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What Do You Value?

February 6th, 2023

I was approached by our creative team to contribute to our written content.  Now, the first thing you need to know about me… I am NOT a writer.  I despise report writing, I am lousy at writing messages in cards, and I certainly don’t “journal”.  I have heard it is cathartic, so perhaps I SHOULD… but I don’t. 

The second thing you need to know is the topic I thought I was going to write about was ”Project Management”.  I saw this as an opportunity to share some lessons learned about “What I have learned over my 20-something years in this industry”, particularly as it relates to “management” and “client relations”.  I’m sure that there will be ample opportunity to share my personal trials and tribulations in the blog-o-sphere at some point, but I have been waylaid by something that happened at the company since I was first approached about this article.

Last month, we had our Annual Meeting. In that meeting, our HRP Values Statement was revealed. A values statement is not a goal or a strategy, it's a statement of what the company stands for and what it believes in.  These statements can include a variety of topics, such as how the organization intends to treat its employees, customers, and partners, as well as its commitment to ethical and sustainable practices.

I normally think these kind of things are “touchy feely” as I tend towards the cynical, but for whatever reason, this one SPOKE to me.  It struck a chord in my subconscious, and for a brief moment, and maybe it was the holiday season talking, I felt a little bit like the Grinch when his heart grew three sizes.

You may have seen our new employee-developed and supported Value Statement all over our social media platforms, but for those of you who may be under a rock, here it is again:

“We build trust and meaningful relationships with community, client and coworkers with uncompromising integrity and accountability.  We are flexible and collaborative in the ways we empower, lead, and create solutions to achieve success.  Every person and perspective is valued.”

There it is.  It could not be simpler or more satisfying to realize you are among “your people”.  

Allow me to take this sentiment, “Move it Forward” (see what I did there?), and loop it back around to my “real” assignment.  What happens when our Project Managers embody our Values Statement? We can look at Project Management from two angles.
 

1. Typical values a Project Manager should embody/model. This can be seen as the technical realm of Project Management.  All project management courses would generally agree (and experience would validate) that the core values of solid project management are:
   • Delivering a project on time, within budget, and to the satisfaction of the client
   • Adhering to ethical standards and being transparent in project decision-making
   • Fostering a team environment and promoting teamwork and collaboration
   • Continuously improving project management processes and techniques, and
   • Maintaining a balance between competing project constraints such as scope, quality, schedule, budget, resources, and risk.
2. HRP’s Value Statement and our Project Managers. I see this as the embodiment of the Values Statement.  Not just doing good work, but doing it while focusing on the interpersonal aspects of Project Management. This approach emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships and trust with stakeholders, fostering a positive work environment, and understanding and addressing the personal, emotional, professional and needs of team members.  Overall this type of approach helps a project manager to be more effective in leading a team, making decisions and negotiating for the best project outcome, for all parties.

When I decided that I wanted to work in engineering, I immediately chose a field of engineering that speaks to these values. For me, it wasn’t just building a better mousetrap.  To me, the work we do here is the embodiment of being a steward for the community, the environment.  It is grandiose idea of “leaving it better than you found it”.

Though I am a self-proclaimed engineer through and through, I have always found that the thing that I enjoy the most in this career is “helping people with their problems and finding solutions”.  It is absolutely the truest part of what we do.  Collaboration and finding creative solutions is the “good stuff”.  Doing this kind of work with like-minded peers is extremely satisfying and rewarding, and keeps us engaged and invested in the outcomes in a way deeper than just “delivering work product”. 

To me, this approach is what distinguishes HRP from other consultants.  All consultants can claim that they do “good work, on time and under budget”.  What makes us different is the element of personal and professional value, not just monetary.
 

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Jessica Kruczek, Principal and Contract Manager at HRP Associates, Inc.