Last Updated on December 2, 2021 by Construction Digest
Project management is one of the most satisfying and rewarding experiences an individual can have. Nothing beats watching your project come to fruition.
However, it’s not always easy.
Obstacles are thrown at every project manager almost on a daily basis. Whether they be big or small, there is always something that gets in the way.
Successful project managers learn how to maneuver around these obstacles no matter what size they are. This article will offer 15 tips for construction project managers that may help them with this endeavor.
1) Be On Time And Prepared
This is perhaps the most basic tip of all time but many people forget about it because it’s so obvious. Many times you hear about groups showing up hours late or unprepared right before meetings were supposed to start.
This not only throws a wrench in the entire process, it could also cause you to lose clients and deals because everyone else will come prepared.
2) Collaborate With Others
It’s important for each team member to work together as a whole rather than as separate entities.
As difficult as this may be to accomplish, it’s essential that everyone knows what their role is and how it fits into the big picture.
While there may be some slight disagreements here and there, the ability to resolve these issues quickly is crucial for a successful project.
3) Make Decisions From Many Points Of View
Every decision carries with it a burden or consequence of some sort. There are too many decisions throughout the day to count; therefore, make sure you think each one through before finalizing anything.
Use your team and the opinions of others to help make these decisions and you will find yourself in a better position at the end of it all.
4) Remember The “Why” Attitude
Make sure you take time throughout the day to stay focused on what goals you are trying to accomplish for that specific project.
While there can be multiple goals for any given assignment, it’s important that you remember why they’re in place in the first place.
This tip may seem simple but is often overlooked by most people if not taken seriously.
5) Don’t Overpromise And Under-Deliver
A lot of times people assume because something sounds easy or isn’t much work, so it must be simple.
While you can’t always measure the amount of work you’ve put into something, it’s important to not make promises you know you won’t keep.
Not only does this lead to broken promises, it could also cause clients and partners to lose trust in your abilities as a project manager.
6) Be A Good Listener
It’s important to listen when others speak.
This not only ensures you are hearing what they have to say, it shows them that you care about their opinions and concerns. If there is one thing people like most in the world, it’s feeling like their voices are heard.
So if someone asks for your opinion or feedback, make sure you give it to them in a nice way.
Otherwise, you could end up losing that person as an ally.
7) Never Assume Anything (Especially The Obvious)
This may seem obvious but many people make this mistake on various projects throughout their careers.
It’s important never to assume anything because you always know what will happen when assumptions are made; they often turn out to be incorrect.
If you want to avoid making big mistakes, it’s best to never make assumptions and always verify and re-verify everything before moving forward.
8) Have Patience
This is perhaps the most difficult tip of all especially if it means waiting several hours or days for something important to occur.
However, patience is often rewarded in the long run as time usually heals many wounds and gets people back on your side no matter what happened.
This doesn’t mean wait forever as there are limits but just enough that things will work out in your favor without having major problems along the way.
9) Learn To Manage Your Time Well
Everybody has the same 24 hours in a day; however, it’s how we manage and prioritize what we do with this time that counts.
This includes conversations, emails, phone calls, meetings, and more.
If you don’t manage your time well enough to get everything done on time (or even at all) there can be major consequences throughout the project which could cost you in significant ways not only today but several months down the road.
10) Never Stop Learning
There is always more to learn no matter what stage of your career you’re in. This includes reading books, magazines, and anything else that can help you through your project assignments.
The more information you have access to, the better decisions you will make along the way without a doubt.
11) Be Who You Say You Are
This includes being honest with everything going on throughout the project as well as yourself.
If you tell people you are going to do something, then do it or let them know ahead of time if it’s not possible for some reason.
It’s just as simple as that as nothing will destroy one’s credibility faster than faking who they say they are or lying about what they can actually accomplish within a certain time frame.
12) Don’t Micromanage Or Overprotect Your Team
People need to be trusted if they are going to do a good job as you don’t want them to feel like someone is breathing down their necks every minute of the day.
This means letting people handle situations on their own if it’s something they can manage without help from others since all members of a project team have an important role to play in the success or failure that will come.
13) Learn To Let Go Of Some Tasks
While there is no such thing as being indispensable, most people would agree you should not take on too much yourself especially at the risk of neglecting other projects and responsibilities.
As a result, it’s important to learn how to balance everything out so you can complete all of your work and still have time for other things that are important as well.
14) Delegate Jobs To Others When Possible
This may seem obvious but many project managers end up taking on some jobs themselves rather than letting others do it instead.
Some PMs give the reason that they don’t trust others do the job as good as they would while also going above and beyond what’s expected of them.
However, this is a really bad idea as it only leads to burnout which could affect your team in a major way if left unchecked.
15) Be A Catalyst For Change
While not every part of a project will change throughout its lifespan, there comes a time when people must step up and make a difference in order to get things done more quickly, easily, and efficiently.
A project manager should be flexible enough to work around all kinds of different obstacles that pop up along the way without trying to run away from them or wishing they would go away on their own.