When people talk about collaboration, it is often framed as workshops, meetings or emails. But some of the most meaningful collaboration happens well beyond the desk.  Through embedded teams, long-term relationships and a genuine sense of shared ownership. 

At Spectrum Comms, for many large-scale infrastructure projects, we work as embedded members of our client’s teams. That doesn’t mean we’re sitting in their office five days a week, but it does mean we’re not just a consultant, dipping in and out. We’re part of the project team, sometimes for months, sometimes for years. 

And it has been years indeed, since we first started working with MTR Corporation Australia, the delivery contractor for Sydney Metro’s City and Southwest Line – Australia’s biggest public transport project. Here we fulfill two roles. Community engagement, and events and public affairs. To do that well, we can’t sit on the sidelines. We have to get properly stuck in.  

To be “knee deep in the trenches”, can take many forms. Sometimes it is phone calls with the testing team, screen-sharing Google-maps to work out the best vantage point to capture the perfect shot of a train in motion.  

Sometimes it’s a quick call with the construction team to unpack the background of a community complaint and make sense of what is really happening on the ground. Other times, it is a long conversation to fully understand how we can respond clearly, accurately and with confidence. 

And yes, a lot of that work still happens behind our computer screens.Teams calls, shared docs, quick check-ins, balanced with being on site when it matters. That might be something small like a letterbox drop, or something bigger like coordinating a media event or working with a film crew to capture b-roll footage for a major milestone. 

Over time, this way of working means we’ve built strong relationships, not just with MTR, but with Sydney Metro, MTS, NTR, Alstom and the many other contractors who help deliver this project. Those relationships make complex coordination easier, communication clearer and overall drives better outcomes for the project.  

Being embedded allows us to truly understand the needs of everyone involved, not just our direct client. And by fostering and maintaining those relationships, we get to help shape public perception of one of Australia’s most significant infrastructure projects.  

Collaboration beyond the desk isn’t about where you sit. It is about trust, relationships and showing up as part of the team.