Chapter 1 - Communication Skills

Question 1

People remember

Answer 1

10% of what they hear
20% of what they read
30% of what they see, and
50% of what they hear and see

Question 2

Speakers (senders) remember:

Answer 2

70% what they say, and

90% of what they say and do

Question 3

To be effective, the presenter should:

Answer 3

dress appropriately for the situation
maintain good personal hygiene
speak clearly and at a moderate pace
avoid speaking very softly or very loudly
pause between sentences and points
avoid space fillers such as “um” or “okay”
avoid excessive hand gestures
maintain eye contact with the audience
keep message short and on topic
avoid presenting too much or extra information that may distract the audience from the message being presented

Question 4

When listening, a person should:

Answer 4

make eye contact with the speaker; maintain good, attentive body posture by not slouching, rocking, or leaning back in the seat
turn off, close, and/or silence electronic devices;
listen objectively with the intent to understand the speakers perspective
hold questions until the speaker finishes speaking

Question 5

to remain effective when communicating by telephone:

Answer 5

speak clearly and at a moderate pace;
avoid speaking very softly or very loudly
minimize background noise
avoid using speakerphones in loud, noisy, and easily interrupted areas and where the conversations can be easily overheard;
keep conversations short and on topic

Question 6

a cover letter that accompanies other documents

Answer 6

letter of transmittal

Question 7

what should a letter of transmittal include?

Answer 7

the senders name and address
recipients name and address,
the project name and number
description of the items sent
number of copies of the items,
notes or directions concerning the items

Question 8

Used as formal correspondence to request information or action, respond to a request, state a position, or present an explanation

Answer 8

business letter

Question 9

what should a business letter include?

Answer 9

company's name and address
date of the letter
recipients name and address
subject
salutation (greetings)
content or body
complimentary closing
senders signature
senders name and title
a list of any enclosures
carbon copies (cc in an email)

Question 10

a less formal type of written correspondence used to notify or advise the reader about a subject

Answer 10

memorandum or memo

Question 11

what should a memo include?

Answer 11

the date of the memo, the recipients, the senders, subject, content or body, and carbon copies

Question 12

what is a memo used for?

Answer 12

internally to notify or provide clarification to employees about policy changes, procedures, or disciplinary issues
externally, to notify or remind subcontractors about important information or upcoming deadlines or meetings

Question 13

what is a business letter used for?

Answer 13

reserved for issues of great importance. Should be specific to a single project and address a single issue

Question 14

a method to quickly and securely send physical copies of documents through this machine

Answer 14

facsimiles or faxes

Question 15

what should a fax include

Answer 15

the date of the fax
the recipients name and fax number
the senders name and fax number 
subject
number of pages being sent
description of items sent and/or message

Question 16

a versatile electronic message commonly used for personal and business correspondence

Answer 16

e-mail

Question 17

what is the main benefit of email?

Answer 17

to transmit a wide range of documents via attatchments

Question 18

an informal form of written communication sent electronically between mobile phones

Answer 18

texting

Question 19

accounts used to promote a company or a business

Answer 19

social media

Question 20

a formal type of written correspondence used by contractors to seek out and document clarification of items in the project documents that may be unclear, missing, or require further information

Answer 20

RFI or Request for Information

Question 21

what should an RFI include?

Answer 21

the senders name and address
recipients name and adress
project name and number
clearly state what information is being requested and what type of response is needed
present a potential solution to the problem

Question 22

a type of formal written correspondence that modifies the contract or written agreement

Answer 22

change order

Question 23

this type of change order modifies the contract between the owner and the prime contractor

Answer 23

Owner Change Order

Question 24

this type of change order modifies the contract between the prime contractor and the subcontractor

Answer 24

Owner change order

Question 25

What should a change order include?

Answer 25

``` names and addresses of the contracted parties detailed description of the changes schedule impact of the changes cost impact of the changes signatures ```

Question 26

T/F: Texting your subcontractor that a change order is coming later in the day is a good practice

Answer 26

True

Question 27

an individuals personal record of daily conversations and events on a project

Answer 27

job diary

Question 28

a snapshot record of the day's/shift's conditions and activities on the jobsite

Answer 28

daily report

Question 29

T/F: daily reports are often used in litigation and should be drafted with that purpose in mind

Answer 29

true. | litigation - the process of taking legal action

Question 30

what should be included in a daily report?

Answer 30

``` date project name and number individual completing the report job-site weather and ground conditions job-site activities contractors labor subcontractors equipment material activities material deliveries visitors occurrences (notable events) signature and date/time stamp ```

Question 31

These reports represents internal communication between the project team and a company's upper management on the progress of a particular project

Answer 31

Weekly and Monthly reports

Question 32

what should weekly and monthly reports include?

Answer 32

Overall project status Schedule analysis Cost analysis Labor, material, and/or equipment analysis subcontractor and purchase order management changes in work

Question 33

who should the job diary be written by?

Answer 33

all members of the project management team

Question 34

if a job has more than one shift, how often should a daily report be completed?

Answer 34

each shift

Question 35

Daily reports are primarily created by whom?

Answer 35

superintendent

Question 36

What is an essential part of the construction process that allows for face-to-face conversations about the project to occur between multiple parties

Answer 36

Meetings

Question 37

what type of meeting is held to kickoff a project

Answer 37

pre-construction meetings

Question 38

in-house meetings before the construction of a project that includes, foremen, project managers, superintendents, estimators, and administrative assistants.

Answer 38

contractors pre-construction meetings

Question 39

sometimes referred to as transition meetings because the project is transitioned from the estimating staff to the project management staff

Answer 39

contractor's pre-construction meetings

Question 40

meetings held before the project starts between key project participants, which include the owner or his representative, key members of the design team, and members of the prime contractor's project management team

Answer 40

project pre-construction meetings

Question 41

meetings held before the project starts that are held between the members of the prime contractors prime management team and subcontractors and suppliers selected for the project

Answer 41

subcontractor pre-construction meetings

Question 42

This type of meeting used to coordinate design and/or work of multiple subcontractors. These meetings should occur prior to the start of all major or complex activities

Answer 42

Coordination meetings

Question 43

This type of meeting is held commonly every week and they are used to update participants on the status of the project and any other issues or concerns

Answer 43

OAC Progress Meetings | Owner/architect/contractor

Question 44

who is typically in the OAC meetings

Answer 44

owners or owners representatives, key members of the design team, and members of the prime contractors project management team

Question 45

This type of meeting is usually held every week, similar to OAC meetings but focus more heavily on the day-to-day. week-to-week operations of the project

Answer 45

Subcontractor Progress Meetings

Question 46

This type of meeting is held commonly every shift or every day. Short, 5-15 minutes and focus on site-specific and daily safety topics

Answer 46

Safety Meetings

Question 47

This type of meeting is typically held in-house after the completion of construction on large projects. Used to perform comprehensive reviews of the projects in order to assist the contractors in improving their construction processes

Answer 47

Post-Construction meetings

Question 48

A form of written communication used to organize and clearly communicate the intended content, objectives, and proposed discussion of a meeting

Answer 48

meeting agendas

Question 49

Agendas should include:

Answer 49

``` title (type of meeting, meeting number) list of requested/required attendees subject and/or purpose project identifiers (name, number) date, time, and anticipated length location intended content, objectives, and/or proposed discussions instruction or notes indicating how and what participants need to prepare for the meeting ```

Question 50

A written account of a meeting that summarizes the major points, decisions made, what work was completed, who completed it, and discussions that occurred in the meeting.

Answer 50

Meeting minutes

Question 51

Meeting mintues should include:

Answer 51

``` title (type of meeting, meeting number, ect.) project identifiers (name, number, ect.) date and time location of the meeting list of participants in attendance list of participants absent content and discussions like: approval of minutes project progress and schedule review submittals RFI, RFP, and change orders old and new business meeting adjourned and next meeting date and time ```

Question 52

when should meeting agendas be distributed?

Answer 52

at least one day prior to the meeting

Question 53

when should meeting mintues be distributed?

Answer 53

about one day after the meeting

Question 54

Which of the following types of meetings is typically held at regular weekly or biweekly intervals throughout the project? A. pre-construction meetings B. progress meetings C. post-construction meetings D. coordination meetings

Answer 54

progress meetings