You may not have known this, but nearly half of the most dangerous jobs in the United States are in the construction industry. People who work in construction put their lives on the line every day.
As a construction manager, it’s your job to make sure you minimize risk to your employees wherever possible. You can do this simply by being a good manager—but what does construction management entail?
As a manager in any position, you should be seeking to always improve your job performance.
We’ve compiled a short list of things that’ll help you as a construction manager. By the end of this article, you’ll know just how you can make work better for you and your employees.
1. Risk Management
Knowing how to manage potential risks in your job is one of the most important skills you can have.
This skill can help you develop multiple plans for tackling a construction project. You can also use your risk management skills to develop contingency plans in the face of disaster.
In addition, risk management skills will also help you come up with quick, smart solutions to problems you might face. For example, if a supply delivery runs later than expected, you will be able to prepare your team and come up with a solution together.
2. Safety Measures
Construction safety is crucial to keep in mind. Make sure you have all the kinds of equipment your employees can use to stay safe.
This doesn’t mean just the typical vests and hard hats. It also includes items such as a fall protection safety harness.
A safety harness is a great idea, especially when your employees are working from a great height. Having a body harness on will make sure they don’t fall too far.
In addition, these harnesses are structured so as not to cause your joints any damage from jolting as they catch you.
3. Flexibility
Things never go quite as planned during a construction project. Learning to be flexible is an important way to be able to work with constant changes and problems.
Have a firm grasp on your plan for the project, true, but learn to plan for changes. Try to figure out what changes might develop over the course of the project. Eventually, this foresight will become second nature to you.
Finally, keep in mind that planning for a project never truly ends until the project itself is complete. Unexpected changes can always happen last minute.
4. Communication
Communication is a skill that impacts every other area of your career. Communication skills, both verbal and written, are something that you need to hone expertly.
Communication will allow you to be on the same page with all of the many people involved in a project. This includes clients, employees, sub-contractors, and suppliers.
The ability to express yourself clearly in any form is an incredibly valuable skill. It will help ensure that any project you’re a manager on has smooth sailing.
5. Negotiation
Negotiation is a skill that goes hand in hand with communication skills. As a project manager, you’ll need to negotiate on a lot of things. You’ll have to handle the negotiation for budgeting on a project, your employee’s schedules, and the concerns of any stakeholder involved in the project.
Knowing how to negotiate properly can help you create business agreements that will benefit you and your team more than you could imagine.
6. Team Management
Your team is the greatest tool in your arsenal. It’s crucial that you know how to manage them.
Make sure you do what you can to have effective collaboration between team members on any project you’re a part of. In addition, make sure that your team members can work towards a common goal with the use of your team management.
With good team management skills, you’ll be able to handle any issues in a prompt, professional manner. Your employees and your clients will be impressed with your ability to navigate any situation.
7. Receptiveness to Feedback
One skill important for any manager is the ability to listen to feedback. Receiving constructive criticism from your employees and listening to that criticism is one of the best things you can do for your company.
Don’t just wait for feedback from an employee or client, actively seek it out where you can. Openly ask for a coworker or customer’s thoughts on a project. Assure them that you take feedback seriously.
Doing this shows you’re eager to implement their recommendations, showing that you’re dedicated to constantly improving your position as a construction manager.
8. Time Management
The last, but definitely not least, skill you need to master is time management.
As a construction manager, you’ll have to handle many things in the span of an average workday. It could be easy to get overwhelmed.
Make sure you prioritize your tasks throughout the day so everything gets done that needs to. Sort out things that need to be done immediately vs. things that can wait a bit.
Delegate the tasks that don’t need to be handled by you to team members you trust. Remember not to micromanage them—they can handle it.
What’s Next for a Construction Manager?
Now that you’ve learned all about the important parts of being a construction manager, you know how to identify those areas in your job and see if you’re doing everything you can.
Before you start on that, though, why not give the rest of our website a look? You deserve a moment to breathe before jumping back into your job.
We offer information on a variety of topics from home improvement to technology. No matter where your interests lie, we’re sure one of our articles will catch your eye.
Don’t wait—learn something new today!
