As budgets tighten and competition increases, more firms of all disciplines are joining forces with one another to win work. While teaming can cut down on competition and help firms enter new focus areas, dealing with different cultures, personalities and work strategies can quickly turn a partnership sour.
It is important to not go into a teaming agreement without knowing exactly what you hope to achieve from the partnership. Before choosing a partner, define the attributes you are looking for in a teammate and the parameters of the partnership. Know the strengths of the team members and what they will bring to the table.
You may choose a firm because you need a local partner to be competitive, or you may have the project experience but not a strong enough relationship with the client. Evaluate what your needs are early on and stay focused on those needs. That will define who you choose as your team member.
When establishing your team, it is also important to develop a matrix of responsibilities, which will help determine whether all parties involved are willing to move forward with the project in their assigned roles. For example, some consultants ask the lead firms of projects to sign statements indicating their roles on projects before they commit to pursuing projects with those firms.
Although this might seem a little preemptive, there will not be any uncertainty about their roles in the projects when they are won. At the very least, make sure that everyone has a general understanding of their role at the beginning of the teaming arrangement.
Make it Work
Different firms have different cultures and ways of working through the various stages of a project. If you remain flexible with your approach, you can get along with most everyone for the duration of the project. How the initial partnership works will determine if it is a single teaming arrangement or if you will continue to look for other opportunities with that firm.
Don’t approach these arrangements thinking that you are going to change the culture or habits of your teaming partner. If you are not happy with the teaming relationship at the end of an experience, you can move on to another partner in that market. Ending a partnership in the middle of a project should be a last resort. There will be occasions where you have to in order to protect the best interest of the project and the client, but in most cases, you should try to make it work.
There will always be issues with any partnership, but the more you work with another firm, the easier the partnership will become. Our firm has been working with one partner for more than 20 years. We still run into problems, but we tend to recognize them early and overcome them quickly because we know the parties involved. There will be cultural differences that you don’t understand until you are in the middle of a project, but you have to maintain a level of flexibility in how you work with each entity to capitalize on both organizations’ aspirations.
Judgment Call
Sometimes you or a client or a teammate will think that another teammate is not doing all that he or she could or should be. If you are the lead firm, this is a judgment call and it is one you have to make very carefully.
That firm may think that it is doing a good job, and it is your job to make sure that your judgment of its performance is accurate. Openly discuss any issues with that team member and explain that it is critical to get back on track. If one part of the team is doing poorly, then the team in general is not doing its job, which will result in an unsatisfied client. Rather than place blame, work together to resolve the issue. If at that point a teammate is still not pulling the right amount of weight, the lead firm must take ownership of the issue.
Teams of Tomorrow
It is my belief that partnering relationships will continue to increase rather than decrease. In the past, many entities could pursue work alone and be successful, and therefore do not have experience with teaming. But as it becomes more financially feasible to team and more skill sets are needed in order to be competitive for projects, these firms must embrace teaming and build relationships with other firms.
Relationships can be developed that promote the strengths of all team members and lead to successful projects and more work for your individual firm. Ultimately, maintaining a level of flexibility within your approach is the most valuable asset when forming successful teaming relationships.
Curtis J. Moody is president and CEO of Columbus, Ohio-based Moody•Nolan Inc., the largest African-American owned and operated architecture firm in the nation, specializing in higher education, sports/recreation, healthcare and public service facilities. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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