8 Habits for Successful Construction Project Management
Jerry Aliberti • March 11, 2024
Project managers need to understand that many people rely on them to make important decisions
Every construction project needs effective project management to be successful. Project managers in the construction industry oversee making sure projects are finished on schedule, within budget, and to the specified standard of quality. Overseeing a construction project can be a difficult and complex undertaking, so even the most experienced project managers can fail to deliver consistent project execution.
Over my 20 years in the construction business, I’ve not only run my own projects, but I’ve also discussed with many other project managers and construction owners what skills are required to be the best. Below is a list of some of the most important skills and 8 habits for successful construction project management that will bring repeatable project success and profitability.
Mindset. A project manager’s role is to manage many moving parts on any given day. It can be very overwhelming managing so many people, lots of paperwork, owners, public agencies, local community complaints, bosses and so much more. Burnout and mental health are real concerns and need to be nurtured. You will have a fantastic sense of accomplishment and keep your mental health in line with success when you realize that your work is assisting in the development of the careers of those who work for you as well as communities and infrastructure. This is the most important habit of the 8 Habits for Successful Construction Project Management.
Always have a sense of urgency
With schedules and budgets getting tighter, project managers need to have a sense of urgency when making decisions and coordinating the overall project. In addition, change orders need to be addressed quickly and not let slide until after the work is completed. Project issues need to be resolved as quickly as possible to avoid compounding the situation.
Communicate
Lack of communication causes high stress and high turnover. Every morning should be started with a morning huddle. Discuss recurring issues, including safety, and what’s possibly keeping crews from performing at peak performance. In addition, provide superintendents with schedules to be maintained and provide expected productions to the foreman. Also, find time to walk the site weekly and talk to your crews individually. This will increase morale and amplify communication.
Plan, Plan, and Plan some more
A project manager needs to fully understand what needs to happen not only that week but also several months beyond. It’s important to have a great schedule with clear critical path items. Understanding the critical path items, which are driving the project, allows you to stay ahead of the supply chain issues by contacting your subcontractors and material vendors many weeks in advance. Don’t wait till the last minute to make these calls.
Get submittals completed quickly
The first few months of your project are the most critical. You need to assemble your team early and get all your submittals, contracts, purchase orders, schedule, and permits done early. As a project manager, you need to delegate this work quickly and effectively. You don’t want to be in a position where you can’t start work because your submittals aren’t complete. Once the first shovel hits the ground you want the project to move as smoothly as possible because other problems will arise and that’s where your time needs to be spent. Having the right software to manage this work is also critical. In addition, invoicing and pay requisitions need to be a priority so you don’t run into cash flow problems.
Understanding your budgets
Knowing your budget is critical to profitability. Have the estimating team provide you with feedback on the project costs. If it’s a unit price project, know what items have more overhead and profit in them and why. Break down these costs, especially the major items, so you can fully understand the crew sizes and budgets to hand off to your management team and foreman. It’s also very important to track these costs and make field corrections to meet the budget frequently. Record this real-time data and send it back to your estimators so they can have updated historical data to work off on future bids.
Equipment forecasting
This is especially important for contractors who self-perform work and have higher equipment needs. Differentiate which equipment should be bought, leased, or rented. With the changing tax laws, purchasing may not be the best option so do your homework. Stay on top of your equipment and monitor frequently. You don’t want to find out you have an expensive piece of rented equipment sitting in your yard collecting dust for 6 months!
Streamline your processes
This is a habit I wish more contractors would take seriously. Although every project scope is unique, every project also has typical tasks. Clearly define the task you want to create a system and process for. Break down the task into individual steps, and identify the resources and tools required for each step. Sequence the steps in the order they need to be performed to complete the task. Make sure each step builds on the previous one. Assign roles and responsibilities for each step in the process and assign roles accordingly. Document each step in the process. Include any necessary resources, tools, roles, responsibilities, and expected outcomes. Adjust as needed and share with the company!
Overall, a successful construction project manager must be able to balance technical expertise with strong leadership, planning, and communication skills, while also being adaptable and able to solve problems creatively. These 8 Habits are essential for successful career construction project management.
To learn more about how Pro-Accel can help you optimize your Project Management click on the Project Management Optimization
Page.
The Challenge One of the most overlooked problems in construction is confusion over who is actually in charge of the project. In smaller companies and on smaller projects, it often falls on the superintendent. They have the field experience, are respected by the crews, and drive the work forward, while the project manager plays a more supporting role. That structure works when the projects are small, but as the company grows and the projects become larger, the cracks start to show. Clients expect the project manager to lead. They want answers on budgets, schedules, and commitments. The word “manager” in the title makes them assume that the person has the authority, and in my years of experience, they should. Meanwhile, the superintendent’s value is in driving the day-to-day in the field and keeping production moving. When the lines between the two are not redefined as a company grows, tension builds. Superintendents who have always “run the job” struggle to let go. Project managers who have always supported now need to step into leadership. The lack of clarity creates a tug of war inside the company.
Welcome to the first edition of The Growth Accelerator. This newsletter is designed for construction owners who are serious about scaling their operations without compromising profit or control. After 22-plus years in the industry, managing hundreds of millions of dollars in projects in the field and leading estimating teams responsible for more than $12 billion in projects, I have seen the patterns that make or break contractors. Each week, I will share insights from the field and boardroom to help you run a stronger, more profitable business. So let’s dive into the first issue topic! I figured I would start with the topic of one of my most viewed LinkedIn posts, which received over 225,000 impressions!
Struggling with large-scale construction budgeting? I can help contractors and developers plan, manage, and optimize budgets for complex projects. Read on...
