COMMUNICATION
 

Communication is associated with the conveyance of ideas between people.  The communication may be from one individual to another, from an individual to a group of people, or even from a group of people to an individual or another group.  There are various means by which this communication can take place.  It may be verbal (temporal), written (permanent), or even done through actions or behavior patterns.  For differing circumstances different means may be appropriate.  It is therefore important that careful consideration be given to the mode through which information is communicated.

ONE-WAY VERSUS TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION

There is a very significant difference between one-way and two-way communication. One-way communication is when there is a "transmitter" and a "receiver" with no role reversals.  That is, one party simply conveys a message to another party.  One-way communication carries with it the assumption that the message is clear and that the party receiving the message will fully understand the meaning and intent of it.  In short, one-way communication does not entail feedback.  Forms of this might include a telegram that is sent to someone, a message left on a telephone answering machine, or a written directive outlining instructions that are to be followed.  If actions are to be initiated as a result of the message, it is very important that the message be clear.

Two-way communication takes place when parties alternate their roles of "transmitter" and "receiver".  Thus, feedback is integral with two-way communication.  One party essentially sends a message to another party and the second party is then permitted to respond.  The response will generally be some form of acknowledgment that the message originally sent was clear or that additional information is needed.  The party originally sending the message can "test" the information sent by asking the second party to explain the message.   The person receiving the original message can also comment on any details that are not understood or on additional information that is needed before the message is clear.  On some matters, the role reversals may go through several iterations.  Eventually, both parties can recognize when a clear message has been conveyed.

In some cases a supervisor may consider that two-way communication is taking place when in fact it is really one-way communication.  This can occur when a supervisor assumes a very authoritarian role and intimidates subordinates.  Any questions about the clarity of a message might be viewed as questioning the authority of the supervisor. When this occurs, two-way communications are very strained and the subordinates receiving the message will simply try to deal with the information without asking questions.  Thus, it is vital that when two-way communication is sought that the forum be clearly established as such.  In most cases, two-way communication is advised.
 
 
 

VERBAL VERSUS WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

The essential differences between verbal and written communication should be clearly understood.  This is really not an issue of one-way versus two-way communication as verbal communication can be one-way or two-way.  Written communication, though seemingly one-way, can also be two-way communication.  For example, a written memorandum may be sent to a given party with a specific request for a response.  Thus, the communication is clearly two-way in nature.  Naturally, the timing of the response to written communication will be different than when the communication is verbal.

There are circumstances when verbal communication is preferred and there are circumstances when written communication is most appropriate.  There are also circumstances in which the choice is not trivial.  Verbal communication has the advantage of allowing quick feedback.  Under these conditions, clarity is established in a short time.  Written communication can be two-way in nature, but the feedback will take time.  The advantage is that written communication provides a well-documented permanent record.  Proper use should be made of both modes of communication (verbal and written).

There are times when verbal communication is inappropriate and also when written communication is inappropriate.  For example, verbal communication is generally inappropriate when the information is to be shared or if the message is to be communicated to yet another party.  The message can become distorted with each messenger.  Under such conditions, a written message would be most effective.  Verbal communication may also be inappropriate when two parties cannot come to an agreement on an issue.  For example, suppose a project manager for a construction firm becomes embroiled in an argument with the owner's representative over the acceptability of a particular product.  Both parties feel very firm about their points related to the argument.  These parties must communicate daily on various project matters.  Eventually, one party says to the other, "Look, it is clear we cannot come to an agreement on this issue at this time.  I suggest that we each carefully document our viewpoints and we either resolve this later or we will have others resolve the matter for us.  We need to stay focused on the project.  Arguing over these points and getting emotions flared will not help this project.  Agreed?"  The other party agrees?  These parties have too much at stake to let a disagreement impact their daily working relationship.

When is written communication inappropriate?  While it may appear that when conditions make written communication possible that this option should be taken, this is not always well advised.  Note that a chief advantage of written communication is that a permanent record is established.  A permanent record may not always be the most desirable end result.  In fact, a permanent record may even be a disadvantage.  Consider the following example: A project engineer on a construction project in Dunedin observed Al Smith, the superintendent, placing a welding machine on the back of his utility truck.  The project engineer promptly wrote a letter to the president of the company to inform her of the perceived theft.  The president was out of town when the letter arrived, so the letter marked "urgent" was opened by the secretary and given to the vice president.  The vice president was not sure of the appropriate action to take.  Eventually, the vice president got several other officers of the company involved before action was to be taken.  Several drastic measures were being considered.  Before any resolution was reached, the president happened to call the office to check on any matters of concern. When the supposed "theft" of the welding machine was brought to her attention, she explained, "There has been no theft.  Why did no one confront Al to discuss this with him?  He would have explained everything.   Al called me a few weeks ago to see if he could take a week-long vacation.  The project in Dunedin is finishing up soon and he felt this would not compromise the job.  He wanted to take his son on a fishing trip near Nelson.  Since I knew he would be taking his utility truck, I asked if he would do me a favor and take the welding machine up to our Blenheim project.  Since the welding machine is no longer needed on the Dunedin project he agreed to do it.  If someone had talked to Al he would have told you the same story.  Now, drop this matter immediately before some serious damage is done."  Unfortunately, the superintendent had now been "branded" in writing as a thief.  This entire situation would have been avoided if the project engineer had taken the time to simply ask the superintendent about the welding machine.  When the superintendent returned to work after his vacation, the relations between the superintendent and the project engineer were very strained.  Note that since the allegation of theft was in writing, the vice president did not seriously question the merits of the allegation.

Writing words and speaking them are not simply different mediums of communication. In general, most people have little difficulty in conveying messages, especially when the communication is informal and one-on-one.  When placed in front of a group, some people become nervous and exhibit poor patterns of speech.  This is largely overcome with practice and training.

Communicating well in writing is difficult for most engineers.  Perhaps this is because writing is not emphasized as part of the engineering curriculum.  Despite this, the writing skills of engineers may determine to a large extent the success that an engineer experiences.  Writing skills too can be improved with training and experience, but this requires more attention than do speaking skills.

VERBAL VERSUS NON-VERBAL AND WRITTEN VERSUS UNWRITTEN

It would seem on the surface that once a clear message is spoken or written there should be no confusion as to the idea conveyed.  This is not always the case however. Sometimes the real message being sent is quite contrary to the one spoken or written. The spoken or written message may simply be the more palatable one, while the real message, though not as acceptable, may be quite clear.  An example may clarify this point.  Consider the case where a company president addresses the employees at an annual company banquet.  One of the project superintendents is given an award of $100 for having the best safety record.  The president lauds the efforts of this superintendent to make construction safe for the workers and he continues by stressing the utmost importance of safety above all other factors in the company.  Shortly thereafter, another project superintendent is asked to come forward to receive an award of $2,000 for having the most profitable project.  What message has been sent to the employees?  Clearly, despite the words spoken by the president, every employee knows without a doubt that profits weigh more heavily than does the safety of the company's employees.  If the message is not clearly felt, it may be more poignantly ingrained into one of the project engineers during the following week when a request for additional safety belts is denied by the home office because of the excessive cost involved.
 HIDDEN AGENDA

Sometimes messages become clouded when the message being conveyed does not appear to address a common objective or the objective that is generally accepted.  This can occur when the individual sending the message has a second or hidden agenda.  This hidden agenda may be the primary or ever the sole objective of the sender.  However, in order to avoid complications, the real objective is never given.  When messages do not coincide with accepted objectives, one might be wise to question the real motivation behind the message.  Is there a hidden agenda?

It is most common for hidden agenda to be observed during meetings.  Because an individual's goal may not be consistent with that of the rest of the group, it is common for the individual to pursue the personal goal under the guise of a more global objective. These unstated goals can lead to frustrations to those conducting meetings and to those who attend such meetings.

The following is an example of a hidden agenda:  A Christchurch construction firm has decided to submit a tender for a large project in Indonesia.  In order to prepare an accurate estimate of the costs of construction, it is decided that one of the engineers should make a site investigation prior to finalizing the project cost estimate.  The engineer asked one of the secretaries to purchase a ticket from a particular airline. Before the secretary finalized the booking, the engineer was presented with the following information.  The secretary said, " I have checked on that ticket to Indonesia.  I can get the ticket you asked for or I can get you a ticket on another carrier that leaves 3 hours later.  The earlier flight will cost $650 more.  Should I book the less expensive ticket?" The engineer responded, "No!  I told you I wanted the other flight and that is the one I want you to get for me.  I need to get there early in the day."  The secretary replied, "But isn't a three-hour delay worth $650?  You will be in Indonesia for four days anyway, so three hours shouldn't make that much difference.  On either flight you will actually arrive after business hours."  Finally, the engineer acquiesced and told the secretary to book the cheaper flight, secretly lamenting that all those "frequent flier" benefits the other carrier would not be earned.  When confronted sufficiently, the engineer realized that personal objectives should not be placed before the firm's objectives.

LISTENING

With every message that is conveyed, there is at least one transmitter and one receiver. Most information on communication is focused on the transmitter.  While the transmitter's role is indeed important, the role being played by the receiver should not be under estimated.  One should always be a good listener.

The following example shows where listening is not a strong feature.  A young engineer was perplexed by a design problem and so he entered his boss's office to discuss it.  His boss was busily writing notes concerning one of the construction projects.  He said, "Sit down and tell me what's on your mind."  The engineer begins to explain the problem and the boss continues to write notes.  Occasionally, the boss nods or mumbles to acknowledge that he is still following the conversation.  Then, the engineer asks what he should do?  The boss responds by saying, "Well, I bet that any one of the other engineers will be able to help you with that.  If you still have questions, just get back to me on it."

In another setting, a young engineer was perplexed about a design problem.  She asked her boss if she could talk to him.  He said, "I'm a bit pre-occupied right now.  As soon as I have this resolved, I will call you."  About forty minutes later, he called the engineer and asked her to come to his office.  A few minutes later, she began to walk to his office. When she arrived, her boss was busy writing some notes.  He asked her to sit down as he continued to write two more sentences.  When he had finished, he set the pen aside, pushed himself back from the desk and said, "Now, what is on your mind?"  She proceeded to describe what she felt was an error in the shuttering design on one of the projects.  She had approached other engineers with the problem, but they all told her that the design is quite standardized and that it was suitable for the job.  When she pointed out that wind loads would be a factor on the bracing, she had always been ignored.  When she finished describing her concerns, her boss asked, "Do you have any calculations on this?"  To this she said, "Yes, I have them right here."  The engineer was correct in her boss's assessment and some design changes were quickly implemented.
 

THE WORDS USED TO COMMUNICATE

Communication is a complex action.  In most cases, the communication is through the use of words, whether spoken or written.  Since the objective of communication is to convey ideas and understanding, it is important that the words used are uniformly understood.  Jargon may be quite appropriate when two engineers are discussing some aspect (stress, strain, shear, moment, modulus, deflection, etc.) of an engineering problem.  However, this jargon may not be understood by those without technical training.

Similar problems in communication can occur when slang terms are used.  For whatever reason, the construction industry is typified by having many slang terms and expressions. One not versed in these terms will scarcely understand the topic of discussion, much less the specific intent.

Suppose two individuals are conversing in English.  One individual learned English as a second language.  Under these conditions, the bilingual party may have a different appreciation of some terms.  Constant feedback is well-advised to insure that the proper message has been conveyed.
 
 
 

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Body language can often contribute to the message being sent or the message being received.  Of course, this issue is made considerably more complex when individuals of different cultures are involved.  Being able to read certain signs of body language or to avoid making them may prove helpful at times.  For example, when the receiver listens to a message with arms folded in front of the chest, it generally can be inferred that there is some reservation about freely accepting the message.  Arms unfolded would imply that one is quite receptive to an idea.

Various actions will have different meanings in different cultures.  The personal space allowed an individual may differ between two cultures.  Facial expressions can convey many different signals (boredom, interest, sadness, joy, anger, indifference, etc.).  Eye contact, while being important in Western cultures, is avoided in some cultures when a subordinate wants to show reverence to one in authority.  Various hand gestures can also be used to send signals, and these signals may be different for different cultures.  Even one's clothing may send a signal to others.  It is particularly when individuals of a different culture are involved that efforts should be made to understand the differences in signals that can be sent through non-verbal communication.  This will help to avoid offending people and it will help all parties to focus on the central theme of the message that is being sent.