How can we structure meetings or systems to encourage effective jobsite communication?
By Vera Novak
Construction projects are becoming more complex, with increasing levels of regulations, more product choices, and higher performance expectations. And there are so many more ways of getting bombarded with information – e-mail, text, voice-mail – that we get swept up into survival mode of responding to the bits of info as it comes along.
But the danger of this multi-tasking is that it doesn’t really work: you lose sight of the big picture (only seeing one piece of the elephant), and there is really no one who has a handle on the whole situation.
On commercial projects, the solution to this problem has been early morning trailer huddles or at least message boards at the jobsite trailer. The trend is to increase the membership to these meetings – inviting in subs who previously just got their marching order as they went along.
The problem with these meetings is that the communication is mostly a one-way deal. The schedule and work packets have already been figured out, and are just being passed along. Yet the meeting can help in creating awareness of what other workers will be doing on the job site, and ideally does allow for some shifting work around a conflict area, mostly regarding safety.
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Evaluating and tackling job-site waste
The problem with this traditional method of communication is that expectations don’t always match reality. Years ago, Greg Howell and Glenn Ballard measured the percentage of planned work that was actually completed, and discovered that it was often very disappointing. The work would just get rescheduled, and would have already created havoc through lost productive work time and increased stress from the unpredictability. They went on to develop a practice known as “The Last Planner,” in which activities are first “made ready” by completing all precedent work. This ensures that all resources and supplies are in place, and that any affiliated work is ready to be deployed at the same time.
Once the day or week is over, any work that doesn’t go as planned is analyzed for the underlying reason, in order to correct the condition on future work. The goal is to increase the predictability of the work.
The Lean Construction Institute
This is just a quick cameo of the type of communication and streamlining of work that Howell and Ballard developed. Along with their colleague Iris Tommelein, they founded the Lean Construction Institute and catalyzed a shift in efficiency, value delivery, and improved design and project management.
If you haven’t yet tapped into this very logical and powerful concept of lean thinking, then I would recommend seeking out a local community of practice.
Better communications systems for residential job sites
My current challenge is to adapt this same underlying concept to the smaller scale of residential construction. What happens when you don’t have a jobsite trailer? Or if your subs typically don’t ever meet each other until the job site? And, in fact, the scheduling is often set up so that there is no overlap, thus avoiding the conflicts that have often ensued when subs tangle on site.
Is there a way of tapping into this same communication technology that drives us into frenzy, and tame it into submission? Would it be possible to have one initial face-to-face meeting at the outset of the job, for everyone to meet, identify their precedent work needs, and jointly determine a schedule? Is there a way to convert this information to a jobsite board that is interactive, with the ability to assess real-time what is work-ready, or what needs to be rescheduled?
This is the challenge that I am about to undertake for a local affordable housing project. I would very much welcome any input. (My e-mail address is ecobuildtrends [at] gmail [dot] com.).
There is much to be gained – if we can figure this out.
Dr. Vera Novak was recently awarded a PhD in Construction by Virginia Tech. Her work is dedicated to increased depth and breadth of sustainability in construction, by leveraging the points of greatest potential impact. She is currently working on optimizing corporate sustainability practices to support regenerative design, as well as adapting a lean thinking process for smaller scale projects. She also writes the Eco Build Trends blog.
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View Comments
Vera,
I think much of this is already figured out, it's just that the solution is difficult to attain.
A knowledgeable, conscientious, accountable and responsible project manager acting as the central "hub" for the flow of information is what it takes for successful project completion. To somehow "systematize" this person's function is what you appear to be after. On small scale projects it's impractical to put in enough levels of management, oversight, assessment, evaluation, etc to circumvent the need for the one central person that is responsible for just getting things done.
This paragraph from above:
"Once the day or week is over, any work that doesn't go as planned is analyzed for the underlying reason, in order to correct the condition on future work. The goal is to increase the predictability of the work."
highlights the gulf between how people accomplish things on a jobsite and the type of "system" it would take for similar results.
The core difficulty in attaining efficient, effective project management with the ever increasing complex flow of jobsite information is finding and retaining the caliber of person for the job. Any new ideas developed in your quest are most welcome as the type of individual qualified for project management seem to be increasingly rare.
Matt Jackson
The Digital Jobsite
I am currently engaged as general contractor for a complex residential build with a remote client. I have asked my leads to use Smart Sheet (a web based PM tool) along with myself and the clients, to track schedule, specifications, and communications.
It requires a commitment to the medium and diligence, but the tool seems to be appropriate. There is an "app" for iPhone and soon to be one for android, making remote access possible and practical.
The most useful attribute is keeping all info in one place. As G.C. I take the lead here, being sure info is where it belongs and up to date. As well, conversations are documented and time stamped, so we always know who said what and when.
Good luck!
Though I cannot think of one to admit it, residential contractors are pretty much all poor team players. It's kinda the nature of the business. Everybody is their own boss like a group of lone cowboys. You might get a few to play by your rules for awhile but eventually they all go their own way. I believe that any manager or general that would attempt to rein all their subs in in the manner suggested would eventually become bitter in their attempt.
Not to mention that in the small scale world of residential remodeling by about the time you figure out what the stumbling blocks of your particular project are and decided on a method to fix it you're likely already moved on to the next project and scratching your head over new problems.
Sadly this is simply the nature of the residential contracting business. The paradigm within our society and educational system tells our youth "If you don't like rules, don't want to go to college, and 'don't test well' then you should look at going into the skilled trades." The result is that the residential construction field is full of a bunch of 'non-conformists'.
You gotta take the good with the bad, as this sometimes means that you find a contractor who is exceptionally talented at his craft. You could find someone who decided after college and career that he just didn't want to sit at a cubicle anymore so he sought out the freedoms of being an independent contractor. You could find that kid who ventured out on his own from the family business. Maybe you find a true renaissance artist of residential construction. But more often than not it seems you find some dude just trying to "get-er-dun" and collect some beer'n'weed money, or you find a contractor who is strung out on too many jobs to give full attention to yours, or someone who realized late that he underbid, or "no hables ingles", or Cap'n Shorttemper, or Mr. Unreliable.
The point is that the residential field is not the easiest place to insert teamwork. The time together is too short, the money to be made is too little, and the competent persons are too difficult to search out.