Meetings Communication center of any organization –Decision making body Best prepared  Readily accepted In-house –Not negotiation –Be prepared to contribute ideas With outside (selling or negotiating) –An appearance of unity –Careful preparation

Handling yourself Find out who called the meeting Find out the reason for the meeting Understand the subject Establish your own position on the subject Dress conservatively, speak objectively & confidently Be on time

Meeting Management Skills (Yours) Self-control Social poise Awareness of people, time, & place Tactfulness Analytical Persuasive Enthusiastic Honest/Direct Flexible Decisive What are your strengths & weaknesses?

In house Decision Making Meetings Popular –“two heads (or more) are better than one” –Group buy-in  increased commitment –Sharing responsibility But not always effective –The collective thinking problem: Barriers to free expression of thought –embarrassment or fear of reprisal –social ties  hold back views or lack of careful evaluation of proposals

Preventing Collective Thinking Encourage diverse input Legitimize disagreement and skepticism –It’s ok to rock the boat –Silence  interpreted as consent Idea generation vs idea evaluation –Early evaluation inhibits expression & restricts thinking  and  for each solution

Negotiations A Series of Compromises Bargaining –If money or risk is involved: meeting becomes a negotiation The Process: –Presentation of each party’s position incomplete or complete disclosure –Analysis & evaluation of the other’s position –Adjustment of one’s own position (as is reasonable)

Negotiation Principles Obliged to obtain the best deal Best strategy  –be reasonable, objective, use common sense –“leave something on the table”/”don’t push them into a corner” –Directed at major issues Its adversarial –reputation for honesty is useful Know the rules of the game –Gamesmanship

Negotiating Tips Determine the real objectives of the other party Don’t let personality frustrate progress Be prepared –Know the consequences if negotiations fail –To make reasonable concessions –To turn a disadvantage into an advantage

Negotiating Tips Keep a daily written record –Continually verify information Never walk out, unless want to end Quit when you are ahead Balance the interests of everyone to create a win-win situation

Managing Risks in Construction Risks exist whenever the future is unknown –Constantly striving to improve estimates & information Minimizing, covering, and sharing risks –Risk allocation  a bargaining consideration –Exculpatory clauses Shifting risk from one to another

Contractors: Risk management is their business Engineers: Risk aversion seems to be their business

Typical Engineering Risks Financial failure –The resources of all parties to a contract Management incompetence –Ongoing challenge: assigning personnel according to their respective competence Delays in work Errors & Omissions Conflicts in documents Defective Design Shop Drawings