Contractors often spend considerable time discussing what separates high-performing builders from the rest of the field. But a new report suggests the industry has been asking only half the question.
“What Great Owners Do,” a new study published by the University Research Institute, shifts the focus upstream, examining how owners influence project outcomes long before schedules slip or budgets overrun. Drawing on insights from leaders representing government agencies, healthcare systems, contractors, designers and construction organizations—including Associated Builders and Contractors President and CEO Michael Bellaman—the report argues that exceptional owners don’t simply fund projects; they actively shape the environment that allows project teams to succeed.
For contractors, the report is noteworthy because its recommendations are not directed at improving contractor performance. Instead, they describe how owners can become better partners—creating conditions that improve collaboration, reduce risk, attract the industry’s best builders and ultimately produce better projects.
At a time when skilled labor remains constrained, projects continue to grow in complexity and owners increasingly compete for top-performing contractors, those lessons may be more relevant than ever.
LEADERSHIP STARTS WITH THE OWNER
The report begins with a simple premise: While many variables influence project success, one factor is often overlooked—the owner’s role in establishing the culture, expectations and operating environment for the entire team.
Rather than revisiting familiar discussions around procurement or delivery methods, the authors identify five behaviors they believe consistently distinguish exceptional owners:
- Create a clear mission and continually reinforce it.
- Remain visible and engaged throughout the project.
- Actively manage collaboration.
- Help project partners succeed.
- Think beyond a single project toward long-term program improvement.
Collectively, these recommendations challenge a common assumption within construction—that assembling a qualified project team is sufficient to ensure success. According to the report, it isn’t.
A MISSION THAT LIVES BEYOND KICKOFF
Most projects begin with a vision statement or kickoff meeting, but great owners recognize that alignment fades over time as personnel change, priorities evolve and day-to-day pressures accumulate.
The report recommends creating mission statements that are brief, emotionally compelling and clear about project priorities. More importantly, owners should continuously reinforce that mission throughout project delivery rather than assuming everyone remembers it months later.
One practical suggestion is surprisingly simple: Periodically ask team members two questions—”What is the overall mission of this project?” and “What is your role in achieving it?” Consistent answers indicate alignment; inconsistent responses reveal drift before it becomes a project problem.
As the report notes, great owners don’t assume alignment—they test for it.
VISIBILITY MATTERS
The study also challenges the notion that owners should step back once contracts are awarded.
Many owners believe hiring experienced architects, engineers and contractors is enough to ensure success. According to the report, however, project effectiveness changes continuously, and owner engagement remains essential throughout the life of the project.
Instead of delegating leadership entirely to consultants, great owners remain visible, actively participate in important conversations and deliberately manage team dynamics alongside budget and schedule. They also evaluate prospective partners not only for technical qualifications, but for demonstrated collaboration skills and the individuals who will actually perform the work.
That visibility helps resolve issues that no other participant is positioned to address while reinforcing a collaborative rather than adversarial culture.
COLLABORATION DOESN’T HAPPEN AUTOMATICALLY
One of the report’s strongest messages—and one likely to resonate with contractors—is that collaboration should never be treated as an assumption. Highly credentialed professionals do not automatically become high-performing teams.
Instead, collaboration requires structure, leadership and ongoing measurement. The report highlights emerging research in organizational behavior suggesting that measurable indicators of team stress often appear long before traditional project metrics reveal trouble. Rather than waiting for cost overruns or schedule delays, owners can monitor collaboration itself as an early warning system.
The report identifies several characteristics common to successful teams:
- They spend more energy solving problems than assigning blame.
- They take collective ownership of outcomes.
- They share in project success.
- They recognize and leverage mutual dependence.
Underlying all of those behaviors are two essentials: trust and need. Team members must trust one another and they must recognize that success depends on working together rather than operating independently.
The study also introduces the concept of Critical Node Teaming, an approach that focuses attention on the relationships with the greatest influence over project performance instead of attempting to improve every interaction equally. By identifying and strengthening those critical connections, owners can intervene before collaboration problems affect project outcomes.
Creating Conditions for Contractor Success
Perhaps the report’s most contractor-focused recommendation is that exceptional owners deliberately create conditions that help their partners succeed.
That philosophy represents a shift away from traditional owner-contractor dynamics toward a more collaborative, mutually beneficial relationship.
As Bellaman states in the report: “Great owners create the conditions for their contractors to be successful. They have an ‘abundance mentality’ vs. a ‘scarce mentality’ meaning they seek win-win.”
Bellaman’s observation reflects one of the report’s broader themes: Owners increasingly compete for contractor attention.
With demand remaining strong and experienced craft professionals in short supply, owners who consistently foster collaboration, fairness and transparency become preferred clients.
As the report notes, “Great owners recognize that the market is flooded with work and the skilled workforce is shrinking, so it’s wise to be the kind of owner that designers and builders want to work with.”
For contractors, that mindset has tangible implications. Projects characterized by realistic expectations, engaged leadership and collaborative decision-making tend to experience fewer disputes, faster problem resolution and stronger working relationships. Those benefits improve not only project outcomes but also long-term business partnerships.
Measure What Matters
Another recurring message throughout the report is that alignment should be measured rather than assumed.
Owners frequently invest in partnering workshops, team-building exercises and motivational messaging, yet many never determine whether those efforts actually improve collaboration.
The authors caution against what they describe as “imaginary alignment”—situations where optimism masks unresolved disagreements about priorities, accountability or execution.
Instead, great owners regularly evaluate team health, identify emerging dysfunction early and intervene before problems become institutionalized.
The report also encourages owners to embrace data-driven approaches to understanding team performance rather than relying solely on intuition.
That includes recognizing the human factors influencing project delivery, creating psychologically safe environments where concerns can be raised openly and distinguishing between initiatives that genuinely improve collaboration and those that simply create the appearance of teamwork.
Looking Beyond Individual Projects
The report concludes by encouraging owners to think beyond single-project success.
Organizations managing large capital programs should systematically capture lessons learned, transfer knowledge between projects and recognize that larger, more complex projects require fundamentally different governance than smaller jobs.
Rather than treating every project as an isolated effort, great owners continuously refine processes, borrow ideas from other industries and improve organizational capability over time.
That long-term perspective benefits not only owners but also the contractors who repeatedly work with them.
A Shared Responsibility
While What Great Owners Do is written for owners, many of its recommendations reinforce principles contractors have advocated for years: clear communication, engaged leadership, collaborative problem-solving and mutual accountability.
Its central message is ultimately straightforward: Project success isn’t solely determined by selecting the right contractor or choosing the right delivery method. Owners play a decisive role in establishing the culture, expectations and relationships that influence every phase of project delivery.
For contractors, the report offers encouragement that collaborative ownership is increasingly recognized as a competitive advantage rather than simply a management preference.
For owners, it provides a reminder that attracting the industry’s best builders requires more than writing checks. It requires becoming the kind of partner those builders want to work with.
When owners invest in creating that environment—through clear purpose, sustained engagement, measurable collaboration and a commitment to helping partners succeed—the report argues everyone benefits: Owners achieve better outcomes, contractors perform at their highest level and projects deliver greater value for the communities they serve.
SEE ALSO: CHANDRA WAKELAND’S LEAP OF FAITH INTO CONSTRUCTION OWNERSHIP
