How To Avoid Miscommunication Problems In Architecture with Usman Yaqub | 125

Have you ever explained something to a client

only to realise halfway through that you've completely lost them?

Or wrapped up a meeting feeling confident and then later discovered

that they walked away with an entirely different understanding?

Miscommunication is one of the most common and most costly problems in architecture

and construction, and the tricky part is you often don't know it's happening

until the damage is already done.

In this episode, you'll hear about why technical jargon can quietly

undermine your client relationships, how miscommunication shows up in real projects

and what it can cost you, practical ways to tailor your communication style to

whoever you're talking to, and stick around to the end where our guest shares

their single biggest piece of advice to become clearer and more confident

in your communications Welcome to Architecture Business Club, the show

that helps you build a better business in architecture so you can enjoy more

freedom, flexibility, and fulfillment.

I'm your host, Jon Clayton, and if you're new to the show, don't

forget to hit the subscribe button so you never miss another episode.

We're joined by Usman Yaqoob.

Usman is the current president of the Chartered Institute of

Architectural Technologists and director at Studio Yaqoob Architecture.

He's an associate lecturer at the University of the West of England and

holds positions with a number of charities and not-for-profit organizations.

He also established the popular online CPD series, CPD in 43.

To connect with Usman on LinkedIn, just click the link in the show notes.

We're gonna talk about the art of communication so that you can

avoid costly project mishaps.

On typical architecture projects, I mean, w- we're dealing with

clients, contractors, planners, engineers, and often it's all,

you know, all on the same project.

How do you find that communication challenge shifts depending

on who you're talking to?

It isn't necessarily, uh, all that straightforward, and also it's not

always the information itself, it's that everyone is looking at the same project

through a completely different lens.

And I think once the penny drops in that regard, you're much more powerful

to actually move forward and understand how best to address any situation.

So, for example, a client's often focused on what the project

means for them personally.

It's their investment, it's their home, it's their business, or it's their vision,

so they naturally have a more emotive connection to the decisions being made.

A contractor, on the other hand, is typically focused on delivery, program,

sequencing, and how s-something will actually be constructed.

And then we have planners, engineers, and any other specialist consultants

that are often looking through the lens of compliance, performance, and process.

So how do you marry all of those things together?

Because ultimately, they're very different aspects of the same project.

The communication challenge shifts between each group, and measuring

success is completely different for each and every interlocutor.

The same design decision can mean something completely different

depending on who you're speaking to.

What excites a client may raise questions around buildability for a

contractor or policy considerations for a planning officer and ultimately could

actually end up alienating the client.

You then focusing too heavily on buildability or planning considerations,

policy matters may end up completely alienating them and shutting them

down, and they may end up feeling completely emotionally disconnected.

That is one of the key aspects of why they're involved in the process.

So you shut down their emotions, they then turn off.

So a large part of my role is bringing these perspectives together.

It's about making sure everyone understands not only their own objectives

but also the objectives of the wider team.

On smaller projects particularly, you're often dealing directly with

everyone involved, and that ability, that ability to adapt your communication

style becomes extremely important.

When it's done well, you create alignment and momentum.

When it's not, even relatively simple issues can become

unnecessarily complicated

That's, that is so true, yeah.

Um, I mean, that's the, the key thing, isn't it, about having an understanding

and appreciation that all of those different parties that are involved are

all seeing it from their own perspectives.

And as you say, the, the perspective of a client, or particularly say in that

example of a homeowner, they are heavily emotionally invested in the project.

They're seeing it through a very different lens from somebody like,

um, a planner or a structural engineer that might be involved.

Um-

Yeah.

No, definitely.

I think also as well, you've got to remember there's been policy updates

in that regard where w- recent legislation has come out where it's

been identified as a clear issue in the sector where people are sitting within

their silos of scope and therefore this communication gap is getting larger

and larger, and how do we address that?

So you'll find most, uh, forward-thinking and, um, engaged consultants will

actually look to create a s- smaller gap or no gap or even an overlap

between one and another to ensure that we don't have these scope canyons.

as I, as I've just termed them.

and this is with the aim to ensure that the continuity and coordination

is actually being adhered to, and we can benefit from a closer relationship

with each and every key individual involved, which involves the client,

I must say, um, as well as, uh, the contractor and the various consultants

I've not heard that term before, but I do like that.

canyon, that's a good one.

I'm gonna use it.

Off the fly completely.

I think one of the, the really common miscommunication

issues can be around the use of, um, architectural jargon, technical speak.

Um, it can be tempting to use this.

Um, I think sometimes it can make us feel that we're, we're quite

clever if we, we use some big words.

Maybe that might impress our clients.

Do you think that ever works against us, though?

I think it completely does, to be honest.

And often, it's immediately recognisable.

And yes, you may look smart, uh, for a very short period, but you may not

realise the causality that you've created, that butterfly effect.

As, as professionals, we're surrounded by technical language every day, so

it's, it's almost too easy for us to fall back into the terminology that we

feel completely natural using And it takes learning all of that to unlearn

it, to then speak with authority in a, a familiar language to all, which

is actually extremely difficult.

So there's that temptation to demonstrate expertise through the

language, but expertise isn't measured by how complex something sounds.

It's actually measured by how effectively you can communicate it.

And I think that's the, that's the key there.

And the irony that using something more complex doesn't necessarily

make communication more effective.

In many cases, simplicity is the better route.

The ability to explain a complex idea in clear, accessible terms

is often a stronger demonstration of how understanding, r- rather

than relying on jargon is.

And the challenge isn't just language itself, it's also

the complexity of the process.

And this is, this is a slightly different but tangential connective point.

Architecture and construction involve planning, technical design,

procurement, regulations, a vast array of consultants depending on the type

of project, and also construction.

I mean, some of those areas I've just simply used a

single word to describe them.

They're complex and each and every one has its own merits.

For those of us working in the industry, these stages are familiar.

And again, we're-- we may end up, even during this talk today, we may end

up brushing over some quite complex areas, assuming that people understand.

For many, for example, clients, for particularly first-time homeowners,

they're entirely new to all of this.

And I think it's our responsibility to make that complexity accessible, not by

oversimplifying it, but by helping people understand where they are in the process,

why decisions matter, and what comes next.

These are all interconnected sort of parts of the story, and we need to help people

along this to actually fully realise what they actually want as a final outcome.

Much like the practical contractor who's actually there, that's going to be the

connection between our idea to bringing it to fruition, ultimately for the client to

enjoy, hopefully for many years to come.

May- might be for the rest of their life.

And this is all really important

it can be a bit of a minefield.

I think, uh, you mentioned there that we are working in an industry where,

there is a lot of technical terminology, and when you're surrounded by that and

you're using that every day in your w- everyday working life, you can forget

that, um, some of the other people that you might be working with on a project

might not be at the same level as you or have the same understanding as you.

So, um, definitely mistakes can be made.

I was wondering if you've got an example that you could share of, um, perhaps

a miscommunication, even a small one, um, that's impacted a project or,

or maybe a, a client relationship.

Does anything spring to mind that you could share with us?

Yeah.

I mean, I've got-- To be honest, I've got two which I, I, I quite like.

One, which is I'm going to give you a sort of an example from,

from our perspective, and another is an, an often repeated issue.

so one example is that it's not a major error, but it highlights how

easily assumptions can creep into the project, and that's what I think is

key here during to-today's discussion.

So in this instance, we were working through a project in the early stages of a

scheme where everyone felt aligned on the same outcome, but it became apparent that

different stakeholders had interpreted the same, uh, milestone in different ways.

The client saw it as a signal that the project was ready to move immediately

into the next phase, whereas from our perspective, it was simply

one step within a wider process.

Nobody had de-deliberately miscommunicated, but there was

a gap between what we had said and what had been understood.

And that impact wasn't catastrophic, but it affected expectations around

program, decision-making, and ultimately confidence in the timeline.

So we had to then spend time, uh, realigning everyone's

understanding before moving forward.

What I took from that was the experience is that communication

isn't just about sharing information, it's about confirming understanding.

In architecture and construction, the biggest challenges are often not technical

problems, they're expectation problems.

Take an extra few minutes to explain what something means, what happens

next, and what limitations can save weeks or even confusion later.

Another one, is the misunderstanding of, for example, planning approval.

You often have someone who says, " I've got planning approval.

I'm ready to build." I prefer using planning license because then it gives

people that m-mental re-adjustment of that is something which is time-limited

until it's actually locked in.

You assess the timeline, whether there's enough time for you to

actually start working on the project.

You then look at the conditions, if there are any relevant conditions, um,

or challenging conditions is probably the more so of the, um, uh, bigger

concern, and how you can address those.

And then you can then decide on how you're going to move forward.

And again, this is a, an, a misunderstanding of complex jargon,

complex procedures and statutory processes, and also your understanding

of quite a complex process, to be honest.

So those two are probably quite good examples to sort of highlight

where communication is key.

I've probably been in some similar situations, uh, had some similar

miscommunications like that through, through my working career as well.

Plus many others as well, which we, we probably don't have time to,

uh, to go through in detail today.

Um, I think particularly, um, I mean, coming back to the, the miscommunications

with clients, I think particularly clients if they don't understand

something, they're not necessarily gonna feel comfortable to admit it.

They might be, they might be embarrassed that, you know, that they don't know

what you're talking about when you're ex- you're explaining something to them.

Um, not all of them are willing to hold their hand up and say, "Hang on.

I'm, I'm not sure about that. Can you, can you kind of re-explain it for me?"

H-how do you spot that in conversations?

You know, what, what do you do about that when you think somebody

might not actually understand what you've, you've tried to explain?

So one thing I've learnt, um, over the years is

not to assume understanding just because someone is nodding along.

Most clients don't want to appear uninformed, particularly when

they're investing significant amount of time, money into a project.

So as a result of that, they won't always stop the conversation

to say they don't understand.

So it's just simply just saying, "I don't understand." I mean, they, there

are some who do that, but in the vast majority of cases, it's most people don't.

I've become quite attentive to the little signals.

Sometimes it's the questions that come afterwards, sometimes it's

the hesitation in a response.

Sometimes it's when someone s- repeats back what you've said to them

but frames it slightly differently.

Those are often little signs that there may be a gap between what I've

explained and what they've understood.

So to help with that, I've developed different ways of explaining the same

concept dependent on who I'm speaking to.

A good example is the difference between planning permission

and building regulations.

So I'll often explain planning as asking, "Can I build a three-bedroom

house here?" Then building regulations becomes, " Great, you've got permission

for a three, three-bedroom house.

Now show me exactly how you're going to build it." And I know it sounds silly,

uh, probably to professionals to say it like that, but the, honestly, the

probably, uh, 90, 95, maybe even 100% of people I explain it to like this,

they often, they thank me straight after just going, " Goodness, no

one's ever said it to us like that."

And as soon as you've said that, you can then replace that with planning

and building regulations, but now they actually understand what each one is.

The, that is the sort of beauty of using language to explain

something which is quite complex as a process and make it relatable.

And so for me, good communication isn't about simplifying the work, it's

about simplifying the explanation.

If the client feels comfortable asking you questions and confident in the

answers they're receiving, they've already laid the foundation for a much

stronger project relationship, and also is why it opens the door for clearer

communication between one and the other, rather than worrying about how, how,

"Ooh, how can I speak to this person?

What do I say?

Don't know if they're going to answer it.

They may end up answering extremely complicated, and therefore I'll

walk away even more confused."

Um, there's a couple of things I like to do

to bookend client meetings.

Um, one of the things I mention towards the beginning of meetings

typically is that there's no silly questions, that you can ask any question

that you like, you know, and don't feel embarrassed about any of it.

Just ask whatever you like.

No silly questions at all.

And then, um, towards the end, I, I will often ask, um, "What questions

do you have?" rather than, "Do you have any questions?" Because the do

you have any questions gives them a quick get out to just go, "Um, no,

no, I, I don't think so." Whereas, uh, that can work quite well actually

in, um, sales conversations as well, as well as, um, client conversations.

Um,

Most definitely.

Yeah.

So that's, uh, that's quite a good one.

That's good.

I, I'm quite happy we've got shared sort of, um, appreciation for sort

of this, this, uh, difficulty, this, this, this, uh, this complex kind

of environment that we're working in

Absolutely, yeah.

I think, um, without kind of digressing too far, I think particularly when, um…

I mean, I've worked with lots of, um, remote teams as well, so like outsourcing

sometimes where English is a second language and, um, that can also kind

of add further layers of complication to the communications, particularly

if you're, um, working with, with architectural colleagues and communicating

requirements for, you know, I don't know, some drawings or something like that.

And often when there has been miscommunications between team members

and it's come back to my desk and I've looked at it and thought, "Oh, why, why

has it ended up like that," you know, "on the drawing sheet?" And then I'll

go back and look at my brief and think, "Oh, okay, I'd assumed that and that,"

that they would just do it the same way that I would and, and, you know,

there's always room for improvements.

Um, you know, whether that's in the verbal communications or, or actually

with written word as well, you know, to make sure that, um, it is clear enough

for the other person that's receiving it.

I mean, we must approach these different parties that we're

working with differently.

You know, the approach to, um, a first-time renovator doing an extension

on their home, should be different, shouldn't it, to like an experienced

developer or a planning officer.

What does that actually look like in practice for you, you

know, when you're sort of dealing with these different parties and

stakeholders on the average project?

So, I mean, to, to go, go off the ones that you've just highlighted.

So it comes down to an understanding of what success looks like for the

person that you're speaking to.

So for the first time homeowner, the project is often deeply personal.

They're investing financially, but they're also investing emotionally.

They may be looking for a larger home, a better lifestyle, or space that works

more effectively for their family.

My role is often to guide them through an unfamiliar process and

help them make informed decisions.

For an experienced developer, for example, though, usually approaches

things from a different perspective.

They're often considering viability, risk, program, return

on investment, delivery strategy.

The conversations tend to be more commercially focused and may move

more quickly because they're already understanding the processes involved.

I mean, that's not to say that I might not be looking at legacy

and things like that, but there are-- there's a slightly different

skew, uh, slightly different focus.

For the planning officer occupies an entirely different position.

Their, their role is to assess proposals against planning policy and balance the

interest of all relevant stakeholders.

Conversations need to be grounded in evidence, policy, and clear justification.

So what changes in practice isn't necessarily the project, it's

the focus of the conversation.

The homeowner is thinking about how the project improves their life.

The developer is thinking about how the project performs, and the planning

officer is considering how the proposal serves the wider public interest.

Yeah, I like that because, um, it's something you

mentioned earlier, isn't it?

About thinking about what success looks like, um, through the eyes of

those different parties involved in the project, and not just looking

at it from our own point of view.

Um, and I suppose it's, it's having that, um, understanding and, and empathy to be

able to, to put yourself in the shoes of that other party that's involved in the

project, to be able to see it from their perspective in order to then be able to,

uh, tailor how we communicate, either verbally or in the written word, so that

it is at the right level, if you like, for that particular party and the perspective

that they're coming at it from.

Yeah.

I think it's like creating that affinity so you understand from what, what you're

trying to achieve for that said person.

I think that's the key.

And also as well, what one thing that we sort of pride ourselves

on is that cross-osmosis.

So we don't just focus on, for example, just doing house extensions.

So when we're working on a project and then I then start discussing it with a

sl- slightly larger developer, we're able to sort of look at it in two tangents.

Yes, we understand your ROI, but also as well, we understand that ultimately

someone's going to live in this space.

So we're actually coming at it from two different perspectives.

uh, That is a added bonus in essence of someone who focuses on two different

areas, um, and then so on and so on.

We, we cover a quite a wide variety of perspectives, but that's just focused

on very, those two sort of scenarios.

So what's your go-to approach then for translating complex

technical information into something that your clients can genuinely understand

and, um, you know, feel confident with?

So for me, it's-- comes back to storytelling and

our superpowers are drawings.

so every project has a story, and every client needs to understand

where they are within that story.

So technical information on its own can often feel overwhelming,

whether it's policy, regulations, details, and specifications.

The challenge isn't simply the information, it's helping people

understand why it matters so as architectural technologists, we're

uniquely positioned between the design intent and the practical delivery.

So our role is often to take an idea and develop it into something that we can

actually-- that can actually be built.

So to do that, we have a range of tools available to bring us beyond just words.

We use drawings, specifications, BIM models, visualisations, and technical

documentation to bring it to life.

So often a drawing can communicate something in seconds that might

otherwise take several minutes to explain or completely be misunderstood.

So, for example, we may do a, a 3D visual of a particular junction or

a viewpoint, a vista, et cetera, either into the building or out from

the building or the site, et cetera.

And I also think confidence comes from the clarity rather than certainty.

Clients don't need to understand every technical detail, but they do need

to understand the implication of the decisions, the process they're moving

through, and what the next steps are.

If they can see the journey and visualise the outcome, they're far more likely

to feel confident in both the project and the people guiding them through it.

What would be the main thing that you would like everyone to

take away from this conversation today?

If there's one thing I'd like people to take away is that,

that communication is ultimately about the audience and not the speaker.

In our industry, and probably in many others, it's easy to communicate in

a way that demonstrates what we know.

But effective communication isn't about showcasing expertise, it's

about helping other people understand.

So my advice would be to remove the ego from the conversation,

think about who you're speaking to, and tell the story with the

listener, reader, or client in mind.

Start with what they need to understand, what decisions they need to make, and what

success looks like from their perspective, then work backwards from there.

The better we understand our audience, the better we communicate, and the

better the outcomes we achieve.

At the end of the day, great projects are built on great relationships, and great

relationships are built on understanding.

We've covered quite a bit, but, um, was there

anything else you wanted to add?

So o-one thing I'd add is that successful projects are

rarely the result of one person, one discipline, one brilliant idea.

They're usually the result of good people working together towards a common goal.

Over the years, I've come to appreciate that relationships are often just

as important as technical ability.

Whether you're appointing a consultant, assembling a project team, or working

with contractors and specialists, the quality of those relationships

will often have a direct impact on the outcome of the project.

I'd also encourage people not to focus solely on finding the cheapest option.

Cost is important, but value, experience, and trust matters just as much.

The cheapest appointment at the beginning of a project can often sometimes

become the most expensive decision later if this results in delays, poor

coordination, and even avoidable mistakes.

I'd also be cautious of what I call the start tomorrow brigade.

Uh, those who promise immediate results, unrealistically quick programs, or

seem to have all the answers before they've fully understood the brief.

The professionals worth working with are often the ones asking the right questions

rather than making the boldest promises.

The other thing I'd probably say is that clients should remain actively

involved throughout the process.

Appointing a professional team doesn't mean handing over responsibility entirely.

The best projects are collaborative, and the most successful clients are often

the ones who stay engaged, ask questions, provide timely feedback, and participate

in the key decisions along the way.

I've seen situations where misunderstandings develop simply

because communication becomes infrequent or decisions be-- are delayed.

Projects move forward continuously as long as the key stakeholders

engage for longer periods.

Assumptions can start to fill gaps, which is not what you want.

Staying involved doesn't mean micromanaging the project.

It means remaining part of the conversation.

That ongoing dialogue helps maintain alignment, manages expectations,

and s- ensures the final outcome but remains true to the original vision.

There was another question that I wanted to ask.

what resource do you use in your business that you couldn't live without?

So, um, this could be a website, a piece of software, an app, a book, a podcast.

Um, is there anything that springs to mind?

So there isn't a piece of software or gadget

that I couldn't live without.

If I had to choose one thing, I'd I'd probably say access to good information.

So one of the things I pay close attention to is emerging local and national

policy, whether it's planning reform, housing policy, environmental targets,

or changes to building regulations.

These are often indicators of where the industry is heading in the

near to medium term, and that's not just for within this country.

It could be looking internationally to other countries and what

policies are changing there and how those may be implemented, uh,

locally within the UK, for example.

Under-understanding those shifts early allows us to advise

clients more effectively and make better strategic decisions.

And then from probably if we were then looking at, say, technology, technology

plays a huge and, and important role.

We use BIM software, drones, specialist surveying equipment, and

increasingly, um, are relying on AI to gather information and improve

efficiency and support communication.

But none of those tools replace professional judgment.

The value doesn't come from owning the technology.

It comes from knowing how and when to use it.

So technology will continually evolve, but the ability to understand, change,

interpret information, and apply it in a meaningful way is what ultimately

creates the value for the clients and

Could you just remind everyone the best place

to connect with you online?

Follow me on LinkedIn or connect with me on LinkedIn.

We have our, uh, website as well, which you can obviously look at

and sort of see what we're up to.

Um, and we're also on a range of social media as well, so

Facebook, Instagram, et cetera.