Remember when a handshake meant something in business? 3 February 2025
🤔 Remember when a handshake meant something in business?
I do….
And lately, reviewing yet another questionable council invoice, I’ve been wondering: How did we all go from building communities together to becoming adversaries?
This led me to reflect back on reading Dr. Mark Hinton’s powerful PhD research on “Convenient Immorality” in construction (University of Canterbury, 2013), which perfectly captures our industry’s tragedy.
His research talks about us all being interdependent players in the construction process, each with vital roles. Like a complex theater production, every role matters
As a developer, I understand market opportunities and can orchestrate projects – that’s my role. But I rely on engineers for their technical expertise, consultants for their specialised knowledge, and council for fair oversight and city planning and knowledge of infrastructure.
Our highly fragmented system only works when we each play our part with integrity. But Hinton’s concept of “Convenient Immorality” shows how we’ve created a culture where each player feels justified in suspending ethical standards when “convenient.”
I’m seeing this breakdown of trust firsthand and through others telling me about it. We need to trust each other fairly allocate costs and regulate honestly – just others need to trust my commitment to quality development.
The real challenge? Breaking free from this cycle of mistrust where everyone justifies questionable behavior as “protection” against others’ predicted actions.
We’re all in this together. I can’t engineer a drainage solution, just as an engineer can’t coordinate a development project. Success requires mutual respect for each other’s expertise AND ethical behavior.
Time to rewrite this script – starting with acknowledging our interdependence and rebuilding trust. Because at the end of the day, we’re not just building structures – we’re building communities.
Some might ask what brought this post about (a rant)… I received a LGOIMA late yesterday from Council… I am “none-to-happy” with what it tells me.
