Full Transcript for Protecting the Project: Why Paperwork Actually Matters

00:04:42.160 I think it also makes the whole practice feel colder and more stressful than it needs to be. 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:55.839 But here's the thing, though, all of those versions of the paperwork are are just paperwork done badly, or they're paperwork done for the wrong reasons, because the best use of documentation in my experience looks nothing like any of that. 00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:58.000 It's very, it's quiet, I'll say, and friendly. 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:03.920 It's kind of almost invisible, and it works because nobody ever has to use it as a weapon. 00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:10.480 So let me explain what I mean by a shared memory, uh, because I think it's it's sort of the heart of this whole conversation today. 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:21.600 The human memory is wonderful, and it's also unreliable in some very predictable ways, because we're gonna remember the gist of a conversation, but not maybe not the exact words. 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:24.879 Um, I don't know about you guys, but not everybody remembers the specifics. 00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:26.319 I certainly don't. 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:31.600 Uh we we remember what we meant, which isn't always the same as what we said. 00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:43.040 We remember our commitments obviously more vividly than the other persons, and we're all, without exception, subject to remembering a conversation in a way that's slightly flattering to our own position. 00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:47.360 And it's not because we're dishonest, it's just because that's that's how memory works. 00:05:47.600 --> 00:06:00.959 And on a short job, that doesn't maybe it might not matter as much, but on a project that runs for many months or years with many people, many decisions, tons of handoffs, that's gonna matter a lot more. 00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:08.720 And by the time the project is actually wrapping up, nobody involved has a very complete and accurate picture of everything that was decided. 00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:18.720 And everybody is gonna have a slightly different versions and or versions, excuse me, but those the versions they're sincere, but sometimes they're just not gonna match. 00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:21.600 That's where a simple record becomes very valuable. 00:06:21.759 --> 00:06:27.199 It's not because it proves anybody wrong, but because it it gives everyone the same reference point. 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:34.240 Because when two repres uh two people remember a conversation differently, the record is sort of this natural third party. 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:39.839 It lets them say, okay, here's what we wrote down at the time instead of here's what I remember. 00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:43.439 Because the that first here's what uh here's what we wrote down. 00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:45.040 That's it, that's a shared problem. 00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:47.680 The second one is just it's it becomes a standoff. 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:54.480 Let me give you a made-up example that's sort of this a full composite of what could happen. 00:06:54.560 --> 00:06:56.639 So I want you to see how this could play out. 00:06:56.800 --> 00:06:58.720 And we talk about this almost every episode. 00:06:58.879 --> 00:07:01.199 A lot of this stuff could be hashed out early on. 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:12.399 So early in that project, there's this a phone call, maybe a teams meeting between the minds about how this particular piece of work is going to be handled, and everybody feels good. 00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:22.399 And that decision, like, okay, it's very clear, but nobody writes it down because it's it seems almost insulting to send this follow-up when everybody obviously understood what the agreement was. 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:30.560 But months later down the road, the work is underway, and this question's and come the question comes up because you didn't send out any sort of meeting minutes. 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:32.319 Here's what we discussed, and nobody commented back. 00:07:32.399 --> 00:07:35.040 Maybe you did send out minutes, and nobody commented back. 00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:37.439 Well, hey, that's uh that's not what I understood. 00:07:37.680 --> 00:07:42.319 So those two people who were on that call, they remember it a little differently. 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:51.839 And one of them might have remembered this very firm commitment, but the other person is going to remember it was just a general direction that they were going to refine later on down the line. 00:07:52.079 --> 00:08:00.319 Both of them are so sure of this, and both of them are right about what they remember in their mind, and neither of them are necessarily lying. 00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:07.519 Now, what could have been a 30-second question or a follow-up email has turned into this tense conversation about who said what. 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:11.759 And now there's money and time on the line. 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:19.680 And the thing that's the most painful about it is that both people probably still like and respect each other, and the relationship's gonna take a hit. 00:08:19.759 --> 00:08:24.800 And again, because not because anybody was dishonest, but just because nobody had a shared record to point to. 00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:28.000 So that conversation can only be about trust. 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:34.639 Now, imagine that same scenario, except after the call, one of them sent a two-line note or a follow-up email. 00:08:34.799 --> 00:08:35.840 Hey, thanks for the call. 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:39.200 I'm just confirming uh we're planning to handle it this way. 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:42.159 Now, let me let me know if I got anything wrong or if I missed anything. 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:45.279 I've seen some people, you know, sometimes it's contractual. 00:08:45.360 --> 00:08:49.200 Hey, you you must uh respond within X amount of days. 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:52.879 Um, this goes into record or whatever, whatever your legal team decides. 00:08:52.960 --> 00:08:54.240 I'm not a

lawyer. 00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:57.120 Um and but that's really it. 00:08:57.200 --> 00:08:58.320 It takes under a minute. 00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:03.279 And the version of the story that where that note exists, one of two things can happen. 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:09.279 Either the the other person says, Yes, that's correct, or agreed, or confirmed, and the record's set. 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:17.519 Or the other person says, Well, hey, actually, I was thinking something slightly different, and the gap gets discovered immediately when it costs nothing to fix. 00:09:17.840 --> 00:09:22.960 So that little note is the whole case for paperwork in miniature. 00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:29.759 It it doesn't accuse, it's not defending, it's just making sure the two people are looking at the same picture. 00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:32.480 So, what actually deserves to be written down? 00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:37.120 I mean, I I want to be careful here because I don't I don't think the answer is like everything, right? 00:09:37.200 --> 00:09:40.639 That's just gonna become overwhelming, and that's where people do start to hate the paperwork. 00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:43.919 Because if you try to document everything, you're gonna burn out in a week. 00:09:44.080 --> 00:09:46.799 And the documentation, it's just gonna become noise. 00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:50.240 The skill is choosing the moments that really matter. 00:09:50.480 --> 00:10:03.120 So I think the best way to think about it is look for the points where a decision gets made, where a promise gets made, or a condition might change, because those are the moments that people will remember differently later. 00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:21.440 A meeting where the path forward is getting chosen, a verbal agreement that you had about how something is going to be handled, uh, requests that are made that are outside the original plan or scope, a um another one, a site condition that turns out to be different from what everybody had expected. 00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:26.399 I mean, these are all places where a short note is completely worth the effort. 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:33.120 And your daily records are a piece of this, your daily reports, and they are completely underrated in the industry. 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:38.960 I mean, I hear it talked about so much because these can be used as a legal document. 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:54.240 But a short note at the end of each day about what happened on site, who was there, what the condition uh conditions were, what changed, if anything was unusual, um, if you didn't make the goal for the day, whatever, it doesn't have to be elegant. 00:10:54.399 --> 00:10:55.919 Pictures go a long way. 00:10:56.240 --> 00:10:57.759 Uh, it can just be a few lines. 00:10:57.840 --> 00:11:07.120 I mean, the value of it, it doesn't show up on any given day in particular, but it's going to show up months later when somebody's like, wait, hold on, when when did this happen? 00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:11.120

And instead of like, well, I don't know, there's there's a defined answer. 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:22.879 The photos are so important because a quick picture of the condition, it taken at the moment that you saw it, is worth a lot more than the description written from memory many weeks later. 00:11:23.039 --> 00:11:27.679 And they take seconds and they settle questions that could otherwise have taken hours. 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:36.240 And then there are the foundational documents, the contract, the insurance certificates, the permits, the safety records. 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:42.799 These are the less exciting end of the paperwork, and they're the ones that that tend to feel the most like bureaucracy. 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:54.159 And I would just say that I spent a short stretch on the insurance side of the industry, not long enough to call myself an expert by any means, but long enough to see what happens when those basics aren't in order. 00:11:54.399 --> 00:12:01.039 The conversation is almost never fun, and it usually takes place at a moment when everyone is already stressed. 00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:04.559 Getting those basics in place early, it's dull. 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:05.519 It's not exciting. 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:12.879 It's also one of the easiest ways to protect everybody involved, including the people who never even think about them. 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:21.840 And if you ever have a real question about what your contract or coverage requires, that's a conversation for your own attorney or insurance professional. 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:25.519 I would always rather point you there than just you guess. 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:28.559 Let me, I'll give you another made-up example. 00:12:28.799 --> 00:12:33.200 And this one is about a picture because I think it shows how small this can be. 00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:41.600 So I want you to imagine a crew opening up a section of a building and they find something that doesn't match what anybody expected. 00:12:42.080 --> 00:12:44.000 Assumptions and everything aside. 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:51.840 There's this pipe in a very weird place, or a framing member that's not where the drawings assumed it would be. 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:55.759 It's it's a condition that nobody could have predicted from the outside. 00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:59.279 So the person who notices it now has a choice. 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:10.320 They can mention it to a coworker and just move on, or they can pull out their phone, take a couple pictures, and send a quick note that says, Hey, found this today, here's what we're seeing, wanted to flag it. 00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:22.879 If they do the second thing with that quick photo, the project now has a dated, time-stamped record of a condition that was noticed at the moment it was discovered, shared with the people who needed to know. 00:13:23.039 --> 00:13:32.080 Because weeks later, when this question comes up about whether that condition existed before the work began or what it looked like when it was found, the answer's sitting right there. 00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:34.320 It doesn't require anybody's memory. 00:13:34.559 --> 00:13:37.600 It doesn't require anybody to trust anyone else's version. 00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:39.519 It's just a picture and a sentence. 00:13:39.759 --> 00:13:42.799 If they do the first thing, that condition still exists. 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:49.039 But the story of it now lives in maybe a couple people's heads, and the heads are forgetful. 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:52.960 The heads are sometimes inclined to remember things in the way that's most convenient to them. 00:13:53.200 --> 00:13:55.519 You hear the comment, well, I've slept since then. 00:13:55.679 --> 00:13:58.879 Because you've got so many other things going on on a job site, you're gonna forget. 00:13:59.039 --> 00:14:02.720 That is not criticism of anyone, it's just how memory works under pressure. 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:08.080 The difference between these two outcomes is about 40 seconds of effort. 00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:12.080 That's the part I find so striking about this whole topic. 00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:22.799 Because the cost is almost nothing at the moment it happens, and the value shows up exactly the moment when everyone's stressed, and a clean answer would have been such a relief. 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:25.600 One more thing about what belongs on paper. 00:14:25.919 --> 00:14:31.919 Change documentation, which we touched on last time, is probably the highest value category of all. 00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:52.559 When something is added or removed or altered from that original plan, when you write it down even in simple form and get a quick acknowledgement from the other side, whatever that might be, that is the difference between a change that was chosen and a change that was just discovered because it keeps the whole project honest in a very friendly way. 00:14:52.879 --> 00:14:58.159 The best documentation system in the world is useless if nobody uses it. 00:14:58.399 --> 00:15:06.720 So I want to spend some time on how to make this sustainable because I've come to believe that consistency matters far more than polish. 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:18.080 So the biggest shift for me was to stop thinking of that documentation as a separate task and really start thinking it, thinking of it as the last step of whatever I'm already doing. 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:22.960 So when that meeting ends, the follow-up note is part of the meeting. 00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:27.759 Or when a decision might get made, the confirmation that is part of the decision. 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:32.240 If it's a separate task on some to-do list, it's gonna get pushed to the bottom. 00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:35.440 It it's it's the the unsexy part of what we do. 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:37.600 The paperwork is not the most exciting part. 00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:41.200 It's the the the cot the healthy conflict, the conversations. 00:15:41.360 -->

00:15:44.720 That's the fun part of this industry when things, when work's getting done. 00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:50.399 But if if that documentation is the last 30 seconds of something I was already doing, it's gonna get done. 00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:54.399 And I will say that short is sometimes better than thorough. 00:15:54.639 --> 00:16:01.840 A three-line note or email that gets sent today is going to beat a perfect summary that gets written next week. 00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:13.200 There is a a famous quote that I love from General Patton that a good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan next week. 00:16:13.519 --> 00:16:19.120 People tend to hold off on documentation because they they want to do it well, and that's that's respectable, I get it. 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:22.000 But in doing so, sometimes they don't do it at all. 00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:28.399 I mean, I would rather have a quick, slightly rough record from the moment than a polished one from a memory a month later. 00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:32.159 It also helps to build a few small habits into your day. 00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:34.879 I mean, ones that that cost almost nothing. 00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:44.639 They take a photo when something changes, or write something down, jot a line in a notebook or even an email, whatever, document it when a decision gets made. 00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:49.519 Send send a quick confirmation after a verbal conversation. 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:54.399 I've said it before, probably on the show, that documentation beats conversation. 00:16:54.480 --> 00:16:56.720 It's a great quote that I've heard on the way up. 00:16:57.039 --> 00:17:06.000 None of these take more than a minute, and and over a project's lifestyle life cycle, they add up to a record that could settle a hundred small questions. 00:17:06.240 --> 00:17:09.359 And it matters how you phrase things too. 00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:14.559 The same information can come across as friendly or adversarial depending on the tone. 00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:16.319 We talked about tone last time. 00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:20.559 Saying something like, hey, just confirming what we talked about, let me know if I missed anything. 00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:24.079 That's totally different from per hour conversation as you agreed. 00:17:24.319 --> 00:17:27.680 They carry the same content, yes, but one of them is going to build trust. 00:17:27.839 --> 00:17:29.920 The other one is going to build a wall. 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:36.799 I would encourage you to write every note as if the person reading it is a friend you want to keep working with because they probably are. 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:39.519 And I'm not saying go completely unprofessional. 00:17:39.759 --> 00:17:42.000 Hey, bro, this is what we discussed. 00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:42.559 Thanks. 00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:43.279 Peace out. 00:17:43.359 --> 00:17:45.359 Some, you know, be professional about it, yes. 00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:50.400 However, you can be cordial and kind because the other way sometimes it just comes off cold. 00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:51.440 We don't want to do that. 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:53.519 We want to we want to tear down the walls. 00:17:53.680 --> 00:17:54.640 We want to build trust. 00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:56.559 Keep it professional, yes. 00:18:17.689 --> 00:18:25.609 I I'll also say that the person writing the note, they have they have a role in setting a role, excuse me, in setting the culture. 00:18:26.089 --> 00:18:33.129 If you're the one who consistently sends the friendly confirmations, you tend to find that people around you start doing it too. 00:18:33.369 --> 00:18:37.049 It's one of the habits that is going to spread through a team. 00:18:38.169 --> 00:18:43.849 A project where everyone is in the habit of confirming things in writing is a calmer project. 00:18:44.089 --> 00:18:49.049 Fewer surprises, fewer tense conversations, a lot more trust is going to be built. 00:18:49.289 --> 00:18:50.409 I want to be honest. 00:18:50.569 --> 00:18:53.849 I you know, I've fallen behind on this myself. 00:18:54.169 --> 00:19:02.250 There have been jobs where I've let the daily notes slide for maybe a week and then spent way too long trying to reconstruct what had already happened. 00:19:02.569 --> 00:19:07.129 And there have been conversations I meant to confirm and I didn't, and I paid for it. 00:19:07.369 --> 00:19:12.250 I mention that because I don't want any of this to sound like I'm practicing from some perfect place. 00:19:12.409 --> 00:19:14.169 Nobody does this flawlessly. 00:19:14.490 --> 00:19:24.409 The goal isn't perfection, it's a good enough habit that you can be consistent with that most of the important moments uh are ending up on paper. 00:19:24.730 --> 00:19:37.449 So so far I've mostly I've just talked about documentation as something that that protects the projects and the relationships, but I do want to spend a few minutes on something that matters more, I think, which is how it protects the people. 00:19:37.769 --> 00:19:41.849 Because a job site, it's a place where real people can get hurt or worse. 00:19:41.929 --> 00:19:44.089 And that's not, I'm not trying to make a dramatic statement. 00:19:44.169 --> 00:19:47.129 It's just a fact of the work in the industry we're in. 00:19:47.369 --> 00:20:08.649 And a lot of the less glamorous documentation, like the safety briefing or uh the training records or notes about maybe a hazard that we spotted and we corrected, those exist because somebody at some point learned a hard lesson and decided that the next crew shouldn't have to learn it the same way. 00:20:08.970 --> 00:20:20.490 When a team writes down a condition uh was noticed and fixed, or that everyone on a crew was briefed on a particular risk, they're doing more than just keeping a record. 00:20:20.730 --> 00:20:25.529 They're trying to pass along what they learned in the next person who walks into that same situation. 00:20:25.769 -->

00:20:39.529 And I I think that's worth saying out loud because safety paperwork is probably the category that gets the most eye rolling, and it's and it's the one that where I would really ask people to think a little bit differently about. 00:20:39.849 --> 00:20:44.569 Because when you fill out that safety form, you're not just satisfying a requirement. 00:20:44.809 --> 00:20:50.329 You are leaving that behind for the next person coming up in the trade or the next crew that you work with. 00:20:50.649 --> 00:20:58.089 It's this note about a hazard that someone else can read tomorrow or next month or the next project if it's a lessons learned. 00:20:58.169 --> 00:21:03.369 It is such a small act for looking out for the people that you might never even meet. 00:21:03.609 --> 00:21:14.329 And a culture that takes that seriously tends to be a culture where people feel looked after and cared for, which is not a small thing in a business as demanding as this one. 00:21:14.569 --> 00:21:17.689 And there's another way documentation protects people. 00:21:17.769 --> 00:21:20.089 And I think it has to do with mentoring. 00:21:20.250 --> 00:21:26.089 Because if you're early in your career, writing these things down is one of the best habits you can build. 00:21:26.329 --> 00:21:30.730 And it's one of the things experienced people tend to notice and respect. 00:21:31.369 --> 00:21:43.289 Because the person who keeps a clear, honest record of what they did and what they saw is the person that others trust with more responsibility because they're easy to rely on. 00:21:43.529 --> 00:21:49.449 And if you're an experienced person working with somebody newer, teaching them that habit is a real gift. 00:21:49.689 --> 00:21:56.009 It's not glamorous, but I think it's the kind of thing that that will shape how somebody's whole career goes. 00:21:56.250 --> 00:22:00.889 I mean, not long ago, I sat down with a guest on the show to talk about leadership and mentorship. 00:22:00.970 --> 00:22:09.049 And the one thing that stays with me is how often the lessons that matter most in this industry are very simple and they're unglamorous. 00:22:09.129 --> 00:22:13.369 They're habits that somebody showed patiently to you. 00:22:13.609 --> 00:22:16.649 And I would put writing things down on that list. 00:22:17.289 --> 00:22:24.409 And I know some of you are listening and you're thinking, hey, this sounds Great, but I'm in the middle of a job and my records are a mess. 00:22:24.730 --> 00:22:27.929 So if that's you, I want to say a couple things. 00:22:28.169 --> 00:22:31.049 The first is that you're you're in good company, believe me. 00:22:31.210 --> 00:22:32.490 Most of us have been there. 00:22:32.649 --> 00:22:41.529 A stretch of weeks where the notes might have stopped, you just get so swamped, and the series of conversations you've had have never gotten confirmed. 00:22:41.689 --> 00:22:45.449 Um, a project where the paper trail just it's gonna have gaps. 00:22:45.609

--> 00:22:47.849 That doesn't mean you're bad at your job. 00:22:48.089 --> 00:22:52.730 It means you were busy doing the job, which is usually what happens. 00:22:52.809 --> 00:22:56.089 You're busy making sure the project kept moving forward. 00:22:56.329 --> 00:23:00.250 The second is that it's almost never too late to start. 00:23:00.490 --> 00:23:04.970 I mean, when you recognize it, start now, you can begin writing things down today. 00:23:05.129 --> 00:23:10.329 And the next conversation, the next decision, the next change that it's always going to be on record now. 00:23:10.490 --> 00:23:13.849 That alone puts you far ahead of where you were yesterday. 00:23:14.169 --> 00:23:19.129 And if there are gaps from earlier, you can still do something useful about them. 00:23:19.289 --> 00:23:25.769 You can sit down and write out what you remember at least, honestly and as clearly as you can while it's still reasonably fresh. 00:23:26.089 --> 00:23:27.929 Or ask people, I don't recall this. 00:23:28.089 --> 00:23:30.169 Can you help me remember what happened? 00:23:30.809 --> 00:23:38.250 You can look through your emails, look through your text, look through your photos for anything that might help fill in the timeline. 00:23:38.490 --> 00:23:42.250 And when there's a conversation that was never confirmed, you can send a friendly note. 00:23:42.409 --> 00:23:46.250 Hey, looking back, I want to make sure we're on the same page about how we handled it. 00:23:46.409 --> 00:23:47.529 Here's what I remember. 00:23:47.609 --> 00:23:49.769 Uh, let me know if you remember it differently. 00:23:49.929 --> 00:23:51.129 Ask those people. 00:23:51.449 --> 00:23:59.129 That kind of note, it's very gentle, it's honest, and it invites the other person into that shared, uh, the same shared picture. 00:23:59.529 --> 00:24:01.369 The key word there is honesty. 00:24:01.449 --> 00:24:13.529 I mean, it's it's it's tempting when reconstructing something to tidy up a story a little, maybe, maybe have it sway your way a little bit and to fill in the details you aren't really sure about, but don't do that. 00:24:13.689 --> 00:24:24.809 I mean, a record that's honest about what you do and do not remember is far more valuable and more trusted than this polished one that might uh that might not hold up per se. 00:24:25.449 --> 00:24:27.849 And if you're not sure about something, just say so. 00:24:28.009 --> 00:24:28.889 Be honest. 00:24:29.210 --> 00:24:35.689 People tend to respect that, and it keeps the whole practice grounded in the thing that actually makes it work, which is trust. 00:24:35.849 --> 00:24:43.289 And I'd like to say something to anybody listening who sits on the receiving end of all this documentation, because it takes two sides to make this system work. 00:24:44.089 --> 00:25:05.289 If you are a, I'll say a general contractor, an owner, a project manager, anybody who gets a steady stream of notes or confirmations or logs, uh, reports from people you're

working with, working for you, uh, the way you respond is going to have an enormous effect on whether people are gonna keep sending them. 00:25:05.529 --> 00:25:11.769 If every note gets met with just with silence, people learn that, well, I guess it doesn't matter. 00:25:12.009 --> 00:25:17.689 If every one of those things gets met with suspicion, they're gonna learn that this documentation is dangerous. 00:25:17.769 --> 00:25:19.849 They're gonna feel like they're walking on eggshells. 00:25:20.089 --> 00:25:31.769 But if if the notes and the reports get met with acknowledgement, like a quick acknowledgement, even if you're just saying, hey, I got it, thank you, people learn that that system works and that it's it's welcomed. 00:25:32.009 --> 00:25:34.490 That short reply closes the loop. 00:25:34.569 --> 00:25:40.490 It's that it's solidified that it it got to its intended recipient. 00:25:40.730 --> 00:25:46.169 It turns a one-way message into a shared record and it takes about 10 seconds. 00:25:46.730 --> 00:25:58.329 If that note contains something that you disagree with, saying so right away politely is one of the most helpful things you can do because it's gonna surface that gap while it's still small. 00:25:58.649 --> 00:26:05.929 And I would also humbly suggest that it helps to make it easy for people to send you information. 00:26:06.409 --> 00:26:14.970 Not everybody loves a formal portal or some complicated form, and the more friction there is, the less documentation you're gonna get. 00:26:15.210 --> 00:26:28.089 A very simple, user-friendly, consistent way to send a quick note, one that people don't really have to think much about, that's gonna get you far more useful information than an elaborate system that nobody wants to use. 00:26:28.730 --> 00:26:35.129 Everyone on a project benefits from a good record, including the people who never think about it. 00:26:35.369 --> 00:26:38.569 It's it's gonna protect the person who did the work. 00:26:38.809 --> 00:26:44.169 It protects the person who paid for that work, it's gonna protect the relationship. 00:26:45.049 --> 00:26:47.849 It's this is the quiet truth underneath all of this. 00:26:47.929 --> 00:26:53.049 That good documentation is one of the few things on a project that does not have a loser. 00:26:53.449 --> 00:26:59.049 So here's what I'm hoping you're walking away from uh this conversation with today. 00:26:59.210 --> 00:27:02.409 That paperwork is not the enemy of good work. 00:27:02.889 --> 00:27:07.849 If it's done well, it is a shared memory that protects the work and the people doing it. 00:27:08.009 --> 00:27:11.769 It doesn't have to be heavy, it doesn't have to be adversarial. 00:27:12.089 --> 00:27:16.009 This can be just a two-line note after a phone call or a meeting. 00:27:16.169 --> 00:27:23.849 It can be a photo that you took at the right moment, it can be a very short log or report at the end of the day, which you should be doing anyway. 00:27:24.569 --> 00:27:29.049 If you if you only try one thing this week, try the confirmation note. 00:27:29.210 --> 00:27:33.449 The next time you have a conversation where something gets decided, just send a short follow-up. 00:27:33.769 --> 00:27:37.449 Something as simple as just confirming, we're planning to do it this way. 00:27:37.609 --> 00:27:39.129 Let me know if I missed anything. 00:27:39.369 --> 00:27:40.970 There's humility in that too. 00:27:41.129 --> 00:27:43.369 Notice how people respond when you send that. 00:27:43.609 --> 00:27:51.049 I really think you're going to be surprised how often someone replies with a small correction and how glad you'll be to have caught that. 00:27:51.210 --> 00:27:52.889 And I would love to hear from you. 00:27:53.129 --> 00:28:02.089 If you have a documentation habit that's worked well for you or a story about a time that the record just saved the day, please send it my way. 00:28:02.329 --> 00:28:07.210 Some of the best ideas I've picked up have come from some of the people who listen to this show. 00:28:07.449 --> 00:28:09.289 This is a joint community here. 00:28:09.369 --> 00:28:11.529 We're helping the industry grow as a whole. 00:28:11.769 --> 00:28:15.529 So coming up, we've got more conversations with guests lined up. 00:28:15.689 --> 00:28:17.529 Um, I'm really looking forward to that. 00:28:17.609 --> 00:28:19.689 So I appreciate you spending this time with me. 00:28:19.769 --> 00:28:21.129 Again, I'm Scott Fryn. 00:28:21.289 --> 00:28:24.089 This is the Construction Veteran Podcast, and I'll see you next time.