I went to a major UK infrastructure industry event the other week. I’d never been before.
It was informative, but mainly for the wrong reasons.
There were plenty of panel discussions and presentations featuring major public sector organisations, industry leaders, and key stakeholders.
They talked about ‘the journey ahead’, without actually suggesting how to begin moving forward.
They said how critical it was ‘to get things right’, whilst omitting to detail what ‘right’ actually looked like.
They got excited about how collaborative they were being. Without saying with whom, how the collaboration was instigated, how it was managed, or what it achieved.
They talked about the importance of measuring carbon, customer care, and social value, without spilling the beans about what tools they would use.
The best part, for me, was meeting a few SME owners who’d shelled out a king’s ransom for stands that were tucked away at the edges of the hall. These guys had the answers to some of the big questions that were being asked on the main stages. But they were so frustrated at the barriers being thrown up by the big consultants, the major contractors, and the public sector clients.
My point?
It was all very serious, but there was no real value. Because everyone was so defensive.
Whilst major corporate waffle and bluster prevails, the industry won’t move forward.
There is no journey, until people start to share details, and break down barriers to change.
Part of that is being open, focussing on the value, sharing the details, and helping others on board for the journey.
The other part is accepting the amazing contributions that SME’s have to offer. Not finding reasons to reject their ideas.
Invite SME’s onto the main stage. Then we’ll get the journey underway.
Recent Comments