Reports and Presentations - Construction Project Scheduling and Control - page 248

Little John was excited about his new pair of pants, but they were a bit too long for him.
He asked his oldest sister, Dorothy, “Would you please take 4 inches off my new pants?” “I
would, but I have to go out now,” she said. He asked his middle sister, Terry, “My beloved
sister, would you please take 4 inches off my new pants?” With a sad smile, she replied, “I
am so sorry, I can't. I am too busy with house chores.” He thought he would never ask his
little sister, Lisa, but he had no choice. “I am really sorry, Johnny. I have tons of homework
to do,” she said. Little John went to bed, upset that he would not be able to wear his new
pants to school the next day. Dorothy came back home early that evening. She wanted to
surprise her little brother. She quietly went to his room and took the pants to her room. She
was good at alterations. She altered them in no time and put them back in their place.
Terry finished her house chores and still had some energy. “I feel so guilty letting my little
brother down,” she thought. Not knowing what her sister just did, she took 4 more inches
off the pants. Lisa was sitting in her room doing homework and studying for an exam the
next day. She was thinking of little John's disappointment at not being able to wear his
new pants to school. Despite her not-so-friendly relationship with him, she closed her book
and went to his room, took the new pants, and shortened them by yet 4 more inches. Next
morning, the family was having an early breakfast when angry John came in with his
new pants reaching barely below his knees and asked, “Who is the idiot who took a foot off
my new pants?”
INTRODUCTION
Without a doubt, good communication is an essential component of successful man-
agement. This means conveying the right (or proper) information to the right party
at the right time and in the right form. There are 12 characteristics of good commu-
nication, which are as follows:
1. Clarity : The information must be clear to the receiver. Such ambiguous and
subjective terms as “as soon as possible,” “good performance,” and “the
changes must be authorized by a responsible person in the architect's orga-
nization” should be avoided. Acronyms and abbreviations must not be used
in the contract unless they are identified in the contract or they are standard
in the industry. Terms to designate future time, such as “tomorrow,” “next
Tuesday,” or “4 days later,” should be accompanied by a date. The speaker or
writer must make sure that the listener or reader understands exactly what is
meant. Technical terms can be used only with people who have a compatible
technical background and can understand them.
In communication, a clear title is important, especially when e-mail is
used. E-mail has its own protocol and etiquette; in this context, when a busi-
ness e-mail is sent, it must have a clear title, indicating the subject of the
e-mail.
2. Simplicity : Simplicity helps to improve understanding. If the information
can be efficiently conveyed in one sentence, two sentences or a paragraph
should not be used. The contract may contain phrases that may not be easy
for a layperson to understand because of their legal nature. That is why