8 Project Management Skills every Construction project manager should have
Project Management skills are overly important for project managers because they simplify the decision-making process. If you want to be a very successful project manager, there are skills you should acquire. We have drawn up a list of 8 valuable skills a successful project manager should have. Focusing on improving yourself in these areas will make your career a world of good.
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Leadership
The ability to drive team members towards the actualization of organizational goals is the responsibility of managers both onsite and offsite. Inspiring employees to do better and be better in their respective roles is a skill set all successful managers exhibit. Leadership is important at every level of the organization. A manager does not make Leadership, Leadership makes the manager.
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Negotiation skills
Having the best conditions at all times to complete projects is not a luxury every project manager enjoys. There are times when the company will have to negotiate with third parties to get things done. The art of buying and selling involves a lot of back and forth negotiations, and only the best negotiators walk away from the table with an amicable deal for their organizations.
Conflict resolution is also important, especially among workers at project sites. Finding a win-win scenario in every situation will only serve to help your team prosper.
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Scheduling
Scheduling a project involves attributing a timeline and resource to each task. It also involves setting milestone marks as well. If you are to efficiently manage time and resources under you, you need to develop scheduling skills. Knowing who to delegate responsibilities to at what time ranks high on the list of a project manager’s responsibility. Tracking work progress and ensuring that they meet approved guidelines is also important.
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Cost control
Many people think cost control does not require a skill set, but they are wrong. If their assumption were true, every company would be successful, and there will be no ailing construction firms in the industry. Cost management or cost control involves doing so much with less.
To remain profitable, your firm needs to know how to manage resources in such a way that organizational goals are met at the least cost without sacrificing project quality. Who is in the best position to achieve this? That will be you, the manager spearheading the project.
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Risk Management
Risk Management is another skill project managers should have. One thing all construction projects have in varying degrees of risks. From the smallest project to the largest ones, they all involve health risks, financial risks, material risks, and even environmental risk. As a project manager, you should be able to prevent risks that are preventable and to minimize risks that are inevitable. Keeping your workers safe by maintaining safety standards is one way to manage risk. Preparing contingency plans to mitigate the negative effect of radicals changes in the industry is another.
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Managing Contracts
Oftentimes, construction firms outsource certain responsibilities to subcontractors outside of their organization for two reasons. Either they do not have employees who have the skill set or experience, or outsourcing appears to be the cheapest option. Contracting suppliers to supply certain materials requires a contract to be drawn up.
Project managers should be able to manage the contract effectively in such a way that their principals get the best deal and suffer no loss in the process.
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Critical analysis
The ability to make a good decision is another skill that should never be overlooked. Picking the best option from among a set of alternatives requires sound judgment. As a project manager, you need to weigh the pros and cons of following through, any solution. What will be the resultant effect of following a given course of action? Will it solve the problem? Even if it does, will it bring up a whole new problem altogether?
These are challenging questions every manager should ask when making decisions. The ability to critically analyze situations will help you make sound decisions at all times. Click here to read more on the challenges and solutions in project management.
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Communication
Having a piece of information or intention is one thing. The ability to communicate it effectively to others so that they understand another. Employees will fail to carry out instructions if there is a communication gap. Bridging that gap is a human relation skill you should develop. Identifying a suitable means of communication is one way to improve communication. Using the right language or words is another. Encouraging feedback is another. Better communication improves human interaction at work. It also improves work cohesion in the workplace.
Increasing your skills in any of these 8 areas will certainly prove a worthy investment for yourself and your company.
Have something to add to this discussion? Let us know in the comments section below!
