Communication And Keeping Expectations Realistic Keeps Surprises to a Minimum

By Bob Hoebeke
President, Hoebeke Builders

“I would if I could, but I can’t, so I won’t.” Not a lot of real optimism here, but that might end up being the tag line offered in response to an unrealistic expectation.

Everyone goes into a building project with a set of expectations. Being openly transparent with the project team (architect, builder, interior designer, and landscape architect) at the beginning of the project, minimizes the risk of being disappointed. 

Don’t Risk It, Be Realistic

Realistic expectations are always derived from discussions with your team during the establishment of project goals and parameters. The message from the last article was creating unity for a common cause. Each goal or parameter sets a realistic expectation for you and your TEAM.

For example, the goal of “needing to down-size my lifestyle” should never result in a design larger than the client’s existing home. The owner realistically expects a smaller design.

Similarly, budgets and timeline were established in a well-coordinated team plan, complete with action points (milestones) on who was going to do what. Realistic expectations were established through team agreement, and any violation or deviation from those deal-points results in a broken expectation. 

Unrealistic expectations are usually framed when expecting the impossible. For example, the team has worked really hard to deliver a plan allowing your 5,000-square-foot home foundation to be poured on May 15. For a home loaded with goodies, it would be unrealistic to expect your team to have the project finished by Christmas. 

Surprise is the enemy of any building project.

You’ll find no quicker way of shattering expectations than if your project team delivers a surprise to the project. But, by using the “tools” we’ve discussed in previous articles, you can dramatically reduce surprises, and create realistic expectations with your team. Here are some ideas for minimizing project surprise:

• Revisit the Lifestyle Inventory you created at the beginning of the project, and share those ideas with your team. Early on in the process, you decided (on paper we hope!) what was important, and what was not; what your needs were versus your wants. Those ideas should be shared with your team, and followed by healthy discussion.
• Use your pictures to communicate ideas. Work was done early in collecting and categorizing pictures (magazine, internet, even photos you’ve taken) that appeal to your eye. Sharing them with your team literally ‘is worth a thousand words!’ Again, a healthy discussion with your team should result in realistic expectations.
• Whip out your 3-by-5 card! Crazy as it sounded at the beginning of this series of articles, with a room full of professionals huddled around a table, all discussing sizes and shapes, the work you’ve done in measuring your existing home and committing the room sizes to a 3-by-5 card will help you create valuable “word pictures” in your mind. For example, a 16.5-foot by 14-foot dining room being discussed may actually be the size of your daughter’s existing room, but understanding those sizes in your mind will help minimize surprises.
• Challenge your team to value engineer. Busted cost milestones lead to surprises, and surprises lead to expectation violation. Why pay more for something when it can be built in a different way, using different materials, while still looking the same as envisioned? Value engineering will not only save you money but telling your team you’ll accept the same look for a lesser price helps keep budgets in line.

Everyone derives great joy in working together, planning together, and pulling on the same side of the rope. Building or remodeling your home is a marathon, not a sprint. Honest, open communication always helps maximize the output, while minimizing the surprise!

NEXT TIME: We’ll discuss empowering your team for maximum efficiency.

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From, developing a “Lifestyle Inventory,” to building and monitoring your Project Team, Hoebeke Builders Consulting Services has all the tools necessary to dramatically increase your project’s efficiency, while decreasing your project’s cost! www.hoebekebuilders.com