"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."
When Iron Mike Tyson delivered this brutal truth, he was talking about the boxing ring. But it applies just as much to project development. No matter how solid your plans, unexpected blows will come. Community opposition, permit denials, regulatory shifts, market volatility, supply chain disruptions… any one of these could be the punch that knocks your project off course.
The good news? You can roll with those punches and keep standing. At THAMPICO, we've cracked the code by focusing on one goal: shortening the preconstruction cycle.
Why does this matter so much? Imagine you're squaring off against prime Tyson himself. The longer the fight goes, the more chances he has to land a knockout blow on you. Similarly, when the preconstruction phase drags on, each passing day raises the risk of an internal or external obstacle derailing your project.
So how can you blitz through preconstruction and get your project over the line before catastrophe strikes? Start with these three power moves:
1. Find Your Project's Ali
Traditionally, project managers were engineers first, learning the rest of the job on the fly. But with our ability to outsource design/engineering these days, the ideal PM is a renaissance person.
You need someone who can juggle every workstream- communications, human resources, finance, permitting, you name it. Look for PMs with broad knowledge and experience spanning multiple disciplines. They'll have the agility to keep all those balls in the air while relentlessly advancing toward the finish line.
2. Stick and Move
How many project meetings have you attended where there's no clear agenda, spotty notetaking, and a lack of cohesion? That might work for small teams, but as your organization scales, chaos ensues.
Instead, get disciplined about communication from the start. Establish standing meetings with set agendas that cover all critical issues. And make reporting meetings standardized - a regular forum for the PM and team to share progress and field questions from leadership. When everyone stays looped in and aligned, the whole operation runs tighter.
3. Unleash a Tech Knockout
Are you utilizing a patchwork of various software programs based on the prior experience of their project team members? As you grow, that fragmented approach will weigh you down.
Here’s a suggestion: Implement a robust Project Management Information System (PMIS) from pre-construction. But don't just look for software that fits your current processes. This is your chance to find a true platform for optimizing your future vision. It requires a thoughtful discovery process but lands you with streamlined project execution across your whole operation.
Between the right PM, finely-tuned communication, and your software force-multiplier, you’re creating a lean, agile strike team to deliver projects rapidly. One that can slip any punch and still arrive at the intended destination: on-budget, on-time success.
Want to see how THAMPICO can get your project development process into prime fighting shape? Schedule a free consultation today.
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