Emails, text messages, voice messages, tweets, video-conferencing, the list of communication methods is lengthy. We work in a world of technology savvy individuals sending information out for others to receive. “Can you hear me now?” “Is anybody out there?” “Did you get the email I sent?”
With the barrage of information flying at us every day, is it possible that something is missed? We certainly hope not. But we do… At the same time, project work is expected to be ‘faster, cheaper, better’. So we look for economies, ways to trim the fat and work more efficiently in order to deliver a coordinated and well thought out project. While this is a challenge, the key to a successful and financially responsible project is Communication.
Where do we start given the litany of information sent to us? Each team member is a critical part of the success of a project and how we spend our work day is a reflection of the overall success of a project. So how are we spending our days? According to an International Data Corporation (IDC) study on ‘the social economy’, the McKinesy Global Institute reported in July 2012, that the average employee now spends 28% of their work day managing email and this trend is expected to maintain its intensity through 2014…….I can believe it. Countless articles and postings address how to cut back on this time sink in order to complete our daily tasks.
Digging further into the IDC’s findings, 39% of each day is spent on role specific tasks, which in our case it translates into Engineering Design, Calculations, Flow Diagrams, QA/QC of projects, Sustainability Design, Site Visits for existing conditions, etc. By the IDC we then spend 19% of days Searching and Gathering Information such as referring to ASHRAE and NFPA Standards, reviewing Owner Design Standards, reviewing past correspondence for back-up information on why certain decisions were made, and sifting through matrices and memos of pertinent project information from our managers. This then leaves us 14% of our day for the last IDC identified task: Communicating and Collaborating.
Every day at the computer and with our mobile devices, choices are made on what to read and what to do with the information obtained. We make decisions on how to work more efficiently and working towards the end project goal rather than spinning the wheels (or do we?). It relies on each team participant to be responsible for filtering through the mass of information shared. The success of this communication approach depends on how diligent each person is in managing the information which will inevitably impact the overall success of the project. But with all of this information flying around, how are we certain that it has sunk in?
While all of the technology we use is helpful in its own right, a tried and true method of communication to move closer to ensuring a successful project is the Face-to-Face Meeting. Here we can increase the value-add of the 14% against the other 76% of our day. The team meeting can make leaps and bounds towards getting to the essence of project coordination.
Time and clarity is of the essence with this communication. We make efforts to explain this to our clients, working to identify what information is critical and at what point in the overall schedule will we need the information in order to be effective. We strive to identify what is required for each milestone and remind our clients of what is needed throughout the process. Having coordination meetings reinforces ‘the ask’ and also drives home ‘the why’. Having this opportunity to share first hand why information is needed goes a long way towards obtaining the requirements, or collaborating on an approach given the overall project conditions.
Is it really worth the travel to sit together in a room for coordination meetings? We have alternative methods to ‘being there’, hangouts, various video conferencing, and phone conferencing systems. These all contribute to better communication, sharing of information, and making discussions clearer than reading through email. But still, disconnects remain over projects. There is nothing quite like sitting across a table with a large scale drawing or projected model with each of the disciplines, listening to what is important to each and working to solve the puzzle collectively. To roll up the sleeves, dive into the details and step away from the silos of efforts. The face-to-face is where the magic of collaborative design happens. When this is shared with an Owner it is enlightening to those who are not in details of
design every day. Of key importance is the ‘focused time’ for the team members to bring their experience and talents to the coordination meeting.
The success of project delivery rests in a combination of the above…….and more. ‘Back in the day’, we would draw by hand, having to consider the impact of each line and calculation. The effort of laying out mechanical piping or electrical systems required first-hand knowledge of the construction of the building. Today, technology has enabled us to move faster, but in many cases there are losses of how systems will coexist with a space and how they are constructed given the pace of the effort.
The Face-to-Face meeting forces us to set up an agenda, organize our topics for discussion, capture the essence of what is necessary to discuss and manage the process for a successful collaboration. Additionally, it is an opportunity to mentor younger staff having them learn about the inner workings of a project dynamic and come to the realization that every effort they are putting to a project is important. The Face-to-Face meeting provides valuable time with team members in order to better understand each perspective and work together towards a cohesive, complex, and exciting project, regardless of scale or location. Communication is key, but quality and focused communication is like hot molten chocolate cake… awesome and satisfying.
Christina Pungerchar is a Project Manager at R.G. Vanderweil Engineers, Inc. in Boston.