The importance of listening to a client in the design process

TCI commentary:

This piece by landscape architect Alison Galbraith discusses the importance of listening in the design process. It can be easy for those of us working in public engagement and consultation, to be focused on ensuring our own message about why change is necessary is received, that we forget to truly listen to all the information being given to us at events.

Article:

Alison Galbraith explains how listening is key to forging a solid relationship with clients and bring a full understanding into the design process.

We have a client whose guiding philosophy is to use his ears more than his mouth. The first time I met him, he repeated this several times and I’ve heard it numerous times since, including at meetings with planners and at design panels, where he is keen to emphasise to those giving comment and guidance on development proposals that he and his consultants are here to listen.
At times we don’t like hearing what is being said to us. In a design situation, it is difficult when someone criticises something you’ve worked hard to create. Think back to studio crits at university! Painful sometimes, but vital to have an objective opinion from someone you respect and who is able to stand back and see the wood for the trees (as it were). Though you might need to put a lot of effort in making changes, or even start all over again, in the end you nearly always have to admit to an improved outcome – because you listened.

We have an open plan studio, with senior staff available for discussion at any time, and with finances, business plans, resourcing and projects frequently discussed at regular team meetings. The open plan arrangement means that we all have an awareness of what everyone else is doing and can both learn from overhearing and contribute to discussions.

My fellow director remembers as a graduate in an open plan setting being like a sponge, soaking up a wealth of information and knowledge from more experienced colleagues. This could be anything; telling a sub-consultant that their quote was unsuccessful; discussions about the best way to detail a stone coping; the relative costs of different systems for load-bearing paving around new trees; talking to a soil scientist about his recommendations for ameliorating topsoil.

She learned a huge amount in those first months and years by simply listening. Many years later, she is still learning by listening; learning about changing materials costs, attitudes, issues, research, techniques – what you might call technical stuff – but also learning what is going on in the office.  In our management role, understanding our team and how they work, speak, react, behave, what makes them laugh, or makes them stressed, or pleases them, is critical.

At public consultations it is easy to forget that listening to what members of the public have to say is more important than what you’ve got to say to them, even though – quite rightly – you have carefully prepared a presentation to get across what you want to say to them. Of course, you need to be able to succinctly and clearly explain the details of your proposal, but then you need to listen – even if this just gives people a chance to air their grievances and even when the opportunity to speak is hijacked by somebody with a gripe about dog mess or lack of doctors’ surgeries, and the consultation event is occasionally utilised as a warm, dry environment for a lonely pensioner spending several hours being listened to.

Recently I have had my listening skills tested to the max by a client team with a huge amount of information to pass on, and with very little of it written down. At my first meeting with them, they recounted the rich history of their site, the people involved, their vision and everything that has contributed to all of that; a deep understanding of the complexities of the way site functions now and a huge passion and enthusiasm for the possibilities of their site in future years.

But most of this was not written down anywhere and they had no time to write it down. At the initial briefing, as the three main members of the client team chipped in enthusiastically, talking quickly, often at tangents, I remember thinking that I needed to capture as much as I possibly could now and not rely on them having time to set anything down in writing later. I had to listen really hard, trying to jot down notes while still giving my attention to what they were saying and what questions I needed to ask. It was exhilarating and exhausting, but key to forging a solid relationship with them and bringing a full understanding into the design process.

The power of listening hard was brought home to me when my son was lucky enough to be part of a language immersion programme at his secondary school. From the first day of the first term his tutorial periods and a good proportion of his learning was delivered in French.  There was a steep learning curve and things sometimes went awry but three years later he and most of his classmates passed their GCSE with flying colours – a whole two years early! One of the key elements of their learning was the need to pay really close attention; to listen really hard. And the brilliant thing was that the listening skills developed while being immersed in a foreign language transferred across other subjects, where their achievements were equally impressive.

On a personal level, listening is a skill I greatly value and I find it particularly annoying when you know that there is someone quiet who may have something interesting or important to add to the conversation and who just can’t compete with others who like to hear their own voices and are not so good at listening. As the Dalai Lama wisely said: “When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. If you listen, you may learn something new.”

Article originally appeared on Landscape Insight

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