By: William Jones

In infrastructure delivery, timing matters more than almost anything else. The same issue addressed early can be manageable, inexpensive, and contained. Addressed late, it becomes disruptive, costly, and often public.

Gord Reynolds has spent much of his career watching leaders learn this lesson the hard way. The truth eventually comes out on every major project. The only question is when, and at what cost.

Why Honesty Is Cheapest Before Construction

Before construction begins, projects retain flexibility. The scope can be adjusted. Sequencing can change. Governance can be refined. Stakeholders can realign around reality rather than assumptions.

Once construction starts, that flexibility disappears.

Uncertainty that was tolerated during planning becomes an operational problem. What could have been resolved through coordination now requires negotiation. What could have been addressed quietly now attracts attention. The same truth costs exponentially more to acknowledge.

Reynolds emphasizes that early honesty is not about pessimism. It is about realism. Leaders who confront uncertainty before construction are not undermining confidence. They are protecting outcomes.

How Uncertainty Compounds Once Shovels Hit The Ground

Construction amplifies every unresolved issue. Incomplete utility data leads to work stoppages. Ambiguous authority creates delays in decision-making. Misaligned incentives turn coordination into conflict.

At that stage, problems are no longer abstract. Crews are idle. Claims accumulate. Schedules slip visibly. Each day of delay carries financial, political, and reputational consequences.

Reynolds notes that many leaders believe they are buying time by postponing difficult conversations. In reality, they are spending it at an accelerating rate.

The longer uncertainty remains unaddressed, the fewer options remain.

The Political Cost Of Late Truth Telling

Waiting until construction to acknowledge risk does not shield leaders from scrutiny. It magnifies it.

When issues surface during construction, they are harder to explain and harder to justify. Questions arise about why known risks were not addressed earlier. Oversight bodies become involved. Media narratives form around mismanagement and failure.

Leaders are forced into a defensive posture, responding to consequences rather than shaping outcomes.

Reynolds has seen how quickly trust erodes when truth-telling is delayed. Stakeholders begin to question not only the project but also the credibility of those responsible for it.

Early transparency, by contrast, builds trust. It signals seriousness and competence. It demonstrates that leaders understand the stakes and are willing to act before problems become crises.

Why Organizations Resist Early Transparency

Despite the benefits, early truth-telling remains rare. Reynolds points to a combination of cultural and structural barriers.

Organizations fear that acknowledging uncertainty will slow approvals or invite criticism. Internal incentives reward optimism and forward momentum. Governance structures are often designed to minimize friction rather than surface reality.

As a result, uncertainty is documented but not resolved. Risks are acknowledged but deferred. Leaders reassure themselves that issues can be managed later.

This resistance is understandable, but costly.

The Economic Consequences Of Delay

The financial impact of late honesty is significant. Delays increase financing costs. Claims and disputes inflate budgets. Contingencies are consumed rapidly, leaving little room for genuine unknowns.

More subtly, delayed truth-telling undermines investor confidence. Capital becomes more cautious. Future projects face higher scrutiny and higher costs as trust erodes.

Reynolds argues that early transparency is one of the most effective cost control measures available. It allows leaders to address risk while it is still inexpensive to fix.

Choosing Discipline Over Denial

At its core, the choice is between discipline and denial. Discipline requires leaders to confront uncomfortable information early and act on it. Denial allows momentum to continue until reality intervenes.

Reynolds works with leaders who understand that discipline is not about avoiding risk. It is about managing it intentionally.

By telling the truth before construction begins, they preserve options, protect reputations, and safeguard capital. They accept short term discomfort to avoid long term damage.

In infrastructure, truth is inevitable. The only variable is timing.

Those who choose to tell it early pay less, manage better, and deliver more reliably than those who wait until construction forces the issue.

 

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