I have been lucky enough to work on exciting projects around the world. Every project and project team has taught me something new. In forming TEAM Projects I seek to fully use what I’ve learned to benefit my future projects, clients and colleagues.
The projects I have worked on have taught me that the strength of a team lies in its diversity, and its ability to harness the skills and specialisms of each and every team member. I picked the name “TEAM” as a clear recognition that project success depends not on a single party but on the effectiveness of the whole project team. Every team member has an equally important part to play. This was my motivation to form TEAM Projects Advisory Ltd. and to adopt the mantra “Share your knowledge, don’t protect it.”
As team leaders our role is to make sure that all voices are heard and heeded. TEAM’s mission is to help you fully understand your project and its needs, and to provide assistance in the areas you need it most.
Our aim is to use our expertise to solve your problems. When you work with TEAM, you are guaranteed the personal attention of specialists. Through our associated TEAM Mates, TEAM Projects Advisory Ltd provides access to a collective of specialists across a number of project disciplines, including procurement, environmentally responsible design, contract law, asset management, design and value management.
TEAM provides a full range of project management services, from project inception to construction and operation, with a particular focus on project strategy, establishment, and initiation. We appreciate that often you already have a strong project team but may need to engage specialist help at milestone points of your project.
TEAM specialises in providing strategic project advice at the outset of a project to make sure that all aspects have been fully considered and that the most appropriate delivery plans are put in place. We can provide coaching to project teams, team building and team initiation workshops, and project team training to further develop the team’s collective understanding of each others’ needs and delivery skills, as well as project-specific workshops and team management initiatives to assist the smooth start-up and running of projects.
All projects have a life cycle that extends long beyond the initial construction phase and, as such, leave legacies on which we will be judged by future generations. We believe every project should aim to be “Nett Positive” – that is to ensure that its creation makes a positive contribution to the environment to which it is introduced.
I first came across this mindset in 1993, working on the redevelopment of Hartlepool’s derelict dock land into a museum, heritage site and tourist destination. I was engaged primarily as the civil engineering manager for the Hartlepool Historic Quay project, but its diversity was the catalyst for making project management my primary passion. The Historic Quay Project was my “light bulb” moment: it was the first time I witnessed and recognised the regenerative effect that a well thought out, ambitious project can have on a community. The project team’s mantra when making any decision was “Will this make it better?” I still ask the same basic question of my project teams every day.
The world is becoming more and more environmentally aware and astute, and is rightly demanding that appropriate consideration be given to the environmental impact of projects. TEAM are strong advocates of protecting New Zealand’s natural resources and assets. We do not support simply finding the cheapest way to achieve “Green Star” ratings; we advocate environmental responsibility.
At TEAM we advocate the use of local and sustainable materials, minimising construction waste, and maximising efficiency through smart design considerations and initiatives such as LEAN design principles. We encourage the adoption of environmentally responsible operating systems and the integration of projects to their wider environment and context.
I spent four years working in Hong Kong in the late 1990’s. Here, I worked with contractors and suppliers from the USA, Japan, China, Germany, UK, Spain and Australia on the development of Kowloon Station. All of the design elements had to properly and fully integrate with each other, and all design standards used needed to be appropriate and compatible not only with the home locality but with Hong Kong’s specific environment and climatic conditions.
Our team took the time to understand and integrate the different work approaches and cultures of all parties, and it was thanks to this that we were able to integrate a truly multi-national delivery team and ultimately ensure the project’s success. This experience was invaluable and I draw on it whenever I’m building and developing project teams with different backgrounds and approaches.
The success of a project is not determined simply on delivery to time and capital budget, but on how it fulfills its function, context and purpose within its environment, financially sustainable operating costs, environmental responsibility, and asset management. One of TEAM’s core objectives is to help you fully understand your project and its needs, and to help you make the right long-term decisions.
From the solution-driven project culture of the Christchurch Bus Interchange, to the truly collaborative approach to the KC Stadium and Sports Park Development, to the “Will this make it better?” approach to project decisions in the development of Hartlepool Historic Quay Museum, the projects I have been lucky enough to work on taught me how the strength of a team lies in its diversity, and its ability to harness the skills and specialisms of each and every team member. That is the genesis of the name ‘TEAM’, and why TEAM‘s mantra, like mine, is “Share your knowledge, don’t protect it.” TEAM’s mission is to use our expertise to solve your problems and we look forward to doing so.