Lacking of communication on construction sites can lead to costly
delays and much worse. The wrong materials could be installed or a significant
element overlooked. Here are five ways to get your
construction staff on the right track.
1.Use meetings properly
Most construction groups hold weekly or even daily safety
meetings. Covering the required safety topics is important, but this time
should also be used to cover any other important issues on the agenda.
To keep meetings orderly, one individual should be in charge of
the discussion. Each group supervisor can create a list of their current
problems, including parts shortages or change orders. The designated employee
can go over the areas and keep conversations from wandering to eliminate wasted
time. Simply arranging for all workers to meet for five or 10 minutes before or
after a shift will provide the time needed for keeping everyone updated.
2.Post notices
Gang boxes and break areas are good locations for posting
notices. Use a system of having employees initial notices after reading them.
This will allow you to know which workers may have missed the information and
you can reach out to them directly. Notices can provide information on
everything from change orders to scheduled meetings.
3.Be approachable
This can be a critical issue on construction sites. As a general
manager or supervisor, your time is often spent chasing down problems. Staying
in one location for any length of time is difficult. Paying attention to every
small problem is even more difficult.
Unfortunately, if workers feel they cannot communicate with you,
things will get out of control quickly. If your situation does not allow for
individual contact, make sure that supervisors are available to all
workers on crews. Employees must be able to go to a supervisor when problems
develop, and the small problems are often the ones that quickly become major
work interruptions.
4.Follow a chain of command
Because communication errors can be so costly, you need to make
sure that you establish a strong chain of command. Again, you may not
always be available, which leaves crew supervisors in the position of making
critical decisions. The responsibility level of each supervisor depends of the
exact nature of your business, but all workers must know where to go to get the
answers they require. Your supervisors can then contact you or handle problems
and advise you of the solutions later.
5.Use technology for all workers
Communication will be greatly improved when issues are relayed
immediately. Cellphones are not always the answer on construction sites,
especially for heavy equipment operators.
Tablets or laptop computers can be used to store current
blueprints and can be updated quickly through wireless technology. These can be
easily mounted in heavy equipment to provide operators with the latest data
they need to get their work done the right way. By adding GPS tracking,
supervisors will always know where operators are, reducing the time spent
locating operators and equipment.
Making technology work for you will reduce communication delays
and mistakes. Each supervisor has the ability to use their own device to keep
in touch with crew members. Changes to blueprints can be made without finding
each outstanding hard copy and replacing it. While this may not eliminate all
errors, it will make your daily operations easier while providing more control
over individual stages.
