To be successful, communication must be understood by recipients. Simply passing information from one point to another may not be sufficient if the form, style and content are not appropriate in the circumstances to convey the necessary meaning. Poor communication may be of little value, counterproductive, misleading, confusing, negligent or even dangerous.
The form, content and the relative importance of communication will depend on its purpose at the time. For example, informal discussions between the consultants exploring possibilities permits flexibility as design work develops, but confirmation of specific data such as required floor loadings must be formally agreed and circulated as the basis for further detailed design work in order to avoid wasted effort in the event of subsequent misunderstanding.
The form, content and the relative importance of communication will depend on its purpose at the time. For example, informal discussions between the consultants exploring possibilities permits flexibility as design work develops, but confirmation of specific data such as required floor loadings must be formally agreed and circulated as the basis for further detailed design work in order to avoid wasted effort in the event of subsequent misunderstanding.
