Bridging Cultures, Avoiding Disputes: Why Construction Needs Partnering Dialogue More Than Ever

Not long ago, I spoke with a general contractor on a multinational infrastructure project. “We had five nationalities on-site,” he said, “and six different ways of interpreting the same deadline.” He wasn’t exaggerating.

In today’s global construction environment, this kind of cultural misalignment is not just common; it’s practically guaranteed. From international airports to tunnels under rivers, large-scale projects bring together people from different disciplines, countries, languages and work cultures. And when communication breaks down, the consequences can be severe: delays, spiraling costs and fractured relationships that ripple into future collaborations.

That’s why partnering dialogue—a structured, proactive approach to collaborative project management—is more relevant than ever.

Culture Isn’t the Problem, but Ignoring It Is

In my work as a mediator, I’ve spent the better part of three decades working on cross-border disputes in over 60 countries. Again and again, I’ve seen the same pattern: People assume the conflict is legal, financial or contractual. But often, the truth is that expectations weren’t aligned—because no one thought to ask how culture might shape the way people work, speak or negotiate.

In a recent article, I wrote that “many failures in global negotiation are rooted not in malice, but in misunderstanding.” The same holds true in construction. Diverse teams can be a tremendous asset, but only when there’s a shared language of collaboration and a process that allows difference to surface without becoming destructive.

That’s exactly what partnering dialogue offers.

From Contracts to Conversations

Too often, we treat construction contracts like protective armor. When everything goes according to plan, they stay in the drawer. When something veers off course, we turn to them—sometimes as shields, more often as weapons.

Partnering dialogue proposes a different mindset. Before the first beam is laid or an excavation occurs, stakeholders come together not just to review project milestones, but to align on values, risks, communication practices and conflict resolution mechanisms.

The result is not a guarantee of harmony. But it is a safeguard against escalation and a reminder that collaboration isn’t about just logistics, but people as well.

When Dialogue Uncovers the Real Problem

Years ago, I worked with a team stationed at a remote military base. Every Monday morning, tempers would flare. Complaints about broken furniture and damage to common areas poured in. The operations side blamed maintenance. Maintenance blamed operations. Frustration mounted and both sides began finding entirely new reasons to resent each other.

It wasn’t until we facilitated a dialogue session that the real issue emerged.

On Friday evenings, after a long and stressful week, military personnel would unwind—sometimes with a few too many drinks. Emotions ran high. Chairs suffered. But because maintenance didn’t work weekends, nothing was repaired until Monday. By then, urgency clashed with delay, and both sides were entrenched.

Once the root cause came into view, the solution was simple: Introduce a light weekend maintenance rotation and set clearer expectations for Friday evenings. No one had been acting in bad faith. But without dialogue, no one had seen the full picture either.

This remains one of the clearest lessons of my career: The most expensive misunderstandings are often the easiest to fix—if they’re acknowledged.

What Happens When We Don’t Partner

The cost of ignoring this kind of proactive collaboration is written across recent infrastructure headlines.

Take Melbourne’s West Gate Tunnel Project, for example. Initially slated for completion in 2022, the project stalled for years due to legal disputes over how to dispose of contaminated soil. A conflict between the state government and private contractors escalated to litigation, with reported costs in the billions. Had there been an honest, facilitated dialogue earlier in the process, the issue might have been resolved at a fraction of the price—and in much less time.

In Scotland, the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route saw significant disruption when Carillion, one of its contractors, collapsed midway. With no built-in mechanism for realignment, the surviving partners were left scrambling, and completion lagged behind schedule.

India’s Kandi Canal project offers another example. This promising irrigation project was delayed for years after a financial dispute turned into prolonged litigation. With no partnering framework to fall back on, the conflict went unresolved, leaving communities without water and stakeholders without solutions.

When Partnering Works

By contrast, the Broad Run Water Reclamation Facility in Loudoun County, Virginia, highlights what partnering can do.

With over $180 million at stake, the project team adopted a formal partnering strategy from the start. Stakeholders—from the sanitation authority to engineers to contractors—met regularly, shared concerns openly and maintained a clear process for resolving disagreements.

The results were clear:

• The project was completed on time.
• Safety incidents remained far below industry averages.
• Quality and innovation thrived in a culture of trust.

The lesson? When partnering is part of the foundation, projects don’t just get built; they get built better.

Building With Dialogue

Construction isn’t just about steel, concrete and permits. It’s about coordination, trust and communication across lines of difference. And in a global industry, those differences are more pronounced than ever.

Partnering dialogue offers a way forward. It’s not a replacement for contracts; it’s their human companion. It’s not a luxury; it’s a necessity.

As I often remind clients and colleagues, most conflicts are not legal; they’re relational. And most relational conflicts don’t need arbitration; they need a conversation.

Let’s make sure we have it—before the damage is done.

Sources

West Gate Tunnel Heraldsun.com.au

• Road to ruin? Carillion collapse puts spotlight on UK outsourcing model | Reuters
• Fund crunch delays completion of kandi canal - Hindustan Times

Hazen and Sawyer | Broad Run Water Reclamation Facility Master