Meet Lydia Garside, a consultant in our delay and planning team. Having started her career as a document controller before stepping into a graduate construction manager role working on major residential projects in Manchester, she’s now bringing her practical know-how and passion for detail to Decipher. We sat down with Lydia to learn more about her journey …
What attracted you to a career in the property and construction industry?
To be honest, I didn’t set out to be a planning/delay consultant. My path into the construction industry was quite by chance, which is a common story. I’ve lost count of the people who tell me they’ve either followed in the footsteps of a family member or “fallen into it” somehow without any grand plan.
After graduating with a degree in History and American Studies from the University of Manchester, I reached out to a friend at Westfields Construction who told me about an entry-level vacancy as a document controller due to be advertised. I got the job and spent a couple of years there, while extending my education with an MSc in Project Management and Construction from the University of Salford.
Later, I moved to CR Construction, where I experienced a different flavour of the industry as a graduate construction manager. This included a little bit of site management, commercial procurement, and such things. It exposed me to project planning, which aligned with my natural skillset. Working alongside a senior planner, I learned the basics of using planning software and delivering live project planning and progress reporting.
What’s the one piece of advice you wish you’d received when you first started out?
Some things will push you outside of your comfort zone. Don’t avoid them as they’re important to individual and career growth. Things that make you feel vulnerable, like networking and putting yourself forward for speaking opportunities. But don’t worry, everyone shares those same feelings. Spend time developing good habits, like active listening and being curious, and recognise the value of meaningful relationships, both in terms of your teammates and your clients.
Describe a project you’ve worked on that you’re particularly proud of and why?
Well, the very first project is one that I won’t forget because it was such a steep learning curve. It was a small team on a high-profile residential project in Manchester, now known as Meadowside, and my first taste of a live construction project.
In my current role and the delay analysis work we do, behind the scenes there’s a lot of procedures with set deadlines that need to be in place. There are certain reports that are time-dependent, and things that need to be discussed at the right moment. A lot of work goes into getting all those things spot on, which you must handle while the goalposts are constantly moving. As with most things in life, the key is to learn quickly and adapt.
What’s the most significant challenge you’ve faced in your career? How did you overcome it?
The direction my career would take wasn’t always obvious. From wrapping my head around the broad spectrum of opportunities offered by the construction industry, to feeling impeded by my non-construction academic background. Some of the challenges left me feeling overwhelmed.
However, I soaked up as much experience as possible to appreciate which elements of the industry I enjoyed. At the same time, I continued my education to ensure I had an academic understanding to support the path I wished to take. This meant keeping an open mind about any additional roles and responsibilities offered, learning new skills, and getting involved in different areas of business. These experiences all inform my role today, and I feel more well-rounded as a result.
How do you stay current with the ever-changing landscape of construction technology and regulations?
In terms of case law or legislative updates, I attend knowledge sharing events, including those which we curate and host. These are typically framed around key topics and challenges that we’re facing as an industry. Whenever I get some downtime, I’ll follow up any key takeaways with personal research on what’s most relevant to the projects I’m typically involved with at Decipher.
I also always take the time to keep up with the daily news published by media sources such as Building, Construction Management, Construction Enquirer and Place North. Just to keep an eye on what’s going on, especially in my local area. I find that interesting, anyway, to get a feel for what’s being built and more generally what’s going on across the industry.
Are there any emerging trends that you see as the biggest opportunities or threats?
Something we’ve been focusing on is technological innovation. We’re currently collaborating closely with DeSimone’s BIM team to improve our offering to clients. As one example, we’ve integrated 3D/4D BIM visualisation into our analysis on some projects. This is great for identifying specific areas of delay on a project, or showing the planned progress versus actual progress achieved and, in turn, highlighting the discrepancies. Accompanied by a more detailed written report, we’re finding digital visualisation really effective. It’s just easier to digest.
You’d have to be living under a rock to miss the opportunity presented by the progress in AI-driven technology. But it demands to be treated with caution, and human interpretation and intervention will always be needed in our line of work.
Like many businesses, we’re exploring how we could incorporate AI into our workflows. The aim is to automate/streamline time-consuming administrative aspects of our service, without negatively impacting the quality of what we deliver to clients. But, before we even begin to think about taking what we’ve explored further, we’d need 100% confidence in its accuracy.
What does professional success look like to you in the long term?
This is another tricky one, in the sense that I couldn’t define an exact role that I expect to be in five- to ten-years’ time. But in short, I really want to be valuable to my team, our clients, and a valuable contributor to success across the built environment we all share.
What would you be doing instead?
Probably something in the literary and/or editorial space, like an editor at a publishing house. I like reading a lot. I’m organised and happiest when focusing on detail. Deep down, I’m an unofficial member of the grammar police and enjoy correcting* writing so that it reads well.
What’s your proudest non-professional achievement?
Over the last few years, I’ve set myself strict time-bound goals. I’m doing well and achieving my targets.
This year was about getting on top of my fitness and health. I’m now going to the gym, doing strength training, and YouTube-based Pilates training at home. I never thought I’d be a person who’d be getting in from work and heading straight to the gym. But I just said to myself, well, if I take an hour out of the day, I’ll feel better for it. Teaming up with a PT made a real difference because I didn’t know how any machines worked or what areas to focus on. It can be intimidating at first, but now I’m really enjoying it.
But as you can sense by now, I like a clear plan. For me, that means starting each week with all my sessions organised and sticking to them. It might not suit everyone, but the secret is to find what’s sustainable for you.
*For fear of being read our rights, we left Lydia to proofread and edit her own article.
To learn more about culture and opportunities at Decipher, visit our careers page. Thanks to Lydia Garside for her contribution.