Three Ways to Show Your Project Partners Grace
Because even great project partners have bad days.
Construction projects bring together people with different priorities, personalities, pressures, and perspectives. Add tight schedules, unexpected conditions, and a few hundred RFIs, and even the strongest partnerships get tested. That’s where grace comes in. Grace means giving people the benefit of the doubt, making room for mistakes and choosing understanding over judgment. It’s about treating people with respect, especially when things get messy. And let’s face it, construction can get messy!
Putting Grace Into Action
Here are three ways to put grace into action on your project:
01. Get Curious Before Getting Cranky
When something goes wrong, it’s easy to jump to conclusions. Assume positive intent, ask questions, and listen to understand before reacting.
For example: The designer is late responding to a critical RFI. Before assuming they’re dragging their feet, pick up the phone and ask, “How’s this coming along, and is there anything we can do to help?” You may discover they’re waiting on information from someone else.
Grace in action: Replace assumptions with curiosity.
02. Make Room for Mistakes
Even the best project partners make mistakes. How the team responds determines whether a mistake becomes a learning opportunity or a lingering source of resentment.
For example: The contractor installs work incorrectly, requiring costly rework or designer assistance. Skip the blame game. Bring the team together to find a practical solution, minimize schedule impacts, and identify ways to prevent the mistake from happening again.
Grace in action: Fix the problem, learn the lesson, and move forward.
03. Be Tough on the Issue, Kind to the Person
Grace and accountability go hand in hand. Address challenges directly while recognizing that everyone is juggling pressures and priorities, some of which we may never see.
For example: The owner repeatedly misses decision deadlines, putting the schedule at risk. Have a candid conversation about the impacts, understand the obstacles, and agree on a realistic path forward.
Grace in action: Hold people accountable while preserving their dignity.
Grace Is Contagious!
It’s easy to be a great partner when everything is running smoothly. The real test comes when schedules slip, tempers flare, and expectations collide.
Grace helps teams replace blame with solutions, frustration with understanding, and finger-pointing with teamwork. It builds the trust that carries teams through their toughest challenges.
And here’s the best part: Grace is contagious. When you extend it to others, you create a culture where people are more willing to listen, take responsibility, offer help, and extend that same grace in return. You never know . . . the grace you give today might be exactly what you need tomorrow.
~ Cinda
Cinda Bond, MIPI, has been an OrgMetrics partnering facilitator for more than 10 years. She has facilitated more than 500 sessions for teams throughout the country. She also collaborates with engineering and construction teams to develop large documents containing hundreds of pages for construction contracts and proposals.
For more information please contact Cinda Bond, CindaBond@Orgmet.com / (925)640-9007 (cell), or OrgMetrics RobReaugh@Orgmet.com / (925)449-8300
