committee can serve as a powerful catalyst for dissolving silos and fostering collaboration. This committee comprises influential project leaders across all project stakeholders. This includes the owner’s team along with the contractors who perform their work.  They are united by a common vision: the overall success of the owner’s projects. Working together to overcome barriers to success.  

Here are key steps to initiating an effective Partnering Steering Committee: 

1. Start with the End in Mind: Define clear, shared objectives for the owner and contractors to improve the success of their projects.  

1. Choose the Right People: Fifty percent of success depends on having committed, capable members. Try to get an equal number of owner, contractors. It is best if you have the participation of your policy maker(s). 

1. Foster Shared Understanding: Facilitate open honest discussions around how to build a high trust, collaborative atmosphere for projects. Learn from one another and develop mutual respect and understanding.  

1. Set Clear Expectations: Establish responsibilities and accountability for participation in the committee. Without consistent participation the committee will be starting over and going backwards regularly.  

1. Establish Transparent Communication: Everyone is allowed to share their truth. This will create the level of trust needed for the committee to become high performing.  

1. Encourage Feedback and Adaptation: Bring in people within the Owner and Contractor organizations and solicit input and feedback so that what the committee develops will be adopted 

1. Celebrate Early Wins: Recognize those implementing what the committee develops as policies, practices and processes. This will reinforce their importance and build momentum and morale. 

1. Train for Collaboration: While the Steering Committee assumes that the owner is doing Collaborative Partnering on their projects, results can be exponential when you equip your team with structured collaborative partnering skills. IPI’s Project Leader Certification Training is designed for this purpose.  

1. Monitor and Measure: Continuously track the effectiveness of your partnering policies developed by the Steering Committee. In fact, it’s best if you co-create the measures for each policy (or practice/process). Then you can make adjustments as needed. 

1. Institutionalize Best Practices: After implementation of your new partnering strategies, you will measure and see the level of success achieved. Embed these successful strategies into your organizational culture to sustain long-term collaboration. 

Owners who adopt these strategies not only enhance immediate project outcomes but also establish themselves as leaders in the industry, attracting top-tier talent and collaborative partners committed to excellence. 

Becoming an Owner and Contractor of Choice 

The construction industry's competitive landscape demands more than technical excellence—it requires becoming an owner and contractor of choice. Organizations that excel in collaborative partnering distinguish themselves by fostering a workplace culture characterized by trust, transparency, and teamwork. 

Employees, designers, and contractors are drawn to environments where their contributions are valued, communication flows freely, and shared goals drive every decision. This attracts the best talent and encourages sustained loyalty, dramatically improving project outcomes and organizational reputation. 

Making 1 + 1 = 30: The Power of Structured Collaborative Partnering 

In isolation, teams and individuals can only achieve so much. However, Collaborative Partnering transforms the potential of your workforce from additive to multiplicative. When collaboration is deeply embedded within your organizational DNA, resources, insights, and innovations flow seamlessly, amplifying impact exponentially. 

The International Partnering Institute’s Collaborative Partnering (CP) offers a proven methodology for creating this dynamic environment. CP training equips your project leaders with essential collaboration skills, tools for building trust, and strategies for effective communication across all project phases. 

Take the Next Step 

Transforming your organization from silo-driven to synergy-focused requires intentional, sustained effort. The rewards, however, far outweigh the investment. Successful project outcomes, reduced waste, increased innovation, and heightened employee satisfaction are just a few benefits awaiting organizations that embrace Collaborative Partnering. 

We invite you to explore the IPI Project Leader Certification Training to equip your leaders with the skills necessary to break down silos permanently and drive lasting success. By prioritizing collaboration, your organization will not only optimize its resources but become a beacon of excellence within the construction industry. 

Construction is indeed a continuous process. Ensure your results reflect that reality by dismantling silos, fostering trust, and harnessing the full power of your collaborative potential. 

Written by Sue Dyer, Founder, IPI

I recently received a question from a new project manager who is running four projects. He shared that trying to help a project succeed seems so unpredictable. He asked me to share what I have seen work to help assure projects are successful. Below I share what I have seen, based on working with over 4,000 projects.

Like this project manager, many others in the industry are baffled by what makes one project team unmistakably high performing, and another team, with similar caliber members, fall short of success. This has been a question I’ve studied for over 35 years. I am always searching to understand how we can assure our projects succeed.

From my experience, the good news is that it does not cost one more cent to be highly successful over being unsuccessful – in fact, it may cost less. Let me explain.

Excellence requires TRUST. Without trust, excellence is simply not possible. And this applies to owners, contractors, subcontractors, and designers. You bring your culture to EVERY project you do.

My team and I have facilitated partnering on over 4,000 construction projects. Here is how we’ve seen a high trust, excellence-based culture play out versus a fearful, mediocrity-based culture. Of course, the leader(s) sets and spreads the culture, but this is what happens when you have a high trust culture on your projects.

Coordination

The team is on the same page. They use the design to document a clear understanding of what is going to be installed each step of the way. Shop drawings match what is to be installed and are corrected if things change. Everyone knows what they are going to do, has the tools and ability to perform the work (i.e., access, laydown, materials, enough people, etc.). They do not arrive on site only to be surprised that someone ordered the wrong tile, the girder is too short, or the shop drawings don’t match the plans. The team has clearly worked together as ONE team to coordinate their efforts before they start working. They are not constantly disrupted by surprises that could or should have been known.

Quality Control

The team checks and double-checks to make sure things are right with mockups, testing, measuring, and checking to ensure equipment and materials are ready (and enough). They don’t spend time arguing against having mockups (I see this fairly often), only to be surprised when the material doesn’t work, is wrong, or there isn’t enough. For example, they do a water test of the windows before they are installed, or a test strip to make sure the mix, equipment, application, and weather produce a good result.

The quality level for your project should be determined within your design – when the budget and materials are decided. But the quality of workmanship is determined by the team. I’ve seen highly skilled craftspeople unable to do a quality job because quality control was seen as a “wasted” effort.

Problem Solving

One of the things I love about construction folks is that we are problem solvers. We just love solving problems. We may not love the stress that comes along with it sometimes, but teams that have big problems they solve together often remember these as their best projects.

It is important to get everyone on the project to look for things that could become a problem and encourage these to be brought up as soon as they are seen. Being proactive and capturing potential issues before they impact the project is like magic. It keeps the team moving forward with confidence and enables predictable production, predictable quality, and predictable schedule and budget.

If I had a dime for each extra dollar it cost a project when a project leader told me we would just wait until the end to solve the project problems – I would be a millionaire. To be high performing means you work to identify, resolve, plan, and install before you are forced to stop or change direction.

Strategy

The highest performing teams have a strategy for building the project (scope). At least someone on the job can wrap their mind around the entire project and visualize how it is going to be built within the timeframe and budget. If you don’t have someone like this, then get them! You can’t just “hope” that you will get there. Being truthful about what can or cannot be achieved is also important. Then you can create a strategy that works.

I have seen many projects that are like a rudderless ship on a voyage. They don’t have a clear and agreed-upon plan for how they are going to reach their destination. I hear owners and CMs often say that the contractor is just trying to create change orders – sure, some may do so – but more often I see there isn’t anyone within the team who knows how to put all the pieces together to optimize the success of the project. Instead, they just do the work in front of them, often surprised by things that pop up and don’t work.

Learning Environment

A high performing team learns from the problems they encounter, so they can improve. If there are repetitive operations, they work to make each one better and better (much like you would in a manufacturing process). These high performing teams look to continuously improve – they openly share their problems and solutions so the entire team understands and can learn to improve. They don’t react to each new issue as if it is brand new and has never been seen before. Teams that don’t learn are doomed to stress because they will just keep making the same mistakes over and over.

High performing teams embrace learning – learning from each other, from the project’s problems, from training, and from innovation. They learn they can create new ways to do things. They love to learn how to create better teams, be better leaders, and do things that have never been done before – to become extraordinary.

TRUST is Key

None of these high performing team behaviors are possible without trust. In fact, your team will only be as good as the level of trust you develop. Think about it: if the team doesn’t trust each other enough to be open and honest, then you aren’t going to have honest communication. Without that, it is impossible to get cooperation or collaboration so that you can have good coordination and problem solving. Without alignment of everyone toward your common purpose, you are drifting along, hoping to succeed.

Excellence does not cost more. It is created by the continuous improvement atmosphere that you have within your project team – not one of protection and fear, but one of collaboration and commitment. High performing teams are more fun, do extraordinary things, and manage the inherent risks we have on our projects!

This is why I feel so strongly that each person working on a project needs to know how to be a trusted leader who can build a high trust atmosphere that fosters communication, cooperation, collaboration, co-creation, coordination, and success. Without this, you are just hoping that the stars will align for you. I highly recommend the International Partnering Institute’s Project Leader Certification to give you the foundation of being able to create a high trust, high performing team.

I feel equally strongly that each business working as part of your construction project team needs to bring with them their own high trust culture. How are you going to be able to be part of a high trust project if your business operates in an atmosphere of fear, protectionism, and a zero-sum game?

If you are new to our industry, or seasoned over many decades, I hope these lessons learned can help you see the path to excellence for your projects. In case you are interested, I’ve included the Project Team Excellence Evaluation below for you to use to assess your project team’s level of excellence.