Correspondence

Construction Management is an occupation requiring clear, concise writing. According to people in the field, writing is a daily activity needing accuracy and timeliness. Further, construction managers say good writing and communication skills helped them advance in their careers (UMNCM 2010). In this section you will learn the basics of writing clear, concise correspondence.

Here's what current practitioners in Construction Management say about the importance of well-written emails, texts, memos, letters, and transmittals:

"Being a skilled oral and written communicator is necessary to be competitive and effective in today's working environment."

"Clear, concise communication skills are important-- especially with the use of texts and email for most business communication."

“Every email or letter that I write reflects on me and the company I work for.”

“I type up hundreds of emails in a day, so it’s very important that I'm concise and articulate.”

“Writing is essential to all areas of our business. However, I see it as being even more important in recent years with the emphasis of communicating over email.”

“With electronic communication overtaking the in-person discussions, writing skills are all one can judge you on most of the time.”

Business Letters

A business letter is a written form of communication sent to people outside of the company. In the past, letters were used to document information. While standard documents and electronic communication have taken over much of the work business letters used to do, having the ability to draft a standard business letter is still a needed skill. The format of a business letter has a purpose. The design allows the receiver to tell at a glance who wrote the letter, when and where the letter was written, who the intended receiver is, and what message is to be communicated. When writing a business letter, remember that you represent your company and the content and format of the letter should always be professional.

Think through the steps of writing a good business letter by simply asking:

Why am I writing this?
Who will be reading this? (needed tone and understandable content)
What needs to be said?

Emails & Text Messages

In construction, email and texts are used daily. While considered informal, emails and texts you send still represent your company.

When sending emails and texts:

Send communication when needed and only to those who need to see it.
Make it concise and professional.
Read through the emails and texts you receive.
Pressed for time? Think you already know what it says? Skim it.

Memoranda

Memorandums can be used in diplomacy, for example, a Memorandum of Understanding, but for Construction Management purposes, we are talking about formal, inter-office, or inter-project communication. Memos are most often written by managers and those in higher ranking positions in a company. Memos bring attention to problems and they solve problems: they inform, persuade, and instruct (Perkins 2010).

Due to the precision and time management needed in construction work, using headings and bullet points is most useful for the body of a memo.

When sending a memo:

carefully match the information you are conveying with the people who need to know.
do not send a memo as a substitute for speaking to people.
keep the memo to one topic or one project - don't mix and match!

Transmittals

A transmittal letter or memo serves as a written record of the exchange of project information between two or more offices (internal or external). It summarizes the content of the enclosure(s) to the recipient. A transmittal also includes the action required (if needed); date sent; and number of copies included. A template for a transmittal is in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Contract Administration and Project Management Forms and is titled: G810-2001 Transmittal Letter. The architect may request the G810-2001 be used for a project. A transmittal can do a “quick sell” of something like a proposal.

One way to know what to write in a transmittal is to think what you would say if you were handing the document(s) over in-person. For a construction project in progress, certain project components may require transmittals. Always follow project specifications and company requirements in the use of transmittals.