What To Do When Things Go Wrong
What To Do When Things Go Wrong
When…Not IF?
Construction projects are really complex processes, I’ll be the first to admit that. And with the rise of the age of information, how to guides are freely available, anyone can learn how to build a home, install their own siding, wire their own home etc. and for most trades, certification or education is available, but not required. Anyone can buy a van and call themselves a plumber, or a contractor. And just as there are no perfect people, there are no perfect builds. But the number one issue I see in construction isn’t a lack of skill, it is the number one issue in all relationships, communication.
Communication
Because there are many many stakeholders working on a construction site, there are many tasks to be performed, and many times each task’s success is predicated on the quality of it’s predecessor. The smoothness of the drywall is often predicated on the quality of the framing. The tile job is often predicated on the quality of the framer’s and plumber’s work. And so on…With so many entities working together, or not, if communication isn’t clear, or if it’s non existent, issues are likely to arise. Whether it’s one trade refusing to start until the issue is fixed, or a trade being unaware of a certain spec the client has chosen, and being asked to rework a task, what do you do when things go wrong?
Keep The Temperature Down
The most important thing is to keep a clear head and keep the temperature down. Nobody wins if things get heated. I have seen tantrums that would rival my 4 year old from grown adults. Any chance of a solution gets really small once someone gets visibly upset.
Blame Game
One instinct we all have is to abdicate responsibility and assign blame, especially if the responsibility looks like it’s pointed at us. Whether you’re the client or GC, the best thing you can do, if you’re working toward a solution, is to avoid the blame game. If it’s a situation where responsibility must be assigned, grace and tact will go a long way in preserving a relationship and getting to a solution.
Solutions Minded
One thing I learned as a PM in luxury home building: if you’re going to a meeting to discuss a problem, you’d better have at least 2 possible solutions/options ready to discuss. If you’re there just to discuss a problem, the meeting isn’t going to go very well. Once the problem is defined, move to solutions as quickly as you can. In many cases, what’s been done is done, and the more quickly your group can move into the solutions phase of problem solving, the more productive the meeting will be, and the more positive the outcomes will feel.
Trust the Experts
On some jobsites, a clear hierarchy is apparent. Everybody does what the client says, but the builder listens to the architect, the trades listen to the builder, and the apprentices don’t listen to anybody. Just kidding, that’s a little jobsite joke. Let’s take an example: say a plumbing drain is plumbed for a center drain in a shower, but the client told the builder they wanted a linear end drain. The information was relayed after the drawings were complete, so the plans have a center drain spec’d. We’re now all in a site meeting, to discuss what to do. The easy thing to do is lay the blame at the feet of the builder and say “you fix it!” but maybe the best thing to do is ask the plumber how they might tackle this problem. Too often, the plumber just waits silently to be told what to do, while the builder, designer and client discuss a solution to a problem that none of them has an expertise in. Consult the people who do the task all day everyday.
Documentation
In our industry, so much information is relayed verbally. We have walk throughs, site meetings, phone conversations, casual conversations on Friday afternoons at the site entrance, etc, and too often important information is talked about, but not written down. The best practices here is to send a summary email or even a text once the conversation is over, summarizing what’s been talked about, and what decisions were made. This figurative paper trail does 2 things: Firstly, it clarifies and distills what was talked about in case there are discrepancies. Secondly, with confirmation, there is a written record of information flows, which can be very helpful in the case of a dispute. I’ve had to pull my own phone records, send in copies of my notebook, emails, text messages in disputes before, and things would have been much easier if I had cleaner documentation. I tell my students whoever has the most documentation wins a construction dispute.
Grace
It’s really important to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume they are trying their best, unless it’s obvious they aren’t. We also don’t know what is going on outside of work, so a little grace goes a long way. This industry can be adversarial, and people remember kindness when it’s extended to them.
Thanks for reading…
Aaron