Walking around construction sites, inspecting work, and making decisions may appear relatively simple to people who are unfamiliar with construction management jobs. In reality, these positions require a particular set of skills and personality traits to ensure success and safety on each job site. These characteristics must be used daily to keep jobs moving toward completion and a profit.
Cultivating Respect
Construction management is not just about starting and completing a project in a timely manner. Many parts of the job are about communication. For example, a manager must be able to command attention when necessary to cover crucial safety rules. Workers must have a certain level of respect for their manager to follow set rules. Rude or incompetent managers will only frustrate employees. Construction sites are dangerous places, and the manager must keep the staff healthy and morale high.
Working Knowledge of Tools
An office manager cannot simply become a construction manager overnight. To be effective in the field, construction managers must have a working knowledge of almost every tool on the job site. From heavy machinery to basic drills, the ability to pinpoint unsafe practices or defective equipment is crucial. Employees have a greater degree of respect for a manager who has been in their position at some point. They understand that the manager sees their perspective.
Personnel Interaction
Not every construction worker is proficient at all construction roles. One major skill construction managers must have is observation. As they walk around the site, they'll see employees who work well together and others with obviously clashing personalities. Managers can pair employees who have certain skill sets and compatible personalities to work in one project area. With reduced friction between personalities, workers are more productive and can complete projects in a timely manner.
Time Management
Construction managers cannot lose sight of their projected schedules. Each hour on a construction site can cost hundreds of dollars, from payroll checks to heavy machinery rental fees. It's up to the manager to create innovative solutions when things go wrong. A broken piece of equipment means lost work, but a savvy manager can reassign employees to work on a different project area while repairs are underway. Patience and strategic thinking are core traits that an effective manager must possess to keep a construction business profitable.
Project Coordination
Certain aspects of construction, especially concrete work, must be coordinated through several companies. This requires precise project management skills to get the job done right. Construction managers must have a variety of different workers at the job site on time to avoid mistakes that may result in costly repairs or corrections.
Talented construction managers harness their powers of persuasion, coordination. and past experience to oversee a job site from start to finish. Without quality managers, construction sites would have less productivity and high accident rates.
