In the commercial construction industry, establishing a strong working relationship between the architect, contractor and building owner is critical to making a project go smoothly and being deemed successful by all parties. Collaboration starts with a foundation of trust and is further supported through good communication.

A study conducted a few years ago by KPMG indicated that only 31% of building owners have a high level of trust in their contractors, 60% have a moderate level, and 9% have a low level of trust. The report revealed that projects exceeding budget or missing their delivery dates were major contributors to dissatisfaction.

Public trust and confidence, in general, are at an all-time low in the U.S., and one could argue that lack of trust in the construction industry, in particular, is a legacy issue that is hard to overcome. Indeed, each stage of a construction project offers ample opportunity for miscommunication to occur and trust to be eroded.

So, what can be done to improve trust and confidence between building owners and their construction providers? We believe it starts with integrity as a core value.

At Bobbitt Design Build, integrity is vital in how we approach relationships with one another and with customers, subcontractors and the community. Honesty and integrity are paramount in all aspects of life and business. Even when there is an easier way, we always strive to do the right thing.

This is easy to say but harder to live by. After all, we recognize that businesses can’t lose their integrity – only people can do that. With that in mind, our leadership strives to define what integrity means in the context of our business and then lead by example.

When it comes to integrity in the construction industry, doing the right thing is how we approach every job, and sometimes that comes at a cost. We will always be honest with prospective clients about the realistic timing, pricing and process of a project, even if it risks the client going with a competitor. Our design-build model allows us to deliver on client expectations, rather than surprising them with unexpected change orders. We may not win every project, but our integrity will never be compromised, and our clients will always know they have a supplier they can trust.

As a 75-year-old company, Bobbitt was founded during a time when a person’s word meant everything. Through the years as we’ve grown, we’ve worked hard to maintain that point of view. Based on our experience, we offer these ideas for building an organization that values and acts with integrity:

Making integrity a core value

Merely saying “we value integrity” is not enough. Managers must clearly articulate the behaviors that embody integrity and then model those behaviors day in and day out – valuing other’s opinion, always telling the truth, and being fair in dealing with co-workers and customers.

Establishing fair and transparent practices

Integrity comes into play every day in business and in life. Whether is how you write a contract or the way you deal with a problem employee, the key is to remove ambiguity and always be consistent and fair. By putting clear and consistent practices to use, integrity ceases to be situational and becomes a state-of-mind and the obvious way to take action.

Making realistic promises

We know all too well the many factors that can cause construction projects to go over budget or get off schedule. For us, we overcome these common issues by having a proven process in place that lays out all budgeting, concepting, architectural design, permitting and construction phases of a project. The goal is to give customers a clear and honest picture of what they can expect from start to finish.

Taking accountability

As an individual or a company, if you do make a mistake, own it. Recognize where you went wrong, acknowledge fault, and make it right. Or if you’re faced with an uncomfortable issue that needs to be addressed, don’t delay. Be forthcoming to a customer about a deadline that is going to be missed or to an employee you have to reprimand. While not always easy to do, dealing with tough issues head-on will build your credibility and earn you the trust of those around you.

Measuring success

Just as leaders measure company performance, they should also identify and measure integrity. Customer surveys and 360-degree employee evaluations can help companies understand how they are doing and give continuous feedback for improvement. At Bobbitt, we evaluate our employees on how well they live by our core values. If a person does not have integrity, he or she is not a fit at Bobbitt.

As a closing thought, we share this article from Forbes that emphasizes accountability and transparency as critical ingredients of integrity. We work hard to encourage and reward these qualities in our employees – and it’s helpful advice to anyone in business.