Recently celebrating St Valentine’s Day, triggered Martyn Jones thinking about the importance of nurturing “good” relationships in construction.

For as long as most of us can remember, we have been urged to build better inter-personal and inter-organisational relationships in our project teams and supply chains.

Back in the day, for example, the Reading Construction Forum’s publication, Unlocking specialist potential called for better relationships based on teamwork and greater collaboration. This not only recognised the importance of the relationships between clients, consultants, and main contractors but also reaching out to and including specialist contractors.

Some progress has clearly been made but we still tend to err towards traditional and well-trodden procurement approaches and delivery methods, emphasising price rather than value, and accepting their implicit transactional relationships.

We know it is particularly tricky shifting away from our traditional approach to relationships in construction as we are mainly a project-based industry, with short-term and transitory relationships. Many clients are infrequent who have neither the nous nor inclination to devote time and resources to relationship building.

And, when early attempts are made to build better relationships in a project these can be quickly thwarted when the going gets tough – as is often the case in even the best managed projects – and we end up back in our silos and reverting to more transactional, even adversarial relationships.

This presents a strong case for working on our relationships in construction, as they do in many other industries which, because of the way they operate, often benefit from having longer-term, more transparent, committed, and trusting relationships.

What does the practice of building and maintaining positive relationships between people and organisations involve? To start with, it involves assembling teams having shared behaviours and one aligned culture as well as, of course, having the necessary technical skills and experience.

Then there’s embedding relationship building in the purpose of projects alongside delivering on quality, cost, and programme. And building trust by being respectful in words and behaviours and having open, honest, and deep conversations.

Investing the time, resources and energy needed, admitting weaknesses, culpability and saying sorry. And starting every progress meeting by checking on the health of the relationships and surfacing and continuously addressing the “invisible” reasons why people and cultures so often resist working on relationships, even when traditional interactions clearly aren’t working.

What about the don’ts? These include, don’t keep finding faults and defaulting to managing via the contract rather than the relationships.

Don’t argue on email; always have face-to-face conversations for matters of difference and don’t let egos get in the way of admitting weaknesses, culpability, and saying sorry.

Don’t spend so much time on religiously following systematic processes at the expense of delving deep into what people are thinking and feeling.

Don’t underestimate the time, effort, resources, persistence, and patience needed to bring about changes in behaviours and relationships and don’t ignore what holds us back when it comes to confronting and changing our behaviours.

How do we go about finding out what people really think and feel? In the case of Andrew Goodenough, Infrastructure Director at Bristol International Airport, he commissioned Paul Fox, at Constructive Coaching, to help build better relationships, starting in the pre-contract stage, of one of his projects.

Paul says, “Building a collaborative cohesive team was front and centre along with the necessary investment. The team have met every three months – offsite – to work on the team and its goals, resolving differences and misunderstandings, and growing the mutual confidence to set new goals. This has created a high-performing team delivering a project that’s ahead of programme and under budget.”

Andrew says, “We are in the middle of a £64m project. From preconstruction, we engaged Paul to facilitate regular workshops to help us hold each other to account, keep us on track, and hold open, honest, and sometimes awkward conversations between us as client, consultants, and contracting parties.

We do not leave these workshops until we reset and sorted through any problems together. And it works. We are currently ahead of programme, have positive working relationships and a no bull…t attitude throughout. We have no outstanding compensation events – all being agreed as we go.

We invest heavily in the team and the team ethos, recognising that it takes time to create the necessary trust and culture so that we can have honest, healthy, and constructive disagreements.

I know the team finds it refreshing and I know too that after 30 years in this game I certainly have got a lot out of it and really enjoyed the process.”

Hello and welcome to the March newsletter.

It has already been an exciting to start to 2025 for Constructing Excellence Midlands that has included opportunities for a bit of a look back as well as a chance to look forward.

 The Annual Review and AGM provided the forum for an overview of the great work delivered over the previous year and to celebrate the success with our members. It can be quite difficult to sum up all the activities that take place and the collaboration that is enabled through the network but the annual report and the presentations from the Chairman, Chief Executive and the various Clubs, Theme Groups and Forum chairs and representatives helped to give a real flavour of how things have moved forward. I have only been involved for the last six months so I found it incredibly informative, and I was able to take away more understanding and a wider appreciation of what has been achieved as well as the areas of focus going forward.

Before the Annual Review and AGM, we had the opportunity to look ahead at the strategy day which was a chance to look at what we do and how and why we do it. There is an obvious focus on providing value to members to ensure we can retain and grow membership going forward, and certain initiatives that were captured during the discussions already appear to be having a positive impact on our membership. We have strength in numbers, and growing numbers will only strengthen us further. I am encouraged by how a collaborative approach to significant challenges such as skills, sustainability and safety can be addressed more effectively as an industry than if trying to tackle them on our own in our different organisations. It was clear from our discussions on the future strategy of CE Midlands that collaboration continues to underpin everything that we do.

Opportunities to grow networks, make connections and build the foundations for collaboration going forward are coming thick and fast. We have a number of events coming up including the G4C Midlands Awards on 27^th March where we are looking forward to celebrating the future stars of the industry, I hope to see you there!

Thanks for taking the time to read my introduction and I hope you enjoy this edition of the newsletter.

Book Your Place for the G4C Awards 2025 – Celebrating the Future of Construction!

The G4C Awards 2025 are fast approaching,  the SHORTLIST has already been revealed so now is the time to secure your place at the awards dinner! 🎉

These prestigious awards shine a spotlight on the Young Achievers in Construction and the companies that are dedicated to nurturing the future leaders of our industry. If you are passionate about supporting emerging talent and driving innovation within the built environment, this is an event you won’t want to miss!

Why Attend?

• Celebrate the rising stars of the construction industry.
• Show your company’s commitment to supporting young professionals.
• Network with key industry leaders and like-minded professionals.
• Enjoy an unforgettable evening of inspiration and recognition.

Event Details: 📅 Date: 27th March 2025
📍 Venue: The Burlington Hotel, Birmingham

Secure your place today! Book your tables or individual tickets now by clicking the button below. Let’s come together to celebrate the future of construction! 🚀🏆

🔗 Book Now

🎟️ Ticket Prices:

• Table of 10: £900 + VAT
• Individual: £100 + VAT
• G4C Special Rate: £50 + VAT
  (Special rate applies only to G4C members and individuals whose parent organizations are REGIONAL members of CE Midlands.)

Proudly supported by Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB), this event promises an evening of celebration, networking, and recognition.

 

The CE West Midlands Awards 2025 are back, shining a spotlight on the brightest and best in the region’s built environment sector. Recognised as the premier celebration of best practice across construction, these prestigious awards highlight the core strengths of the industry and the commitment to delivering world-class buildings, housing, infrastructure, and facilities in a collaborative and sustainable manner.

Key Details:

• Entry Deadline: 5pm on Friday, 7th March 2025
• Awards Dinner: Thursday, 1st May 2025 at Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham.

Why Enter? Winning or even being shortlisted for a CE West Midlands Award is a mark of excellence that sets you apart in the industry. It’s an opportunity to:

• Showcase your achievements and innovative projects to a wider audience.
• Gain recognition from industry peers and stakeholders.
• Enhance your reputation and attract new clients.
• Strengthen relationships with existing partners.
• Boost team morale by celebrating their hard work and dedication.

Who Can Enter? The awards are open to all organisations and project teams involved in delivering buildings and civil engineering projects within the West Midlands. Whether you are a developer, client, contractor, specialist or sub-contractor, engineer, designer, or consultant, if your work contributes to the region’s built environment and exemplifies best practice, we want to hear from you.

Submit your entry now and take your place among the industry’s finest!

Don’t miss the chance to be recognised for excellence in construction across a range of categories:

🏗️ Building Project of the Year
🏢 Client of the Year
🌟 G4C Future Leader
🔄 Retrofit Award
🏛️ Regeneration & Conservation
🚧 Infrastructure Project of the Year
🌍 ESG Award
💡 Innovation Award
🤝 Integration and Collaborative Working Award
🏢 SME of the Year
🌱 Climate Action Award
🏡 Residential Property of the Year
👥 People and Culture Award
💰 Delivering Value Award

For all entry forms, please visit https://www.cemidlands.org/about-the-awards-west

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PRESENTATIONS

Highlights from the AGM and Annual Luncheon 

Molly Lydia Shaw, Chair of G4C Midlands West. G4C have had a very busy year with lots of events, socials and awards. The shortlist for the G4C Awards 2025 have just been announced so they are also looking ahead to an exciting year ahead.

Andrew Carpenter presenting the work being done by the CE Midlands Forums. We have four forums in total with the following areas of focus:

Infrastructure – chaired by Mark Lyddon
Social Housing – chaired by Mike Doolan
Construction Clients – chaired by Darren Bramley

The Industry Stakeholders Forum currently has the following industry body members – CITB, CECA Midlands, Constructing Excellence Midlands, RIBA and Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (CICES)

CE Midlands Chair Uma Shanker gave his chairman’s report

Natasha Heritage, Co Chair of our newly launched Social Value Theme Group. This group are committed to advancing social value in construction, ensuring the industry exceeds its societal responsibilities. It aims to unite stakeholders to drive initiatives that benefit communities, enhance the environment, and boost economic prosperity.

Tom Woodhead MCMI FIC standing in for our Smart Construction Theme Group’s Chair, Dhiran Vagdia.

This theme group’s focus is to share knowledge and foster collaborative working within the digital technology and offsite sectors in the Midlands, signposting work in these fields being done by others.

Richard Cymler, Director at Sweco and Chair of our Building Safety Theme Group highlighted the work the Group have done this year.

The Theme Group have published a new Advice note on the Implications of the Building Safety Act during the early stages of Land Development. This can be found on our website under the Resources section.

Faye Beaman Associate Director of Arup and Chair of CE Midlands Birmingham and Black Country Club

Sophie Leake, Vice Chair of HAWCE (Herefordshire and Worcestershire Club)

Jasmine Craft, Project Engineer at Viridis Building Services Ltd and Chair of the Lincolnshire Club.

 

 

 

 

 

The CE Midlands Annual Review 2024 was launched at our AGM on the 30th January and we are happy to inform you that the Digital version is now available to download HERE

Chair of CE Midlands, Uma Shanker introduced the Annual Review by saying “This year has been a pivotal one for our region and for the construction industry as a whole. Against a backdrop of change, innovation and challenge, the Midlands has continued to lead the way in driving forward the principles of collaboration, sustainability and excellence.

Throughout 2024, we have seen extraordinary efforts to embrace modern methods of construction, enhance digital adoption and embed net-zero ambitions at the heart of every project. Our region’s commitment to creating a more resilient, inclusive and innovative construction sector has never been stronger.

This Review highlights the key achievements of the past year, including landmark projects, pioneering research and the tireless work of our Regional Clubs, Theme Groups, Forums, G4C and partners. It also reflects on the collective strength of our community, which has been instrumental in advancing the agenda for better built environments that serve both people and the planet.

As we look forward to 2025 and beyond, the need for collaboration has never been more critical. Constructing Excellence Midlands will continue to champion best practice, share knowledge and foster the partnerships that enable us all to deliver greater value – not just for our industry – but for society as a whole.

Thank you to all our members, supporters, and stakeholders for your dedication, passion and commitment to building a better future together.”

Our Theme Group Chairs have confirmed the 2025 meeting dates for all of our CE Midlands Theme Groups. These thought leadership groups are where ideas are shared, challenges are tackled, and solutions are shaped to drive improvement across the built environment.

CE Midlands members can join any or all of these groups — it’s a fantastic way to connect with like-minded professionals and help shape the future of our industry.

Not a member yet? Why not join us today and be part of the conversation that makes a difference. Let’s make 2025 a year of collaboration, innovation, and impact across the Midlands construction sector!

Thanks to our Theme Group chairs: Noel Street, Dr Joanna Poon, Dhiran Vagdia, Richard Cymler, Sue Woollett and Natasha Heritage

The recent Constructing Excellence Midlands dinner at The Crowne Plaza Hotel, Birmingham, was a resounding success, with industry leaders gathering to discuss the exciting programme of events for 2025.

The evening provided a fantastic opportunity to explore both corporate and individual membership benefits. Attendees left inspired by the vision and purpose of CE Midlands, reinforced by insightful presentations from Andrew Carpenter and Mark Wakeford, who shared the organisation’s rich history. Additionally, Tom Carpenter and Tom Woodhead MCMI FIC delivered a compelling message about the value of membership and the organisation’s core objectives:

• Collaboration – Driving improvements across the construction industry.
• Learning & Knowledge Sharing – Enhancing construction outcomes through shared expertise.
• Influencing Positive Change – Advocating for best practices and industry transformation.
• Networking Opportunities – Connecting like-minded, forward-thinking professionals.
• Showcasing & Celebrating Excellence – Recognising outstanding contributions to the sector.

Welcoming New Members & Strengthening Connections

CE Midlands was particularly delighted to welcome its newest members, Bradley Cameron FIoR from DuPont and Rachael Hobbis from Trowers & Hamlins. The evening also saw valuable contributions from an impressive line-up of attendees, including:

• Phil Eastment MCIOB, MIConstM, MinstLM – O’Brien Contractors Ltd
• Paul Bilbie – Vistry Group
• Nikita Badesha – Cadence Projects
• Justin Fitzgerald (FCIM, CP APMP) – Winvic Construction Ltd
• Anthony Watson – Naismiths and Edmond Shipway
• Mark Wakeford – EvoEnergy
• Stuart Penn – Lovell Homes
• Darren Jarman – Lowfield Timber Frames Ltd
• James Roberts MBE – Lowfield Timber Frames Ltd
• Vaughn Tooze (CEng MCIBSE MIET) – Hydrock, now Stantec
• Scott Lydon – Clancy Consulting
• Grace Mead – Gallagher
• Mike Doolan – GreenSquareAccord
• Keith Blizzard – Blizzard Entertainment Consultancy
• Rachelle Hodder – PwC
• Charlotte El Hakiem MRTPI – Marrons

Shaping the Future of Construction

With 2025 on the horizon, CE Midlands continues to drive innovation, collaboration, and best practices across the industry. As we expand our network and influence, now is the perfect time to connect with an organisation that is reshaping the future of construction.

Whether you’re an established leader or an emerging voice in the sector, CE Midlands provides a platform to engage with like-minded professionals and contribute to meaningful change.

Are you ready to be part of the transformation?

The Constructing Excellence Midlands Building Safety Theme Group has published a new advice note titled ‘Implications of the Building Safety Act During Early Stages of Land Development.’ This guidance document aims to provide industry professionals with essential insights into the evolving regulatory landscape, ensuring that safety considerations are embedded at the earliest stages of development.

Introduction

The Building Safety Act (BSA) was introduced in response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy, which exposed systemic failures in the construction industry. The subsequent Grenfell Report revealed that a decline in external oversight, coupled with increased internal responsibility for build quality, compliance, and health and safety, created a dangerous imbalance. A significant issue identified was the conflict of interest faced by teams responsible for both enforcing safety standards and managing cost-cutting measures—an issue that had long been overlooked.

The BSA has far-reaching implications, affecting the entire construction lifecycle, from land acquisition and planning to the ongoing maintenance of occupied buildings. The new advice note emphasizes that compliance should not be treated as a simple “tick-box” exercise but must be approached with genuine commitment to improving safety, mitigating risks, and maintaining industry credibility.

Guidance for Developers and Landowners

Developers and landowners now have a legal and ethical responsibility to integrate safety considerations from the earliest stages of land development. The advice note serves as a practical resource, offering best practices, compliance strategies, and risk management frameworks to support stakeholders in meeting the BSA’s requirements.

This document is the first in a series designed to promote collaboration among industry practitioners and regulatory experts. It highlights key financial and legal responsibilities, ensuring that stakeholders work collectively to drive positive change while maintaining commercial viability.

Expert Contributions and Leadership

The CE Midlands Building Safety Theme Group, chaired by Richard Cymler, has worked diligently to develop this guidance, with expert contributions from:

• Dr Amrit Sagoo – Head of Department, Nottingham Trent University
• Emma Britton – Senior Lecturer, Nottingham Trent University
• Jaspreet Lall – Project Manager, Carter Jonas

Their collective expertise has ensured that the document provides a comprehensive and informed perspective on the challenges and opportunities presented by the BSA.

For further details, please refer to the full document HERE

The Constructing Excellence Midlands Shropshire Club is delighted to welcome Paul Inions as its new Chair. With a wealth of experience in the construction industry, Paul brings invaluable leadership and insight to the role, reinforcing the Club’s commitment to excellence and innovation in the region.

A Career Built on Dedication and Growth

Paul began his career at McPhillips in 1990 and, after an 18-month period away from the company, returned in 1998. Reflecting on this pivotal moment, Paul recalls, “After leaving McPhillips, I kept in touch with Nicholas McPhillips, who I turned to for career advice. We met up and after discussing my options, he suggested I return to McPhillips. I agreed, and Nicholas kept his promise to help me build my career.”

Over the years, Paul has held a range of roles within McPhillips, progressing from trainee quantity surveyor to his current position as commercial director. His journey stands as a testament to both his dedication and the strong mentorship culture within the company.

A Vision for the Future

As Chair of CE Midlands Shropshire Club, Paul aims to bring the same long-term vision and commitment to growth that he has championed at McPhillips. “We are here as custodians for a period of time. I want to make sure that the success of McPhillips goes way beyond our current stewardship.”

Under Paul’s leadership, the CE Midlands Shropshire Club looks forward to strengthening industry collaboration, driving innovation, and continuing to provide valuable opportunities for professionals in the region.

We extend our warmest congratulations to Paul Inions and look forward to the exciting developments ahead!