Navigating the Skies of Construction Communication: Insights from Aviation Expert Chris Wong

Welcome to the speak in flow podcast where we

share unique experiences to help you elevate your leadership

voice and effective communication. Today we have

Chris Wong's so glad he's here. He's the founder and principal

of Richmond construction consulting. He's an aviation

expert. So construction expert focus and specialise in the

aviation industry. And so, so fascinating to me, we get to

hear someone in the aviation industry and doing the hot, big

things and SFO and other airports and so welcome, Chris.

Thanks, Melinda. Thank you for having me.

I'm glad you're here. So why don't we just get

started? Can you tell us a little bit about how you even

got into this industry and what you do?

Sure. I studied civil engineering at UC Davis.

And then quickly kind of got a couple internships with the city

and county of San Francisco, their project at SFO, their

project management department, and really kind of fell in love

with construction. Both of my parents are kind of have

construction adjacent careers as well, my dad's an architect, my

mom, ran facilities at hospitals and helped do execute various

construction projects in the healthcare industry. And that

kind of led me to then pursuing my own career in the

construction field.

Wonderful. Wow. So you just right out the gate,

Hollywood has gotten an amazing, amazing opportunity for you.

Yeah,

so I was fairly lucky in terms of how we came

upon that opportunity, and was something that really interested

me in terms of having a balance of being out in the field and

seeing something be built, as well as a tangible or, like,

office aspect of a job. Yeah,

I mean, that's requires post the hard skills,

and then also the soft skills. Yeah. So what is the what are

some of the key challenges that you see, when it comes to

aviation construction? And getting something built like

that? I mean, it takes an amount, an enormous amount, all

these different teams, partners. It's a lot going on?

Yeah, I think you could take him to take a step

back before adding the aviation just get a construction project

in general, yeah, we're fairly difficult to execute from, you

have so many different entities involved from whichever owner,

you have your designers, architects, engineers, you have

your contractor, your subcontractors, there's so many

different parties that go and are involved in getting a

construction project executed. Adding the layer of aviation on

top of that is that your typical construction project, you may be

able to put a fence around it. And that site is the contractors

to be able to go build the project. And aviation a lot of

that, more often than not, you don't see too many brand new

airports being built, you're working in an occupied

environment, that it's operating 24/7 And you need to it's like

working in somebody's house, and they're still living there. And

they're still living right, exactly right. You're not going

to be start tearing down walls without telling the your, your

landlord or the owner that I'm going to be working here and

when you're going to be working on it. So it's a much different

type of level of coordination required to be able to do

construction and airport.

So what do you think it has helped you?

I think it's what's helped me is really I learned

from a couple other people just observing how, imagine I started

as an intern serving, how they manage their relationships with

the stakeholders, and kind of at an early age, just kind of

putting things away in terms of okay, I like this, I maybe

wouldn't do this this way. And then kind of when I eventually

gained a little bit more responsibility, develop my own

style in terms of how I was able to develop relationships with

the stakeholders and communicating with them. I think

my approach has really been to spend a little bit more one on

one time when I have the opportunity to understand what

are their risks, what is what each stakeholders

responsibilities are, what are their priorities when it comes

to a particular project, so that I'm able to help advocate or

advocate on their behalf when it comes to certain design or

construction decisions that are being made throughout the

duration of a product execution of a construction project. And

so it's I think it's really Just to for me, it's communicating

with them developing the relationship and then also

demonstrating an understanding to them of what their priorities

and values are for a particular project. Yeah, I think I've

there's instances where in a lot of these large projects, 100

million dollars or more billion dollar projects I've been a part

of, we have meetings that are have 1520 different people, the

stakeholders have are typically independent of individual

contributors by independent contributors, that have their

own job, and then being a stakeholder to the project's

secondary, right. And they're trying to advocate on behalf of

the larger organisation like an airport, what they think needs

to be incorporated into the design. But in those settings of

15 to 20 people there, they're a little bit shy, or for whatever

reason, and I think it's, I've taken upon myself on certain

times to kind of be able to advocate for them and prompt

them certain times when I need know, I know, they need to

perhaps speak up. And it shouldn't always be coming from

me, even though I'm a consultant or an owner's rep, that the

design team or the rest of the project team really needs to

hear from the stakeholder so I can help tease out some of

those, the communication from them, because I understand what

their priorities are, as it relates to the project.

Wow, that's a lot of work on your part and sincere

sincerity. I mean, I think that also I can even sense you know,

your your approachability and your genuineness to you build

that relationship, even though it does take some extra effort,

but it sounds like it's gone, you know, to help 10,000 times

forward because, you know, the people, you know, the

stakeholders, you know, what their priorities are, and then

you're even advocating for them. And so that's really awesome,

that you have both the the knowledge of the project, the

industry knowledge, your your area of expertise, but also the

genuineness and the relationship building, like you said, you

learn how to build these relationships in a way that I

think ultimately helps the team overall. Yeah, and how about,

yeah, how about when they don't agree? What do you do?

You know, I think they're, if you're, if you're on

a construction project, you're not always going to agree on

Yeah, a lot of those decisions, though, are made based upon what

budget schedule. And the owner, the owners of the projects have

to have to make some of those decisions. You just have to

present them with that information and explain to them

why we made those decisions. And that it wasn't me those

decisions weren't made in a vacuum in terms of like, no,

they made a request, and we're just telling them no to that one

request, it's that there is a laundry list of requests. And

we've methodically are the project team has methodically

gone through in terms of what items they can or cannot proceed

with in terms of what does the building need, or the airport

want to prioritise from an execution standpoint from from a

budget?

Right, mainly budget and time? Yeah, I mean, I

mean,

those are the the big drivers. But I mean, there

are certain instances where, you know, from there's

sustainability decisions or driving things as well, like

billing to invest in the airport willing to invest in sustainable

alternatives and delivery methods that aren't always going

to be the most economical decisions. Right. But they're

doing that with a very thoughtful approach.

Yeah, has someone have you made that decision

before and then someone came and actually influenced your

decision? It woke me? Have you thought about what made that

successful? That communication in terms of influencing your

decision about something?

I think sometimes or maybe it's not influenced but I

think you have to be when you're when you're talking dollars and

cents. And a project standpoint, you can't always make a be

influenced by some of that. I think it's the it's those

decisions aren't made individually, like independently

by me. They're made by the team and evaluated holistically as it

relates to the overall project because an airport project will

have 80 to 100 different stakeholders that like, you

can't just be swayed by one Now, right? Every single time

somebody wants something, it's it needs to be taken into

consideration of the overall picture of the project.

Right or right. So if someone is trying to propose

something, they really have to consider the overall project and

know all the pieces and components of the overall

project and how their PC affects everybody else.

Yeah, explaining the context of how decisions are

made. So as much as they may attempt to influence and

everybody's going to advocate for their interests. It's like,

it's a given, it's a give and take.

Right? And so what thing Do you want one or two, as

a project manager, one or two strategies, tips that you can

share for someone who's running a large project?

So I would say, some tips, I mean, everybody's a

little bit different, you know, I don't say the way I do things

is the best way or not, I mean, it's everybody's different. But

for me, I think it's, I really focus on the relationship side

of things. In terms of you understanding them, you get more

much more cooperation or participation, from stakeholders

who know your meetings are going to be productive, and you're

actually going to be they're going to be heard throughout.

Versus if you don't have a relationship with them, you

throw meaning on somebody's calendar, and they don't, they

don't show up. And you're like, Well, why why didn't they show

up to the meeting? It's like you haven't, they don't know who you

are for? You're new to the organisation. Yeah. And there's

a lot of that as the airport having a large capital

programme, there are not just one project being executed at a

time, there's like a dozen projects being executed at a

time and save stakeholders times are being constantly being

sought after. Right. So that's a whole nother aspect of just

trying to coordinate schedules, which is not really the

communication side. But if you have a good relationship, and

you've established those stakeholders, because you

reached out to them individually, they're much more

likely to kind of participate or and or, you know, if they aren't

able to participate, you find 15-20 minutes one on one, hey,

this is the agenda we're going to cover if you can't make it,

can you help me understand what are your priorities and then you

some will trust you to kind of speak on their behalf in those

meetings, and but because you've had that chance, and so it's

really about the role, the relationships, I'm gonna get Kim

gotta keep. Yeah, I love that. Yes, your ability to communicate

with folks? Do you see

any? Like, what are some of the things that you see,

when people are trying to build relationships that do not work?

You know, there's, yes, there are certain behaviours in in

that maybe let's just focus on the construction aviation

industry, certain behaviours that people have, that are like,

No, you don't want to do that.

I wouldn't say it's behaviours, it's to dissern

people's approach in terms of just being passive. In terms of

their communication, it's got it. They don't, they only

correspond over eat as much as we're in a technological world,

right? These days. People really appreciate the face to face, or

you pick up the phone and talk to them versus having playing,

just emailing back and forth, five or six times and you still

don't. And because of the problem, right, yeah, you're not

aligning? And, yeah, I think that is really a challenge.

Something that happens more often than not that like a

problem can be solved by the 30 or 62nd. Phone call versus you

spending 1520 minutes preparing restaurants. And that like still

didn't actually answer the question. Right. Yeah, hit the

point. So I think that is how we communicate these days with

technology, right? Is is different that I think is not as

many people do, and I Yeah, and I may be speaking out of turn,

but I think just what I've observed in terms of who was

more successful are the people who pick up the phone or go meet

somebody in person for a sidewalk versus the ones who

just sit back behind the computer. And yeah, email away.

And then hopefully somebody's doing what they asked. Right.

Right. Right. I agree. I agree. I can't I mean,

I'm I just pick up the phone. I feel like typing it out. That

requires more work for me. So I just I did pick up the phone,

but there are people that are really, yeah, they're just

accustomed to on the phone or text. And it's like, why are we

doing this? I just pick up the phone. So I agree with you on

that one. I mean, but what I do know that it's even meetings, so

sometimes I could do better with meeting and personality that has

been the Yeah, just so let's just do virtual meeting. So but

then I think there's so much value, and like you said, the

successful people will take the time, it does require more

effort on our part, but at least having that one to one

relationship, meeting in person, this is so different. And that

adds value.

I mean, there's plenty of even just this like

seeing each other face to face turning the camera on when

you're talking to somebody Yes, yes. is better than writing,

maybe not necessarily. hireling hiding, but just being behind a,

an email address. Right? Yeah.

But in but I still think some people like behind

the email, and this is better, but there are still people that

present and turn off the camera. They're the presenter, and they

have the camera off. Yeah. So I mean, there's nothing else to

take away. I mean, I think like you're saying, the importance of

building relationships, it does sometimes take a little bit more

extra effort. But I think it'll pay it does pay off, right?

Especially when you when you need to work as a team, when

there's two important decisions that need to be made. But at

least you had the initial contact, like you said, you you

met with the person privately one to one got to know them got

to know their priorities. And later on, when you had to make

important decisions, you had that initial contact, to to have

been with a person and the person knows you. And so and

that trusts you to start to form the trust and the relationship,

because those difficult conversations and discussions,

decisions without that initial trust are going to be harder to

make, and then ultimately cost the job.

I will say like I've, I've benefited from being

at the same client site for over 10 years. It's like, yeah, I

don't expect everybody to be able to like, pick up the phone

and call somebody. And like, I know, I know, like, oh, this

person had a kid recently, like all the personal details of

this. Yeah, people that we work with right now, don't expect

that. But I think there are some things that people could do

better in terms of when you're introduced to a new client site,

or a new project that you're, it's a new environment that

you're just not familiar with to be able to create that network

for yourself. Yeah, help you get a project delivered.

Right, right. Like you said, some of the subs that

come on board, they're like, oh, they don't know what it is to

work at the Aviation they think it's going to be same as what

they do in another construction site. Right. So they could have

benefited with just like really taking the time to get to know

the environment, the new environment, that they're in the

new players and new people and yeah, yeah,

absolutely. I mean, I think a specific example for

me is that like, you know, if, if I'm, I'm not perfect, I will

admit, like, I've made certain mistakes or overlooked

something, I got a project, right. And, you know, having

communicated or establish the relationships with those folks

that like maybe adversely affected by a miss, they're

willing, they're much more willing to work with you or try

to help you solve whatever happened, if you like, because

you've taken the time to work with them. They know, yeah, it

wasn't maliciously done or wasn't just like that your

oversight wasn't malicious. Right? And so they, they're more

likely to try to help you out in those instances when something

does go right. So I think that's another benefit as to what we're

describing in terms of communicating with folks

developing those relationships.

I love it. I love it. Thank you, Chris. I really

appreciate your time, your wisdom, sharing your your

strategies for relationship building, I think they're so

important. And it's a good for people to start doing it to

start keeping it at the forefront to start keeping it as

a purposeful. Yeah, way of living and being especially as

professional. Right. And as a leader. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you,

Chris. And so Chris Wong was Richmond construction

consulting. You're in San Francisco. The area Yeah.

Well, thank you for having me. Oh, Linda. Really?

I'm so glad you're here working at our aviation and

our airports and we're in good hands.

I like to believe so. But you

are your humble. You're humble to us why? Okay.

Thank you, Chris. Thank you listeners. Glad you're here.

Take care. Bye