As well as creating a record of exchanges, communicating ideas in writing formalises a view of issues which others can study at their leisure. The writer’s aim should be to create a record of information as it arises, confirming questions, answers and statements, establishing reference points about the course of action being taken or which could or should be taken as work proceeds.
Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts
Friday, February 12, 2010
Communication influence
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.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Building design as a collective approach to developing and managing information.
Professionalism described in the previous posts relies on forming successful working relationships, a two-way process of communication between people, building up confidence in each others ability to understand what is happening. Building design and later construction are not abstract processes undertaken in individual isolation. They are both reliant on a collective approach to developing and managing information. At various times throughout the lifespan of the project, ideas are discussed informally or presented formally for consideration. Documents are issued to interested parties recording outcome for guidance or future reference. Some are routine, may be of limited significance, but others are important, marking key points along the way as the new building materializes, firstly on paper and then on the ground.
