When things are tough, we can easily lose sight of why we work in infrastructure. We can become so numbers-driven that utility trumps creativity and so rigid that we lose our soul. How can we make our civil engineering projects better experiences for clients and for us? How can we be experts in our field, make a difference, and succeed as a team? Two buzzwords that have been around for a while – value proposition and engagement –show us the way.

Have a value proposition
Companies should know why they are taking on a project, and how it matches organization values. Maybe it's a perfect fit; conversely, maybe it's a ‘potboiler' to get through lean times. Both are fine, but knowing which is which keeps us motivated.

Suppose this is a new client we've always wanted to work with; that means we better treat this client like gold because it took a lot of marketing effort to get them. Additionally, we want to make them a client for life! Does everyone on the team understand this?

Or perhaps this is a client who has been with us from the start and we're pretty used to the way they do things. We can easily take them for granted … but why not push the envelope? Going the extra mile for a good client is a great way to acknowledge organizational values.

Suppose the value proposition is to bolster our project portfolio with innovative work in a new niche. In this case, the bottom line may be less important than the reputation we're building.

The point is, every project is about more than profit: It's about us, and the kind of firm we want to be.

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The point is, every project is about more than profit: It's about us, and the kind of firm we want to be.

Engage the team
When the entire team understands client objectives – the real reasons behind their investment – they design the client's project; there is less redesign and less disappointment.

The truth is, the more the team knows about the larger picture, the more attached they feel to it, like they are a part of the solution and not just a cog in a machine. Doesn't that feel empowering? Team engagement yields better strategic thinking. We are all more aware of what this client means to our firm; we are all more aware of the motivations behind their investment; we are all hopefully more tied into the solution and therefore more dedicated – raising the quality of our work.

Clients have goals, our firms have goals, and our projects should have goals. Those will be different for each firm, for each client, and likely for each project. Sure, we may have been aware of what the client wanted to achieve. We might have a general idea of what our firm's vision is, and we might even take a good guess at what we want out of the new project we've landed. But, when we tie all three together, that's when we're really enjoying what we do and making a difference.

Christine Brack, PMP, is a principal with ZweigWhite specializing in business planning and project management best practices. She can be contacted at cbrack@zweigwhite.com.