Project managers, site supervisors, and site managers have huge responsibilities on their shoulders. They are directly responsible for project planning, organizing, controlling, and monitoring the various groups of workers present on construction sites. To enable them to execute and deliver a timely and within cost project, there are certain qualities they need to develop.
Risk Management
Construction is inherently risky. In the recent past, it has recorded worrying trends in safety and occupational health across industries. Therefore, project managers need to be well-equipped in health and safety issues. Through programs such as Site Manager Safety Training Scheme, site managers can beef up their knowledge on how to implement health and safety on site.
Other areas of risk that project and site managers need to cover include disputes and litigation and completion to cost and time. Areas to build knowledge on include risk assessment, risk control, and risk management.
Technical Expertise
Among the essentials in accomplishing project goals is sound technical knowledge of project management. This may involve a deeper understanding of various software and related programs. Mastery of theory and practical is a must because this helps in taking strategic initiatives as and when needed.
Technical expertise is necessary in breaking down complex aspects into easy and understandable ways for non-technical clients.
Team Player
Construction is about teamwork and on site, everyone is important. The ability of the site manager to bring everyone on board and keeping their morale high is absolutely important. To be able to do this, site managers must be friendly and approachable.
When workers are happy with their management, it becomes relatively easy to foster better work habits and opens pathways for effective communication and feedback. This leads to performance improvement and makes everyone feel part of the value chain.
Ability to Handle Pressure
Calmness under pressure is a unique attribute that helps project and site managers to go through challenges with cool heads. The worst that could happen in a project is for managers to panic on the face of challenges.
Troubleshooting can only happen if calmness precedes decision making. Projects almost always have twists and turns and the preparedness of management to handle these eventualities cannot be overemphasized.
Organization
The nature of organizations is that they rarely follow a straight path. There is need at every point to assess and re-assess whether the project is still on schedule. At some stage, the manager may be forced to rewrite the plan, reschedule resources, and overstretch the budget. All this call for strong organization skills and prioritisation at every turn.
Some activities may have to be pushed forward and handled first. This calls for flexibility in the plans and swift reallocation of resources.
Not all these skills can be obtained in classroom settings and this is why online, and workshop-based training organizations have come up. Project managers who go through the site manager safety training scheme course become well-equipped not only in handling health and safety issues, but also legislation around safe working in construction sites. These courses also promote lifelong learning which should be part of an organization culture from the start.