A hands-on Workshop for Those Who Write On the Job

one 7 hr session

Understanding the why and how of construction correspondence is not always simple for those new to construction or to those advancing through the ranks.  The ability to write in an effective style that is direct, professional, comprehensive and understandable leads to higher levels of efficiency and better opportunity.  The construction industry has very specific requirements for project documentation and communications that require very focused efforts.

This non-academic, all-day, hands-on workshop will guide participants through the basic pieces of correspondence used in the construction industry.  It approaches everything from the basic rules of grammar to industry specific documentation requirements.

Participants will engage in improving their comprehension and writing through fun, fast paced exercises designed to demonstrate both the why and the how for each piece of correspondence being considered.  Specific correspondence considered includes:

• Notice of Delay and Delay Impact
• Notice of Differing Site Conditions or other Changes
• Notice of Unresolved Issues – Potential Claim
• Notice of Substantial Completion
• Change Order Requests
• Requests for Information – RFIs
• Meetings – reports and advanced communication of meeting agenda
• Daily reports
• Emails
• Responses to incoming communication
• Work Authorizations / Work Directives
• Various Requests

Style, form, format, and industry specific requirements will be discussed all along the way.  Participants may bring their own laptop computers or use paper handouts for the hands-on exercises.

 Learning Objectives / Outcomes

Upon completion participants will:

• have reviewed basic problematic issues relative to grammar, word usage, sentence structure, and spelling.
• know why many key pieces of correspondence are used
• know how to write many key pieces of correspondence
• know how to recognize and correct ambiguities
• have a better appreciation for what the construction industry needs and expects
• have more confidence to write in more specific, understandable ways
• be able to reduce the length of most communication while gaining more effectiveness
• know how to get recipients to respond to their writing in a more meaningful way
• know how to respond to both routine and crucial correspondence