It’s a well-known fact that good communication in the construction industry is crucial to a project’s success. This couldn’t be truer than in our business, where the success of each project depends heavily on the careful management of hundreds if not thousands of small details. Having the right materials and equipment, the right crew and subcontractors, and the right architect and other professionals are very important, but it’s the coordination of these various people and elements that typically make or break a project.
I tell our people that they should never be afraid to ask a question or to speak up if they don’t understand something, or if they see something that doesn’t look quite right. I try to do the same in my own dealings with our customers, their architects, and everyone else involved in our work. It’s a policy that has kept us out of trouble and allowed us to grow our business and to continually expand our skill set.
Good communication in the construction industry includes everyone
The owners, the architect, structural engineer, landscape architect, and many of the vendors for a specific project may be new to us. By creating efficient, open lines of communication, we are able to gain the owner’s trust and confidence and to reduce the stress of all involved.
On one project we were challenged to explore and utilize new structural techniques and new and different approaches to custom door construction, timber framing details, main stair construction, and interior trim detailing. It felt good to be pushed; to demonstrate the extent of our skills and to build upon them, something we never would have been able to do without the confidence of all involved. I like to think that our enthusiasm for pushing the envelope is part of our company culture.
Custom homes, large or small, often contain fresh sets of challenges to make our lives interesting, and after 30+ years we have a pretty good base of experience to help us make sense of the new challenges and opportunities that each project presents.
Listening is half of good communication
Of course, the other key to good communication is being a good listener. We try very hard to listen to our customers and their design teams and to understand their needs. Again, this not only helps us to avoid mistakes, but it’s also led to some very interesting opportunities for us. Our new custom woodworking division is a perfect example of this. In recent years we’ve seen a growing interest among our customers in things like custom built-ins, freestanding furniture, and other intricate woodworking applications. The woodworking division allows us to meet this need while broadening our overall skill set and offering a creative outlet for some of our most talented people. And besides, it’s FUN!
