Reinvention…

Over the last decade, on a bi annual basis an independent consultant has interviewed Ryder’s most influential clients.

As a practice, we’re passionate about Everything architecture – our manifesto which drives us towards excellence.  To achieve and sustain this however, we need to listen to the good, the bad and the ugly from the people who work most closely with us.

But we also know it’s not just about listening, its about acting.

Rule number one in ye olde book of customer service – when something goes wrong, apologise.  But in day to day business, we usually all care more about solutions than apologies, particularly when the apologies seem to keep coming.  Flowery attempts at smoothing over and brushing under cause added frustration and leave both parties with no clear route for a quick and positive outcome.

Efforts would be better spent listening to where the friction is occurring, understanding the actual problem(s), and collaborating across the team and industry for change – a sharing of lessons learnt, a Reinvention to promote progress through pioneering processes and ways of thinking.

Our award winning PlanBEE campaign for improved built environment education is a prime example of what can rapidly be achieved when a collaborative and pioneering mindset is applied.  Led by Ryder, the consortium of 10 founding businesses including Arup, Cundall, Sir Robert McAlpine and FaulknerBrowns and our educational partner Gateshead College, committed to the goals and principles in February 2016 and by September that same year, 13 PlanBEE students began their studies in architectural engineering and management.

On the back of the Farmer review and the Industrial Strategy, now seemed the right time for Ryder to reflect and react – Reinvention to create an exceptional construction industry.  Working with Client Confident, the company who conducted our surveys, and with contributions from external industry experts including Mark Farmer, Cast Consultancy, Ann Bentley, Rider Levett Bucknall and Richard Threllfall, KMPG, Reinvention identifies a decade of key themes in the construction industry and aims to provide a call to arms.

On 19 April, in partnership with Building and supported by the NLA, we are launching our full report and campaign.  We urge you all to join us, not only in listening (perhaps via the webinar!) but in acting.  We all need to learn to dive in quicker and generate new options because that’s what makes a difference, that’s Reinvention.