​​Let’s talk good communication.

The famous playwright George Shaw wrote that “the single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” 

We all communicate every day, but is our communication effective?

One of the most important aspects of managing a construction project is being able to communicate and interact with people.

People in construction come from diverse cultural, educational, and economic backgrounds. Messages that aren’t crafted to accommodate the diversity of your construction team create misunderstandings. So do emails. 

​Unfortunately the preferred communication for many is via emails. I had a boss who often sent emails to a manager sitting only a few offices away. They’ve then responded by email. Several emails later, they finally resolved the original problem.
How much easier would it have been to walk to the other person’s office and discuss and resolve the problem? It would certainly have been quicker. Now emails do provide a record of an important item so they’re often essential. But frequently, you can resolve problems or issues by talking on the phone. Old-fashioned, face-to-face talks go a long way! 
One of the problems with an email is that it’s much easier to say something horrible or be dismissive of another’s email than it would be if you were talking to the person directly. We can judge by the person’s body language or voice when they take offence at something we’ve said, so we can often smooth the issue over immediately, or explain ourselves better when misunderstandings arise.
I’ve been involved with a non-profit organisation transitioning to a new accounting system. We’ve sent strings of emails backwards and forwards with little resolution of issues. Some emails have been ignored and some have been misunderstood. On occasion, emails have become quite irate and have offended people.
Only after talking in person did we understand and resolve these problems. By actively explaining and listening to problems and the proposed solutions it has been possible to resolve many issues. A few discussions have quickly short circuited the long email exchanges.

​This article was first published on the ClockShark website. To visit this website and continue reading the article click on the link above.
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​To read more about the author’s books and find out where you can purchase them visit the pages on this website by clicking the links below:

• '​Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide'
• 'Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide'
• 'Construction Claims: A Short Guide for Contractors'
• 'Construction Project Management: Tips and Insights'
• ​'Construction Management: From Project Concept to Completion'
• and 'Build and Renovate Your Home With Your Eyes Wide Open'

'Construction Book reviews'
To read more about the author visit the page 'Paul Netscher'
Want to contact Paul Netscher please enter your details on 'Contacts'
Find out how Paul Netscher can help you

Good communication in construction is essential. Many problems arise because of poor communication, or when our messages are misunderstood.

Unfortunately many in construction don’t realize how important it is to be able to communicate properly. Many don’t see the necessity of being able to write properly. Yet, project managers have to write letters all the time. Some of these letters could literally be worth millions of dollars. Why wouldn’t we want to put the effort into producing a clear and succinct letter that will convince our clients and customers to award a project to our company, or grant the variation claim we’ve submitted.

So let’s have a quick English lesson – a lesson on writing project letters!
Letters should:

• Have a date.
• Have a unique reference number.
• Be addressed to the correct person (the contract normally specifies who that person is, as well as who should be sent copies. If you’re unsure contact the company to find out who the right person is). Oh, by the way, do spell their name correctly – you don’t want to annoy the person before they’ve even started reading your letter!
• Have a heading, including the project reference name and number (letters to the client should use the reference name and number in the contract document), and a second heading line containing the subject matter.
• Have an introduction, normally a brief overview of the subject within the letter.
• Include the body, containing the facts and supporting information (where the supporting information is lengthy or includes numbers, calculations, and diagrams, consideration should be given to inserting these as appendices, and including only the summary of the documents in the body of the letter, referring the reader to the relevant appendix or attachment).
• Have a conclusion which summarises the facts and indicates the required future course of action.
• Be logical – state the facts simply and in a logical manner that is easy to follow. Don’t assume the person reading the letter is familiar with the project, or discussions that have occurred on the project.
• Be confined to one topic, or a few similar topics. Rather write a new letter for a different unrelated topic.
• Be concise and in simple language. Avoid lengthy sentences.
• Not be contradictory.
• Not use emotive language. Don’t get emotional or abusive. Simply state the facts. You don’t want to later regret the things you wrote.
• Be checked for spelling and typographical errors (if you know your grammar is poor request, someone, to check the letter). As a young project manager, my manager always checked variation claim letters before I submitted them to the client. Frequently they came back with multiple errors highlighted in red ink – yes, it did feel like I was back at school, but they were important lessons.
• Be arranged in easily readable paragraphs. Don’t just ramble on, with one thought leading into the next one.
• Avoid using slang.
• Ensure that when acronyms and abbreviations are used that these are explained, or are clearly understood by the reader and that they are used consistently in the letter.
• Be numbered correctly and consistently when it’s required.
• Use consistent text (resist the urge to use text that is in capitals, bold, in color or in italics to highlight a point).
• Use exclamation and question marks sparingly.
• Quote the correct clauses from the contract document, the specific reference from the tender documents or the applicable drawing numbers.
• Be double-checked to ensure that all calculations and figures are correct and that they tie up.

Poorly written letters are often not treated with the seriousness they deserve, and letters which use incorrect facts and figures could cause the client to doubt the authenticity of the figures.
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Don’t assume the person reading the letter will have a grasp of all the facts, or know what you are talking about. ....Continue Reading.....

​This article was first published on the ClockShark website. To visit this website and continue reading the article click on the link above.
Please share this post

​To read more about the author’s books and find out where you can purchase them visit the pages on this website by clicking the links below:

• '​Successful Construction Project Management: The Practical Guide'
• 'Building a Successful Construction Company: The Practical Guide'
• 'Construction Claims: A Short Guide for Contractors'
• 'Construction Project Management: Tips and Insights'
• ​'Construction Management: From Project Concept to Completion'
• and 'Build and Renovate Your Home With Your Eyes Wide Open'

'Construction Book reviews'
To read more about the author visit the page 'Paul Netscher'
Want to contact Paul Netscher please enter your details on 'Contacts'
Find out how Paul Netscher can help you