Leadership Team Communication

Open and frequent communication does not automatically build great projects or construction companies.

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
Share

But it does certainly increase the odds to the point where great communication inside and outside the company is a competency that leaders should work to deliberately build.

Quote: We are so aligned that we don't even talk to each other when you aren't here. Management Team at Anonymous Contractor. Book: The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle.

Communication is a skill that can be built just like any other.  Communication is something that must be practiced and coached daily until it becomes a habit just like teaching someone a trade skill.  

Communication includes verbal, non-verbal (body language) and written skills.  

For the construction industry the ability to make diagrams, schedules, sketches and mark-up drawings are critical communication skills.  

Communication is as much about listening to and learning from others as it is about ensuring that you are heard.  

Communication is about both informal and formal communication routes and operating rhythms.  The “water cooler” is critical for building relationships and sharing ideas. As contractors and projects scale up in size there is more need for formalized communication paths such as the submittal process as well as routine meetings and standardized agendas for ensuring communication happens.  

Communication is a major aspect of culture as Daniel Coyle explores in The Culture Code




3-Year Business Planning (Basic Overview)
Your 3-Year Business Plan is the equivalent of a Short-Interval-Plan (SIP) on a construction project. It sets specific objectives and key results for the whole team. It allows you to plan your resources and know if you are on track or not.
Contractor Exit Strategy 5 of 6: Sale to Management
Contractor Exit Strategy 5 of 6: Sale to Management. A very common exit strategy for contractors and one that might be integrated with passing the business down to family or used when there is no family involved in the management of the company.
Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) and Contractor Growth
A responsibility matrix is a simple but powerful tool for helping everyone on a project and in the company see who is responsible for what. With a few added columns, it can easily indicate when, what tools, and link to the "how-to" procedures.