PLSO Oregon Surveyor July/August 2020

6 The Oregon Surveyor  | Vol. 43, No. 4 From the Publications Committee Pat Gaylord, PLS Interim Chair Publications Committee PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE FROM THE FIELD NOTES Publications C ommunication is key to all we do in life. Whether defining success or failure, it all hinges on how effec - tively we communicate with one another. We are witnessing this in the world today through battling COVID-19 and protests in the streets for change in our foun- dational institutions. Clear, consistent messages can save lives and change the world. Let’s hope both happen soon and we can move forward as one. Thinking back to survey class in Apper- son Hall at Oregon State University, I remember Professor Schultz anecdotal- ly lecturing on communication when he told a story of a survey crew looking for monuments. At the end of the day, the crew reported that all they had found was broken glass at every location. Ef- fective communication at the morning orientation would have clearly advised them that all the monuments they were searching for were bottles and how to do so correctly. Those small details have big impacts on our results. Whether it’s searching for bottles, how we treat our employees, or how we approach our conversations with the public. What we think we say and what is heard is often not the same. I recently had my own experience similar to that described by Professor Schultz. I directed my field crew to search for an 1870s line tree in the Mt. Hood National Forest, which was a 40-inch in diameter ponderosa pine snag when it was last recovered in 1979. Although the crew is very experienced, we never fully discussed what time might do to that snag. They re- ported finding nothing. The vision in my head never made it to the instructions I gave them. My gut told me we should have found something and I couldn’t let it go. Revisiting the location, I spotted the remains of a ponderosa pine snag that is now a partial stump about two feet tall and nearly completely rotted out. What’s left today does not definitively identify it as the correct tree, but the evidence on the ground strongly points to it. Better communication about expectations could have saved a trip. Nonetheless it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon I spent in the woods for my lack of communication. As we know, PLSO’s success and failures hang on communication as well. Whether it’s our chapter officers, board members, or committees, good communication makes for an effective organization, which benefits the membership. The same communication hopefully attracts new members as well. Through rebranding and strategic planning, there has been a lot of information communicated over the last few years. The goal was to spark a vision for you that will help reinvigorate the organization and make us stronger as a profession. Your contributions to TheOregon Surveyor are a key part of that chain of commu- nication. I’m sure the last few months have created some stories we can all learn from. Examples might be lessons about right-of-entry notifications to the public, remotely directing field crews or employees, or how to digitally sign your documents. Did you effectively communi - cate in these situations? Maybe through all of this you found a way to grow your business, reduce your office footprint, increase efficiency, or find a new oppor - tunity? Share your stories here to educate your peers. Peer-to-peer education is the foundation of the PLSO. We’ll all grow from each other’s stories and move for- ward as one.  x The goal was to spark a vision for you that will help reinvigorate the organization and make us stronger as a profession