Communicate. Relate. Manage.

The most integral part of any successful relationship is communication. Ask any man or woman, business executive or not. This ancient rule of communication and relationships is equally relevant to construction and it shows throughout the industry, according to a recent article in Qualified Remodeler.

In that article, several general contractors were surveyed about managing trade contractors and how to successfully do that. Of course, communication took top billing. But there are some different approaches to achieving good communication with and between subcontractors. Communication is facilitated by everybody talking at once, there are important steps to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and issues addressed without upsetting the flow of work. Here are a few tips on making this happen:

• Some remodelers schedule regular meetings between project managers and all trade contractors on site and make it a point to communicate daily with each sub individually.
• Some use a three-ring binder to track and organize progress, others prefer new, Web-based project management tools.
• All use whatever means is necessary to keep open, proactive lines of communication, be it phone, email, or personal.

The majority of general contractors like to use the same trade contractors for several projects. This depends on the type of relationship that is built between contractor and subcontractor. Both sides stand to prosper from a positive relationship. Subcontractors know that there is a line of other contractors waiting to do their job. General contractors are aware of the problems involved in switching contractors too often. That inhibits the development of free-flowing communication lines and, subsequently, inhibits the flow of work.

Different contractors utilize a different percentage of trade contractors (as opposed to their own crews) to complete jobs. Nevertheless, the essential importance of communicative and positive working relationships with contractors, employees, or a mixture thereof, is vital to the success of any construction firm.

Read the full text of the Qualified Remodeler article.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 20th, 2008 at 2:18 pm and is filed under Contractor Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.