The nature of a construction project manager’s work largely vary from site to site much less company to company. However, what is vastly clear is that a construction PM has a lot of responsibilities compared to most PMs in different industries. This can be attributed to the fact that construction is a demanding and unique industry. Extensive knowledge about the industry can often be the difference between a successful project completion and delays.
The following are a few tips that can be highly useful to a construction PM to ensure project management success.
Effective Communication
Communication is a very important tool for the success of practically every project out there regardless of the industry. Nevertheless, effective communication is one of the most critical elements to the success of a construction projects in particular.
The PM needs to make sure that there is constant and consistent flow of information not only on the ground but also with the stakeholders and supplier; in every single phase of the implementation of the project. With everyone on board, the implementation process will be much smoother and this will make it easier for the PM to solve any problems if or when they arise.
Perhaps a great way of maintaining this flow of communication is by using a good collaborative work management (CWM) tool. It syncs all your comments, calendars, attachments and more, as well as allows you to easily monitor important information that may affect your project such as budgets, news and scheduling changes. Furthermore, it also lets you ‘share’ these changes in real time with everyone you want to, including other managers and accounting offices.
Get Involved
The PM as the head of the project has to be actively involved in every aspect of the project. He must literally work alongside his workers, leading by example. With the construction industry being so demanding, the PM has to understand his workers as well as familiarize himself with the construction site thoroughly. This would came in handy in case of a human resource issue that needs to be resolved. You have to become an integral part of the implementation process
Continuous Planning
The implementation of a construction project can be surprising at times because things may not go as initially planned. The PM is likely to encounter situations that may force him to make changes on the initial plan. Therefore, he is expected to be as flexible as possible so as to make changes on the fly as aspects of the project unfold.
As a matter of fact, he may need to refine, revise and keep developing new plans through the implementation process to ensure the project is successful; keeping in mind that even the slightest of changes can have a significant impact on the overall outcome of the product.
Pay attention to complaints from stakeholders or colleagues, and other warning signs, like a missed deadline or cost overrun, that there may be a problem. Preventing a crisis will keep your project running smoothly, save you a lot of time, and keep you, your team, and your stakeholders confident in progressing with the project.
Manage your expectations
Too many projects are doomed to fail from the beginning because of unrealistic expectations. Setting impossible deadlines and assigning too much work to your colleagues will surely result in sloppy work and often missed deadlines; which will in turn throw your project off course, necessitating patch-up work, timeline extensions, eroded stakeholder trust, and a frustrated team.
Understanding your workers will help you know their strengths and weaknesses. This can assist you in assigning tasks based on each colleague’s skillset. Delegating tasks to the right person is very important because success relies on how well team members can execute their tasks.
I was taught to manage a project as if that project was a company you owned.
Watch P&L and more importantly Cash Flow.
Great tips, always important to learn more and evolve. Doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out in the construction industry or you’re experience contractor in the business it’s important to stay on the top.
Thanks for the tips on construction project management success and doing it right. In my opinion, the best thing that you can do for your construction project is to communicate properly and clearly with your clients and with your workers so you know what needs to be done. I would imagine that a lot of projects are delayed or take longer than they need to because of miscommunication.