Why communication and collaboration are becoming critical to project execution.
Engineering has always been a technical business. But ask experienced energy leaders what makes the difference between a project that moves smoothly and one that becomes difficult, and the answer is rarely technical expertise alone.
More often, it comes down to communication.
Did the right people talk early enough? Were emerging issues raised before they became problems? Did disciplines work together or in silos? Did contractors receive updates in a timely manner? Did the consultant understand what the owner was trying to accomplish beyond the immediate scope?
As energy infrastructure becomes more complex and project schedules more demanding, these so-called “soft skills” are becoming hard requirements for successful execution. Technical capability gets you to the table. Communication, responsiveness, and collaboration increasingly determine what happens once you get there.
Communication as a delivery tool
At Lauren, that thinking is increasingly being formalized in how client teams are structured. For active clients, a Client Execution Lead (CEL) is assigned with responsibility for the operational health of the relationship and successful delivery of work in hand. The role extends across project performance, resources, quality, risk, and client communication, with a mandate to identify and resolve delivery issues before they affect the client relationship. It is a simple idea with an important distinction: someone is looking beyond the individual project.
Project managers remain accountable for delivering their work, while discipline leads bring specialized technical expertise. The Client Execution Lead provides another line of sight across the client, connecting projects, people, priorities, and client expectations.
For energy owners and their teams managing multiple scopes, that continuity matters. A problem emerging on one project may have implications for another. A resource constraint identified today may affect work anticipated six months from now. Lessons learned by one project team can benefit the next, but only if someone is connecting those dots.
That is where communication becomes more than relationship management. It becomes a project delivery tool.
Earn the trust
Lauren’s experience with long-term energy clients has reinforced the importance of growing relationships through execution rather than getting ahead of delivery.
“To build trust, we took on work that we felt we were capable of doing and had the capacity to complete,” says Terry Brar, a Client Execution Lead with Lauren. “That doesn’t mean only taking on small projects. It means taking on larger projects where there’s reasonable and practical growth.”
The philosophy is straightforward: do the work well, earn greater responsibility and build capability alongside the client.
But longevity brings another challenge. Familiarity can never become complacency.
“Even if it’s 10 years of work, you have to have the same motivation to do well as year one,” Terry says. “You’re still a consultant. There’s a reason they’ve hired you.”
It is an important reminder in an industry where relationships can span decades. Trust may be built over time, but it continues to be earned project by project.
Build continuity before you need it
As clients and project teams grow, communication also becomes essential to transferring knowledge. Rather than staffing each new project in isolation, Lauren looks for opportunities to maintain overlap between experienced and new team members.
“Keep an overlap on any new teams. Anticipate new projects and try to have that overlap prior to the project,” Brar says. “Maybe it costs a little bit more, but the overlapping allows you to grow.”
That investment helps transfer client knowledge, reduces onboarding, and gives new team members time to understand not just the technical work, but how the client works.
Lauren’s Client Execution Lead model supports that continuity by connecting delivery with longer-term planning. The CEL works alongside a Client Development Lead (CDL) focused on strategy, opportunities, and growth. While the roles have distinct responsibilities, they share accountability for client health, team performance and, overall success.
The connection is intentional. Delivery insights inform future opportunities. Future opportunities inform resource planning. Client issues are communicated in real time. Strategic discussions bring both perspectives to the table.
Winning work that an organization cannot execute well benefits no one. The better question is whether the right people are talking early enough to understand what successful execution will require.
Dig in when it matters
Of course, communication and planning cannot eliminate every challenge. Projects change. Schedules compress. Unexpected issues emerge. And sometimes clients simply need their engineering partner to respond.
“One of the things that has really helped us is digging in when it mattered,” Brar explains. “When projects are going not as expected, you dig in and solve and resolve and spend that extra effort.”
Those moments can define a client relationship far more than the periods when everything goes according to plan. Lauren’s measure of success for its client leadership model reflects that reality: proactive communication, integrated planning, a seamless client experience, and issues anticipated and addressed before they escalate.
None of this diminishes the importance of technical excellence. In fact, it makes that expertise more effective. Strong technical solutions still have to move through people, organizations, and decisions. Someone has to raise the difficult question. Someone has to anticipate the resource gap. Someone has to call the client before a concern becomes an escalation.
As energy projects become larger, faster, and more interconnected, the firms that stand apart won’t simply be those that know how to solve complex engineering problems. They’ll be the ones that earn the trust through open communication, and know when it’s time to dig in.
Corporate Overview
Lauren Services is a Canadian-owned engineering and project execution firm with roots dating back to 1979. From offices in Calgary, Vancouver, Kelowna, and Houston, Lauren delivers smart, fit-for-purpose solutions across the full project lifecycle. Known for combining deep technical expertise with personal integrity, Lauren serves a diverse client base across traditional and transitional energy. Learn more at laurenservices.com.
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