Have you ever thought that the employees in your construction company have different or conflicting goals? Do you ever feel the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing? Have you noticed that communication (or lack thereof) is causing confusion or difficulties? Do the people in the office wish the people in the field (or vice versa) could understand how important this “one thing” is?
Time to build a bridge!
Communication Gap – Spreading the Word
In the “olden days,” a joke went around about getting the word out. It went like this: If you need to let people know about something, you have three options.
Telegraph
Telephone
Tell a woman
Well, things have changed, not the least of which is you can’t make fun of some women’s tendencies to (How shall I say this? Oh yeah, I know.) talk a lot. Here are five things to remember:
It was a joke.
All of us know at least one woman whose name could be inserted in line three.
And we all know a man or two whose name could be inserted in that same place.
Telegraphs are no longer an option.
Telephones are still around but play a different or expanded role now.
Spreading the word, getting the message out, talking with workers, or exchanging information when there is a communication gap can, at the least, be annoying. At its worst, communication gaps can lead to:
Additional stress
Reduced morale
Decreased productivity
Poor decision making
Schedule compression
Out-of-sequence work
Rework and missed deadlines
Impaired relationships
Communication Gap – Misconceptions
Here are some of the ways that misconceptions happen:
Misinterpreted tone in written communication
Lack of clarity and context in oral or written form
Cultural differences and language barriers
Emotional barriers
Misinterpreted company protocol
Assuming everyone understands
Misconceptions can cause anxiety and defensiveness – leading to further misconceptions. Using empathy and common sense, focusing on critical points, and avoiding complex or excessive information can help narrow the gap.
Here is one more misconception: Believing it is not nice to argue. In fact, as long as people can disagree respectfully, there’s no need to stifle dissenting views as they often lead to unexpected and better solutions.
Communication Gap – Miscommunications
Here are some of the ways that miscommunications happen:
Misheard instructions during a call
Inconsistent use of communication channels
Misplaced file in a shared drive
Neglect of protocols or SOPs
Vague instructions or directions
Noise or other distractions
Assuming everyone understands
Here are some of the ways to avoid miscommunication:
Practice active listening – On the Asana website, Julia Martins provided a comprehensive guide titled Effective active listening: Examples, techniques & exercises. It is worth looking at!
Use clear and concise language – avoid jargon or overly complicated instructions.
Choose the right communication channel. For example, at The Profit Constructors, we use two main channels for both internal and external communication. They are Slack for quick and easy responses to questions and Financial Cents for more detailed tasks and secure information.
Plan your communication – Don’t send an email, hold a meeting, or give instructions without planning your message. Who is your audience? What is the purpose of the communication? What is the best way to convey your message?
Confirm understanding – ensure everyone is on the same page. Be sure to encourage employees to ask clarifying questions when something is unclear.
Communication Gap – Misadventures
Here are some of the ways that misadventures happen:
Information overload
Hierarchy and power dynamics
Missed opportunities
Unclear task delegation
Uninformed suppositions or conjectures
Assuming everyone understands
Here are some of the ways to avoid misadventures:
Encourage open and honest communication – provide a workplace where employees feel comfortable speaking up.
Provide feedback – keep this in mind; the reason for giving feedback isn’t to correct past mistakes but to influence future outcomes.
Promote a culture of empathy – encourage employees to consider different viewpoints, customs, and communication styles. Work to generate trust and respect between the various players.
Supply clear task delegation – take warning from this oft-told tale. There was an important job to be done, and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have.
Communication Gap Conclusion
Building the bridge and finding ways to overcome the communication gap in your construction contracting business takes time, thoughtfulness, and planning. Getting everyone on the same page isn’t easy, but you’ll be ahead of the curve by using the suggestions above.
Ambitious Construction Contractors look to The Profit Constructors to provide advocacy in dealing with:
Clients and customers
Employees and subcontractors
Vendors and service providers
Governmental entities
Working with The Profit Constructors gives Construction Contractors the means to organize their operations in ways that help them:
Remain informed
Avoid hassles
Reduce risks
Be future-ready
Ready for action? Or want to know more? Get in touch today to schedule a complimentary discovery call. 866-629-7735
Comments