Opinion | Doing more with less

When given a platform to discuss construction, many of us default to talking about how hard the industry has become.

But delivering large-scale, complex buildings has never been easy in New Zealand. We aspire to build hospitals, schools, prisons and hotels comparable with those delivered in much bigger economies. Yet we attempt this without the same depth of capability and resources available to larger markets.

We are highly aspirational, but often frustratingly unproductive.

Within the Central Region, upcoming projects such as the Tauranga Hospital Redevelopment and the Waikeria Prison Expansion, with a combined value of approximately $1.2 billion, have the potential to underpin the local construction sector for years to come.

Beyond their economic impact, projects of this scale provide a platform to accelerate the development of the next generation of construction talent.

To maximise that opportunity, we need sustained investment in apprenticeships, vocational education and the development of experienced tradespeople and construction leaders. We also need to be realistic about the timeframe.

The apprentice who starts today does not become tomorrow’s leading foreperson, site manager or project director overnight. Capability takes years, sometimes decades, to develop. Meanwhile, the projects still need to be delivered.

That means we must become exceptionally good at doing more with less.

Certain contracting models are more conducive to a productive project environment. Central government organisations are now procuring a considerable portion of their pipeline through contractor-led design and build. This is a significant step forward.

These contracting models reduce team fragmentation by bringing more people under the same umbrella during the early stages of design and consenting. However, you still need to have the right people sitting at the table.

A construction contract is the rulebook for delivering a major commercial build. It creates order, allocates risk and establishes the necessary performance guardrails. Yet I have never seen a contract generate productivity on its own.

Projects do not unfold in a perfect world. Designs evolve, conditions change, key people leave and supply chains weaken. No form of contract can anticipate every circumstance or tell people how to work together when reality overtakes the process.

Variations illustrate the challenge. They are a known part of construction, yet they can absorb a disproportionate share of the wider project team’s attention. The industry’s most capable people can become consumed by arguing over a relatively small portion of the work, while the much larger shared objective of delivering the project struggles for oxygen.

When every issue enters a sequential chain of notices, responses, assessments and counterarguments, the process intended to maintain control can begin controlling the project.
This is where relationships matter.

Strong relationships allow people to address ambiguity quickly, speak honestly about weaknesses and make decisions before problems become disputes. They close the gap between the project we planned and the project we are actually delivering.

In a market where skilled resources capable of delivering complex, large-scale projects are limited, we cannot afford to waste capability on politics, blame or individual agendas. A technically brilliant person who erodes trust can cost a project more than their expertise contributes.

Organisations should recruit and promote for attitude and values alongside capability. Everyone says they hire for attitude. Labour shortages test whether they actually mean it.

Culture also cannot be manufactured after a project encounters difficulty. The cultures of the participating organisations will inevitably shape the project culture. If one organisation promotes openness, shared responsibility and problem-solving while another rewards self-preservation and blame, that misalignment will eventually surface and it will slow the project down.

New Zealand must rebuild and sustain its skilled workforce. Relationships are not a substitute for technical capability, training or investment.

They are how we continue delivering while that capability grows.

It is our ability to bring the right people together, align them on the outcomes that matter most, and build the trust required to navigate the uncertainties that contracts cannot eliminate.
Construction projects will always be challenging. But they should not have to feel relentlessly hard.
If we select our people on attitude, invest in culture and treat relationships as seriously as contracts, we will not just make projects more enjoyable places to work.

We will make them more productive. Because while we cannot eliminate every challenge, we can choose how we work together.