November 25, 2026
Managing Communication Barriers and Building Stronger Construction Teams
Construction teams today bring together people from different countries, different first languages, different trades, and different generations. That mix is a strength, but it also creates friction. A direct instruction lands as disrespect. A quiet nod gets read as agreement when it was not. A twenty-year foreman and a second-year apprentice walk away from the same conversation with two completely different understandings of what was just agreed to.
This session gives participants a practical way to work with that. Rather than treating communication as a soft skill, we treat it as a technical one: something you can observe, break down, and get better at with repetition. Participants will work with two frameworks. The first, listening types, helps them notice what they are actually doing when someone else is speaking, and what they are missing. The second, the Experience Cube, gives them a simple structure for saying the hard thing clearly.
The focus in this workshop is on the situations participants are actively dealing with. Examples and practice are drawn from site and office realities in the electrical contracting industry, and the room is set up for people to bring their own live challenges into the work.
Date & Time
Wednesday, November 25, 2026 (9:00 am – 11:00 am pt)
Location
ECABC Office
1103-2992 Glen Drive,
Coquitlam, BC V3B 0V2
Details
This session is limited to 14 participants. Pastries and coffee will be served!
Who It’s For
- Senior leaders and people leaders from ECABC member companies
- Owners, project managers, superintendents, and operations leadership
- Anyone responsible for crews that span multiple cultures, first languages, trades, or generations
- Leaders who want practical tools rather than theory, and who are willing to practice in the room
Key Outcomes
Participants will leave with:
- A working understanding of listening types, and the ability to recognize which one they default to under pressure
- The Experience Cube, a four-part structure for giving feedback and raising difficult issues without triggering defensiveness
- Repeated practice applying both tools to their own real situations, with feedback from peers
- One specific commitment to take back to their team
How This Session Works
This is a working session, not a presentation. Direct teaching is kept deliberately short, so that the majority of the time together goes to practice, discussion, and debrief.
We use only two frameworks on purpose. Introducing more would mean covering each one shallowly. Instead, participants get enough repetition with each tool that they can actually use it at the job site the next day.
Participants are invited to bring a real communication challenge they are currently facing, whether that is a crew member they cannot seem to reach, a recurring misunderstanding between office and field, or feedback they have been avoiding giving. Practice happens in pairs and small groups, and everyone shares at the level they are comfortable with. Nobody is put on the spot, and there is no requirement to disclose anything sensitive.
Instructor(s)
Vanja (VJ) Terzic
Vanja (VJ) Terzic is a Leadership Consultant with The Coaching Studio and a former Professional Engineer with 20+ years across engineering, consulting, and leadership development. He specializes in supporting leaders and teams in complex, multi-stakeholder environments — where success depends on alignment, trust, and navigating competing priorities.
His project background includes major infrastructure work such as the Kitimat LNG Project and the Bruce Power Units 1 & 2 Restart, leading multidisciplinary teams across the full project lifecycle. This experience lets him build credibility quickly with technical professionals and contracting teams. He has also facilitated leadership engagements with the University of British Columbia, SFU Beedie School of Business, and BC Wood, supporting engagement across 20+ Indigenous communities.
VJ currently teaches at SFU Beedie School of Business and has contributed to leadership and entrepreneurship programming at UBC Sauder.
Cancellation Policy
Fees will be collected at the time of registration. Should it be necessary to cancel your attendance please contact ECABC at any time up to 4 weeks prior to the course start date for a full refund. A cancellation from 2 weeks to 4 weeks will result in a 50% refund. There will be no refund for cancellations less than 10 business days prior to the scheduled start date. Participant substitutions may be made up to 2 days before the course start date, at no additional fee.
If the course needs to be to be postponed or cancelled due to insufficient enrollment, ECABC will refund the registration fee or, if possible, the attendee may choose to move to an identical session in the future.
Notice of Photography: Please be advised that photographs may be taken at the event for use on ECABC’s website and social media accounts. By registering for this event, you consent to the Association photographing and using your image and likeness. If you do not want to be photographed, please let the ECABC staff know when you arrive to the event.
Registration & Information
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