The 6 Qualities of an Effective Construction Project Manager

The 6 Qualities of an Effective Construction Project Manager

By Graeme Hick

A construction project Manager is responsible for managing the entire project. And whether the project will be a success or failure depends largely on how effective or ineffective the manager is. So for a construction project to succeed, investors need to hire effective project managers and project managers need to learn how to be so. Here are six qualities to spot or be an effective project manager:

1. Maintain excellent health and safety standard on site:  Onsite accidents harm projects in multiple ways. Apart from the loss of workforce and the resultant productivity, it invites bad press, legal trouble, and much more. To be an excellent manager, maintaining excellent onsite health and safety standard is a must. Make sure every tradesman owns the right CSCS Card, or you can get them the right CSCS qualifications yourself by CSCS Card booking online in addition to CSCS Test booking online. Need further help? You can visit one of the many CSCS Helpline websites available on the internet.

2. Excellent communication: You are responsible to lead the workforce to achieve a specific goal and that requires clear and confident commands. You have to communicate tasks to workers, motivate them when they need and understand their problems to solve it. And how can you do it without possessing excellent communication skills?

3. Ability to delegate tasks and maximize productivity: Managers and workers are judged differently. A worker excellence lies in how well he does the job while a manager is measured by how handsomely he gets the job done. Needless to say, he must have the ability to size up workers' strengths, weaknesses, expertise and potentials and then delegate tasks to ones most suitable. This is a great way to bring out the best in everyone and achieve maximum productivity.

4. Ability to prioritize activities: A construction project is not a single task but a combination of various activities that are multi-faceted, complex and above all interdependent. An effective construction manager must know how to prioritize activities. What must be done first and which tasks can be taken care of later so that productivity doesn't suffer due to inter dependencies.

5. Value teamwork: Construction is not a solo effort but a team game. It involves a lot of cooperation and collaboration among diverse groups and individuals. Moreover, teamwork creates a more positive atmosphere boosting overall morale and productivity.

6. Possess problem solving skills: No construction project is devoid of its share of problems and obstacles. They have the tendency to crop up at the most inopportune moment, leading to delay and overspending. To take best care of such irritants, a manager must possess excellent problem solving skills. He must be able to predict and forecast what problems a project may encounter, and have multiple options and solutions ready. These problems include everything from weather issues, delivery delays and even personal issues amongst team members. A good construction manager is able to devise strategies that are specific to a particular project and tailored to a unique group of individuals.

Final Thoughts

The work of a construction project manager is extremely complex and multi-dimensional. You are dealing both with physical stuffs (like materials and equipment) as well as emotional (workers). And so you need both technical skills as well as people's skills.

You are required to be welcoming and approachable to create an atmosphere that workers enjoy being a part of. Dedication to both work-related and personal development is an integral part of what makes a good construction manager. And I hope these six tips will go a long way in helping you become that.

Graeme Hick life revolves around two "C's": Cricket and Construction. When his mind space is not occupied by cricket, you can find him reading and writing about construction. It comes with years spent in construction helpline.   Apply red cscs card online at construction helpline.

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