Empathy, clear communication, and attentive listening are crucial in building trust and improving client relationships in the AEC industry.
A recent tussle with illness (read: stomach bug) left me badly dehydrated with my kidneys freaking out. Everything is great now, but the episode required a couple of nights in the hospital. It was the first time in my 62 years that I’ve had a hospital stay since I spent the night with my mom when I was born. Seriously. Although I’ve been in emergency rooms as both a patient and a family member, I’ve always managed to escape to my own bed.
My interactions with medical professionals made me think about how we in the AEC industry relate to others as part of our jobs. Both require expertise, both require information, and both have one side of the conversation that doesn’t fully understand what’s going on. My experience made me think about how to have better interactions with our clients:
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Be kind, be calm. Whether they’re dealing with emergencies or existing conditions, patients are usually nervous or apprehensive. For some, it’s a rare occurrence. Others have been there before, but there’s still a flutter in their stomachs. Every interaction I had with the hospital staff – ER nurses, CT technicians, physicians, etc. – was met with the same calmness and professionalism, which eased my anxiety. It showed me that they cared about how I was feeling and that they were there to help.
As AEC folks, we should do the same with our clients. Let your professionalism and compassion show. Know that not every person understands how to finance a project or build their dream, so it’s your job to help them reach their desired end goal. -
Ask questions, listen to the answers. It feels like you’re always answering questions during an ER or hospital stay. “What are we seeing you for today?” “What symptoms are you experiencing?” “How long have they been happening?” These questions are intended to allow medical professionals to drill down, determine what is actually happening and decide the proper course of action. Medical protocols are based on research and are highly formulaic. These personal interactions and the responses they elicit help determine the best course of action.
The best interactions in the AEC realm begin with questions. We shouldn’t come into a situation thinking we already know the best course of action. A healthy discussion might show that our initial instincts were correct, but it might also show that there were desires or nuances that we hadn’t anticipated and are personal to the client.
Ask and listen. Ask and listen again. Don’t come into a conversation thinking you already know the answers. -
Watch the jargon. Medicine is full of technical terms that the average person might not understand. For medical professionals, those terms roll off the tongue without considering whether the patient knows what the heck they’re talking about. For example, my doctors were worried about my creatinine levels. Having never been in acute renal failure, I didn’t know what creatinine was or why it was an issue. So I asked, and they took the time to explain their concerns. Once I understood that, it gave me some idea of what was happening.
Hoo boy, do we in the AEC space love our technical jargon. We throw around TLAs – three-letter acronyms – like a Shriner tossing candy in a Memorial Day parade. Too often, we think it conveys competence when all it does is fluster our clients. Take the time to explain what you mean. Don’t get all jargon-heavy. Listen to your explanations through your clients’ ears. It will lead to stronger interactions and better relationships. - Be empathetic. Everything in life comes with some level of anxiety. Some, like medical issues, come with more than others, like picking out a tile color. Still, the nature of any decision is it’s important to the person making it. Regardless of the magnitude of the issue, there are people who need to choose a course and are looking to you to help them on that path. Understand that, and use your knowledge and humanity to help them make a decision that meets their needs and is best for all involved. That’s what it’s about after all, right?
Brad Thurman, PE, FSMPS, CPSM, is a principal and chief marketing officer at Wallace Design Collective, PC. Contact him at brad.thurman@wallace.design.
