Episode 3 - Hold on to your seats as Patricia spills the beans on how to turn those mind-numbing contracts into something we can all high-five about. Forget the legal jargon – she's all about adding a splash of design thinking, throwing in some visual appeal, and even a sprinkle of proactive law.

But here's the real kicker: Patricia's got the scoop on turning contract negotiations into a team fiesta. Imagine us huddled up, brainstorming, and co-creating our way to stress-free contracts. No more yawning in meetings – it's time to make this construction talk as easy as chatting with a buddy over lunch. So grab a seat, let's spill the tea on contracts, and make work feel less like work.

Takeaways:

1. Design Thinking Matters: Incorporating design thinking into construction contracts enhances user understanding and promotes sustainable relationships.

2. Visualize Complexity: Making contracts visually pleasing aids comprehension and contributes to a positive user experience.

3. Co-Creation Is Key: Involving the entire project team in contract creation fosters collaboration, reduces discrepancies, and ensures contracts align with intended relationships.

In this episode:

[00:03:28] Patricia discusses the verbosity and complexity of construction contract language.

[00:06:10] Explaining the meaning of user-friendly in the context of construction contracts.

[00:09:36] Addressing the gap between legal drafting and practical construction site experience.

[00:13:42] Strategies for improving contract user-friendliness through proactive law and collaborative creation.

[00:19:40] Focusing on balanced construction contracts for sustainable outcomes.

[00:26:26] Presenting data on the general difficulty of understanding contracts, especially in the construction industry.

Resources

1. Haywood Commercial UK

2. Connect with Patricia on LinkedIn

Quotes

1. "Knowledge is power. If you understand how the contract works, then you are able to do what the contract says." - Patricia Haywood

2. "There is no writing anywhere that says you have to accept a construction contract the way it is. You can change your construction contract." - Patricia Haywood

3. "Co-creation is so important. Gone are the days when you're sat off in some office somewhere and everybody's off in their own little world." - Patricia Haywood