Much of the time in a briefing process is spent on communication probably even more time than on actual writing of the brief. Especially in large organizations, many hours are spent discussing, explaining, selling and negotiating the contents of the brief, to make sure that all stakeholders understand and agree with the direction in which the project is heading and have the right kind of expectations. There may be lots of different stakeholders to communicate with, but generally speaking, the most important audiences in the briefing process are: the projects decision makers, the buildings users and, obviously, the design team.Each of these requires a different communication approach.The first group, the decision makers, are usually not interested in the details of the brief, but they will want to discuss the projects objectives, the required investment and the associated risks. They will prefer one pagers over thick reports, and they will need regular updates on progress and budget. The buildings users will mostly be interested in how the project is going to affect their daily life in the building. Will they for example still have desk? A place to store their stuff? A parking space? Common tools for communicating with users are newsletters and project websites. In the case of fundamental change, however, more interactive ways of communication will be needed, for example town hall meetings where users not only receive information, but can also express their concerns. Last, but not least, there is the design team, who can be seen as the ultimate target group of the brief because it must inform them about what they have to design. Just handing over a set of briefing documents is not enough for this. There should be dialogue between the client and the design team to make sure that both sides have the same understanding of the ambitions and requirements for the project (see also page 70). All this talking takes time, but good communication is essential for a projects success. Good communication can sway the users opinion of the envisioned changes, persuade decision makers to fund the project, and help to make sure that the design team designs the right building. Recommendations-Draw up a communication plan that outlines the main communication activities, explaining what, how, when and with whom communication is required.-If available, collaborate with the organizations communication department, or other communication professionals.-Communicate frequently and openly about the project with end users, via social media, town hall meetings and other means of communication.-Put effort into written material, illustrations and tables to ensure they are understandable and mean the same for the different parties involved.-Talk and write in plain language. Avoid management speak or technical jargon.-Do not communicate with the design team solely on paper. Enter into an active dialogue to create a shared understanding of what needs to be delivered.