Weekly insights on how to perform when it matters | High-stakes decisions. Real situations. No BS. | 👇JOIN +2k readers 👇
Before You Send
|
A few months ago, a SPV CEO called me about a contractual letter. It was almost ready to go. The lawyers had reviewed it. The board gave the blessing. Everyone seemed comfortable. But when I read it, I saw one small problem. The SPV was giving away a position worth a lot of money, and take additional risks. Look. Nobody in that team was incompetent. They simply hadn’t seen that situation before. They could not imagine in their head was the CJV was going to say and do. They were not putting themselves in the shoes of the client. They could not anticipate how the other party was going to feel. And that’s right… feel. Because if you don’t know… you decide emotionally first, and then justify the decision rationally. But that’s for another day. Back to the letter. I had lived that situation. Not in one project, but in two. We changed a few words. Added a paragraph. The letter went out. Problem avoided. The entire conversation took less than 30 minutes. Letter review, other 30 minutes. Then, the CEO gave me a new call weeks later. Another one months later, and so on. This happens constantly in major projects. A change is agreed too quickly. A notice is sent too late. A difficult conversation is postponed. A Board paper asks for the wrong decision. Nobody is trying to be careless. They are simply scared of getting it wrong, and they don’t always have someone experienced they can call before they do. That is why I’m considering opening a small number of places for Vilentia Access – Before You Send. Direct access to someone who has spent more than 20 years bidding, delivering, leading and governing PPP projects, and his team of PPP professionals. A second pair of eyes before an important decision. A confidential conversation when something doesn’t feel right. A quick sense-check before you press send. Not another consultant producing another report. Just experienced judgement, available when you need it. Because sometimes avoiding one stupid mistake pays for years of advice. Interested? Then, click below and let’s discuss. ONLY 5 SEATS - First arrived, first served.
PD 1: If you liked this email, don't keep it in secret and forward it to a friend. They will thank you enormously one day. PD 2: If somebody has sent you this email and you want to receive emails like this yourself, visit vicentevalencia.com PD 3: If you want unsubscribe, click the link below. |
Vicente Valencia
Weekly insights on how to perform when it matters | High-stakes decisions. Real situations. No BS. | 👇JOIN +2k readers 👇
“Operations are fine”, they said. Reports are produced. Meetings happen. Budgets are updated. And, little by little, budgets are not respected. A KPI deduction is untransferable. The client gives up trying to agree a Change Notice with the Project and call other contractors. Relationships are not that great anymore. An unresolved and relatively small claim becomes the common theme anytime the SPV meets with CJV… Value disappears… silently. One year after the other. Costs unchallenged....
A few days ago, I heard that NZ Transport Agency was withdrawing route protection for Auckland’s East West Link. What a pity. For those that don’t know… that was a multibillion-dollar project. And the infrastructure is really needed. Now… The money, time and effort already invested are gone. But that’s not only bad for the millions of taxpayers’ money wasted. It also sends the market a clear message: Don’t trust the pipeline. I bring this example, because governments want to build...
Every day, I write down three things. It’s a 5-minute routine at the end of the day. First, I write down what I’m grateful for. It can be something that happened that day… or something more general. Second, I write about something I want to improve. A skill. A behaviour. Even how my desk is set up. Third, I write down five tasks that I’m going to complete the following day. And this is the most important part of the routine. Only five. That’s it. Not 10. Not 20. Five. Cinco. Things that are...