Productive coordination meetings on the go

When an architect assembles a conference room full of consultants for a coordination meeting, power and status can sometimes interfere with productive coordination. Some of the consultants may have traveled for hours, may feel uncomfortable or out of their element, or they may be unnerved by having to make a presentation in the architect's office. They may not be at their best when attending such a meeting. And they may tune out much of the conversation, feeling like they are wasting time waiting for their turn to speak or to go home. Coordination points may be lost during the meeting or on a long drive home. "We talked about that," recalled the architect. "I'm sorry, but I don't remember that," replied the consultant.

Some of the most productive coordination meetings can take place when the architect goes to the consultants' offices. The consultants are on their own turf and may be more comfortable with the conversation. They may also have better access to coordination information and materials. Individual members of the consultant's team can be on call and participate only as needed, while continuing to be productive with other tasks in their office outside the meeting. A meeting in the consultant's office can be more economical for the consultant, and it can also be beneficial for the architect to see where and how the consultant's business is organized.