The man with a passion for training

Shura Construction Management and its CEO Husni Madi won the Trainer of the Year Award at the recent FIDIC Contracts Awards. We spoke to Husni about his unique training approach and his new role on the FIDIC contracts committee.

Husni Madi is passionate about training. That much is clear when you speak to him about his work as a FIDIC trainer and his unique and successful approach. CEO of Shura Consulting Management in Amman Jordan, Madi has delivered both public and in-house training through FIDIC, in Africa and the Middle East. He impressed the judges at the recent FIDIC Contracts Awards with “the breadth of his experience and training style”, a style developed over the years by providing public, in-house and online training, in addition to speaking and delivering workshops at FIDIC Contract Users’ Conferences.

Madi is a true training icon and his passion for his subject is infectious. His unconventional training style is efficient and effective in delivering training with meaning. He is known for his energetic teaching methods and using interesting techniques such as graphics and animations, real-life examples and case studies, as well as playing with the tone of his voice to highlight areas of importance to the audience. Asked about his reaction to winning the Trainer of the Year Award, Madi said: “I put in a lot of effort into my training, whether in material or in the style of delivering the courses. I try to be as energetic as possible, as funny as possible because when dealing with the subject of contract management, which can be perceived as dry and boring, you can lose the audience very quickly. I always look for new ways and methods of keeping participants engaged.”

Madi went on to further discuss his engagement techniques, “I ask questions and engage the audience. There is nothing like throwing in a good joke and getting a good laugh out of participants to keep them awake and engaged. Being as energetic as possible is key,” he said.

I try to be as energetic as possible, as funny as possible, because when dealing with the subject of contract management, which can be perceived as dry and boring, you can lose the audience very quickly.

Speaking about his newly appointed role on the FIDIC contracts committee and what he hopes to bring to the table, Madi said: “As someone with experience in all perspectives of contract management, I hope to bring a new perspective to the committee. I worked for 12 years for contractors on site, then I moved to a role on the other side, as a consultant, and I have been a consultant to both contractors and engineers and employers.”

Madi thinks his training experience will help in his new role. “By delivering courses and conferences all over the world, I am able to accumulate a lot of global experience and case studies and this will allow me to bring a wide range of possibilities and scenarios to be tackled and addressed in the contracts area,” he said.

Reflecting on his involvement with FIDIC and his drive for giving back to the industry, Madi said that he was the type of person who thrives in a challenging environment. “Although it can be exhausting, you need that passion. It’s like climbing a ladder, one step at a time,” said Madi. “I try to be as energetic as possible, as funny as possible, because when dealing with the subject of contract management, which can be perceived as dry and boring, you can lose the audience very quickly.”