It’s that time of year again. You and everyone you know have probably been thinking about how you can keep up with your New Year’s resolutions. While according to statistics, about 80% of New Year’s resolutions will fail; whether it’s hitting the gym or spending more time on a particular hobby, you can strive to be that other 20%. As an Owner or Owner Rep, you need tools that streamline this process for you.
The thing is, we don’t only make resolutions about things that affect our personal lives. We do the same thing in our professional lives, and if your 2023 resolutions include enhanced construction communication, better project management, and improved construction project outcomes, these tips are for you. Let’s look at how you can make your construction communication resolutions stick.
Start At the Beginning of the Year
There’s never a perfect time to make changes, but the beginning of the year is a great time to make positive changes to your construction project communication methods, document management, and progress measuring tools and processes.
Most construction projects are just starting up again after the holiday break, and there’s a little more breathing room than there will be once everything ramps up to full capacity.
Be Realistic and Make It Attainable
The next important step in sticking to your 2023 construction communication resolutions is to be realistic and aim to make attainable and sustainable changes.
If your filing systems are nonexistent and you’re relying on email to communicate with your project teams, start there. As the saying goes: the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Making long-term changes to your construction project communication and data management systems should be the same. Start small, make changes that make sense, and once they’ve become part of your routine, tackle the next problem.
Keep It Simple
Sometimes, when we fail to keep our resolutions about improving construction communication is not because we don’t want to but because it’s just too complicated.
Many people try to work with a patchwork of systems and spreadsheets. There are files sent and received by email, notes taken after phone conversations, and more. Simplify your system and create a single source of truth where you store all your project-related information. You’ll be far more likely to stick to those resolutions if it’s easy and convenient!
Focus On Your Priorities
Often, when it comes to construction project communication, a lot of it does not apply to the client or procurement officials involved. Architects, engineers, and contractors might discuss specification changes, deficiencies, or design changes, but while they do affect the project, they’re not what you need to know about.
While you can certainly keep that kind of construction communication on file for reference, you should prioritize the things that matter to you and your team. Usually, as the project owner, that means budget and timeline. All the construction project communication you receive should be categorized, and top priority should be given to any that falls into those categories.
Get Training If You Need It
The truth is construction and construction project communication often feel like a different language. If you’re not fluent in it, it’s hard to make head or tail of the things you hear or read. That sometimes makes it hard to make the right decisions for projects that are under your oversight and control.
While you don’t need to go out and get an architecture degree, it may be a good idea to get some training in how the construction process works and what all the terms and processes mean. A short course in construction contract management might be exactly what you need to take charge of the projects you’re involved in this year.
Improve your Own Communication
Our last tip for maximizing the effect of your 2023 professional resolutions about construction communication is to improve your own communication style and methods.
In the construction world, conversations don’t matter unless they’re documented somewhere. That means that just getting an off-the-cuff price or agreement from an architect, engineer or contractor is never enough.
Make sure that you always follow any conversation or in-person meeting with an email confirming what was discussed and requesting written confirmation from the other party. Be clear about what your needs and priorities are, and if necessary, include a deadline for response.
Construction project communication works best when everyone involved provides clear and concise details about their priorities and needs. So don’t be afraid to tell your project team what you need and expect from them, and make sure you always have something in black and white to put in your files. Proper documentation will always remember exactly who said what, and it’s the best resource you have when you need to clear something up.
Owner Insite has many tools at your disposal to help with your project’s communication. If you want refresher training or want to learn more simply reach out to us at support@owner-insite.com or 888-336-3393
