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Renew Blog

The importance of the team in a successful remodeling project

Recently GMT Home Designs won the Team Award at the Eastern Massachusetts National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s Contractor of the Year Awards. We have won several awards for everything from design to customer service and we are very proud of what we have accomplished. This award was special because teams and collaboration are essential in what we do and the award gave us a chance to reflect on just why teams matter. 

We have an amazing cohesive team here at GMT, but it is our ability to work well with contractors, structural engineers, interior and landscape designers, plumbers, many other professionals, and most importantly our clients that drive our success.

Every project is different. Seems obvious, but what we have learned at GMT is that our role in each project is different. In some home remodeling or custom home projects we lead the team. The designers develop the vision with the client, architects produce the technical roadmap through construction documents and we work hand in glove with our contractor partners. On some projects the contractor leads the team. The most important thing is that we work well in each circumstance.

Choosing partners for the team is critical, not just in finding experts but also in having shared values and expectations.  For example our vendors are really clear on the expectations for job site safety, cleanliness and etiquette and all their employees are clear as well. As a result, we have created very effective partnerships.

How teams make a difference in remodeling

The following are essential elements of great teams, which work in concert to produce exceptional results.

Planning

When the team works together early on in the process the client benefits from shared information and brainstorming solutions that can actually be built. You want to plan carefully in the outset to ensure that all your experts agree that the design you love is not going to cost more than you expect.

Trust

You cannot overstate the importance of trust when working on  large complex projects.  Over time, GMT Home Designs has found the right partners who we admire and respect in their fields.

Communication

Communication plays a very vital role in team building and extracting the best out of the teammembers. Communication involves leadership and vision. The right kind of communication from the outset can cultivate a shared perspective. It is important to be clear on  expectations and values, but fostering an environment where people communicate well together results in exceeding the expectations of our clients.

Communication enhances our  professional knowledge. No matter how long you work in a field like architecture, there are always new challenges.  Learning is a part of most 21st century technology-driven businesses and very much so with architecture and building.

Solutions engineering

Even when you have carefully planned, chosen your team, and communicated with all team members to develop a great plan there are things that can arise. We have seen well run teams make their biggest impact when things come up or go wrong. For instance – another job delays the electrical subcontractor.  The team comes together to brainstorm a minor re-organization of the schedule so that the job will be done on time. 

Situations like this are relatively minor and don’t have a big impact on the job. However there are times when an invested team member, that is an expert in their field, can make a huge impact on the project.  For example on a project we had a plan for duct work that was designed using best practices. While on site, well ahead of their scheduled work, the HVAC person identified an opportunity to move ducting and save significant amount of money for the client. We encourage this type of input from our team and choose our partners based on their ability to work at this level of service and collaboration. It makes our clients very happy, it makes our job more rewarding and also….award-winning.

The most important team member is the client

Having a great team of professionals can make your home remodeling project run smoothly but your participation is critical.  Having expectations for a clear plan, good communication, respectful and safety minded workers, and an eagle eye on budget and schedule is not something that you should abdicate to any other team member.  At the end of the day it is the client’s vision that matters. Of course the best CEO’s listen and make decisions based on feedback from their teams. That is why you hired them.