No matter the industry or scope, every project faces its fair share of challenges. Delays, shifting priorities, unforeseen risks. These are part of the process. But with the right mindset and tools in place, you can stay ahead of the curve and bring your project across the finish line successfully.
At Alexana, we’ve seen how smart planning, open communication, and a proactive approach can make all the difference. In the next few posts, we’ll be talking about strategies we use to successfully complete projects to our clients’ satisfaction.
Define your purpose early and clearly
We often see consultants completing tasks “because the client asked for this” or clients will say “I was told that I need this report”. But my question is why? Why do they need a Phase I ESA or geotechnical investigation? The PURPOSE of the work is critical to understanding WHAT work is actually needed.
Clients will call me all the time and say “I need a Phase I ESA” or “I need a Phase II ESA”. Ok, I tell them but for what purpose? Why do you need the Phase II ESA? What are you doing with the property and who told you that you need this environmental work? Is it for financing? Or land transaction? Will you be redeveloping the property? Sometimes by asking about the purpose, we actually find out that no, they don’t need a Phase II. They just need a Phase I ESA stating the site history and current environmental condition because 5 reports have been completed at the property already and the bank needs to rely on the work. That’s a cost savings of over $10,000.
Alternatively, sometimes clients will ask for something simple (like a Phase I ESA) but in fact need a complicated process like a Record of Site Condition – but they don’t know it yet. Our job is to understand the WHY so that we can better advise our clients.
To be clear: no client WANTS environmental work completed. Environmental consultants find problems and kill projects and add delays. What our clients want is to buy the property, often with financing, and then possibly redevelop it. We are a nuisance they must deal with to get what they want.
So let’s be helpful to our clients: Ask for the purpose of the work so that we can better understand the project and better advise our clients. Even if the solution is less work (ie cheaper option): clients appreciate real advice, not a make-work project.
The next topic will be communication.