Breaking organizational barriers, integrated teams for success!

In this episode of the 4PM Podcast, host Mounir Ajam takes us back to one of his early professional experiences in the oil and gas industry, where a $100 million project portfolio mired in conflict, resistance, and mistrust was transformed into a model of collaboration and teamwork.

Through four key parts, Mounir shares how strategic integration between the owner and contractor teams — once divided by competing interests — led to open communication, mutual accountability, and measurable results.

From overcoming pushback at multiple organizational levels to building a unified project control system and launching a continuous improvement process, this real-life story offers practical lessons for leaders, project managers, and anyone striving to turn barriers into breakthroughs.

🎧 Key Highlights:

• How collaboration defused conflict in a multi-project alliance
• Overcoming resistance from directors, managers, and team members
• Practical methods to improve estimating, forecasting, and reporting
• Building trust through shared responsibility and open feedback
• Lessons in transforming project chaos into cohesive performance

💡 Whether you’re leading teams, managing projects, or simply navigating complex collaborations, this episode offers valuable insights on how to lead with trust, structure, and purpose.

🔗 Explore more at urukpm.com
— including case studies, tools, and leadership programs.

Explore more project management insights at www.urukpm.com

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:02):
Welcome to the 4 pm podcast where ideas take shape
and strategies find purpose.
I am Munir Ajam, founder and CEOof Uruk Project Management, and
I have a deep-seated passion forproject management and community
development.
Drawing on decades of globalexperience across diverse

(00:25):
industries and roles, I am hereto guide you through the
transformative power of the 4PMs, project, program, product
and portfolio management, andour focus on business integrated
project management.
Let's explore how integrationunlocks unparalleled value for
you and your organization.

(00:48):
Good day my friends, welcomeback to the 4 p.m podcast.
I am your host, Munir Ajam, andI'm delighted you're here with
me today.
In this episode, we'll revisitone of my early professional
experiences in the oil and gasindustry.
A real story about how a$100million project portfolio full

(01:13):
of conflict and resistancetransformed into a collaborative
integrated team effort.
From overcoming pushback atmultiple levels to building
trust through sharedresponsibility, I'll walk you
through how we turn barriersinto breakthroughs and achieve
success together.

(01:39):
Part one.

(03:06):
A long story short, we got theapproval.
The second resistance.
This resistance came from thecontractor management team below
the director.
They were concerned about havingtheir team and project control
manager under my authority.
After a few meetings, we thecontractors, director, and I

(03:29):
convinced them that success isto benefit all.
The third resistance.
This resistance came from theproject control resources on the
contractor side.
They had seen me as strict andunwavering and were worried I
would be a bad boss.
I asked them for a leap of faithto collaborate for a short while

(03:52):
and to see if we can make adifference.
Part 3.
As a project control integratedteam, we were responsible for
all projects in the portfolioand had to continue to support

(04:12):
the ongoing work.
That was our first challenge,and we redistributed the work to
all integrated team membersinstead of having the
contractors team do the job andthe owner team do the oversight.
Now we were all doing directwork, no duplication or added

(04:34):
reporting.
Next, we needed to improvepersistent and repeated problem
and project controls, estimatingand forecasting.
So here is what we did.
We establish an estimatingfeedback process.
Whenever we find errors in theestimates or the estimating
system, we provide immediatefeedback and make the necessary

(04:57):
adjustment to the budget up ordown.
We established a trainingprogram in two parts.
A project control members and Bproject and construction staff.
We made a list of the recurringproblems and then formed the
sub-teams of two to four peoplefrom project control.

(05:18):
Each sub-team had to identifythe problem, its root causes,
and the solution.
Each team had a month to dothis.
At the end of the month, we allwent to an off-site team
buildingslash task force whereeach sub-team reported on their
topic and all team membersoffered suggestions and

(05:39):
improvements.
Once all feedback wasincorporated, we had our action
plan.
Then we repeated the process forthe next set of topics.
At the end of the three-dayoffsite, we had cleared many
issues, the integrated team wasrefreshed, and trust began to

(06:00):
build due to the opencollaboration.
We came back and immediatelystarted to implement the change.
Part 4.
The results.
The work's positive impactstarted to show immediately

(06:21):
raising the level of trust withour management.
Not everything was perfect,since many projects already had
existing problems.
However, our reporting,forecasting, and analysis
improved significantly.
Our estimating feedback led toimproving the estimates.
Finally, we implemented acontinuous improvement program

(06:44):
in which we identify lessonslearned, issues and challenges,
and address what we canimmediately.

(07:05):
For more episodes, tools, andstories, visit urookpm.com or
connect with me directly onLinkedIn.
And if you enjoy these realstories from the trenches, you
can dive deeper into our casestudies at Urukpm.com slash case
studies.
For related services, visitUrukpm.com slash services and

(07:30):
for learning and developmentprograms, head over to
Urukpm.com slash learning anddevelopment.
Before I forget, you can alsoschedule a confidential strategy
session with me at calendry.comslash urukpm.
This is Manir Ajam for the 4 p.mpodcast.
Until next time, keep learning,keep leading, and always deliver

(07:53):
with purpose.