While no two construction projects are truly the same, they all share many common threads. The construction industry is complex in that many different types of people and processes are required to bring a project to fruition. Within this framework are countless interactions, assumptions and exchanges between people. When all of these humans are working together, the mystery of human nature is bound to rear its’ head. Where there’s human nature, there are patterns that repeat themselves. Luckily, we’ve been able to not only identify these patterns, but come up with catchy sayings to represent them. In this article, we’re talking about 10 construction management rules of thumb and hacks!
10 Construction Management Rules Of Thumb & Hacks To Remember!
Although we’ll go through these tips below in greater detail, here’s our quick list of 10 construction management rules of thumb. Any of these sound familiar?
- Most Projects Are Winners Or Losers On Paper First
- “Measure Twice, Cut Once”
- Mornings Are For Meetings
- No Matter What, Always Watch The Money
- Don’t Take Someone At Their Word (Explained Below)
- If It Takes Less Than Two Minutes, Do It Now
- Talk Is Cheap
- There’s Never Enough Time To Do It Right, But Always Enough Time To Do It Again
- Always Follow Up With An Email
- The Early Bird Gets The Worm
Scroll below to read more on how each of these tips and hacks relate to construction management!
1. Most Projects Are Winners Or Losers On Paper First
In the majority of cases, the best project management team in the world can’t recover an otherwise bad contract. Whether it’s due to the project being underbid, misinterpreted or any number of causes, many projects are losers from day one.
This can manifest itself in a bad contract, such as a contractor signing a lump-sum contract that they’ll never be able to make money on. It can also arise out of the project owner and their consultants (designer, construction managers, etc.) not having a clear understanding of what the project’s scope of work truly needs to be, or pursuing a path that is not cost- or time-effective.
This is not to say that we can’t accelerate a project or do whatever we can to maximize the chances of success, but bad bids are a real thing, as are ill-defined project scopes.
This is why clarity, planning, bidding and contracting are so important – they’re all happening prior to the project actually starting!
2. “Measure Twice, Cut Once”
Finish contractors understand this one very well – there’s no such thing as cutting twice! Finished materials must be cut and installed exactly right, or they’ll need to be bought and installed again. When work gets done again, money is lost.
This expression is used literally in construction for good reason, but the concept can be translated into construction management rules of thumb, too. The concept in its’ essence is that by planning ahead and preparing thoroughly, we can greatly reduce the chances of needing a ‘second cut’ in whatever we are doing.
Read Next: Understanding Building Permits, Plus A Building Permit Process Flowchart
3. Mornings Are For Meetings
One of the most important construction management rules of thumb to remember is…..mornings are for meetings.
Rather than talk theory, here are a few concrete reasons why construction meetings should take place in the morning:
- Everyone has the highest energy (typically)
- Everyone has the most focus (coffee is usually kicking in)
- The meeting will take place before another day’s work has taken place onsite, giving room for correction, addressing issues, etc slightly earlier than if the meeting happened later in the day.
- The Project Managers can then go get their own work done for the rest of the day; the morning meetings addressed the work that others are collaborating on.
- Follow ups on what was discussed can happen that afternoon.
Try it for yourself! Schedule meetings in the morning whenever possible and follow up in the afternoon. Watch how much more gets done.
Read Next: How Do You Run An Effective Status Meeting? 10 Best Practices
4. No Matter What, Always Watch The Money
Do you hate that Project Manager that never sets foot onsite? Who stays out of any non-conceptual discussion? That stays locked in the office, looking at reports and budgets all day? Most do! BUT, there’s a reason these types of P.M.s are in place – they watch the money.
Obviously, a Project Manager who watches the money and is involved with actual operations is going to find more success than the one we described above. The point is, though, is that the money comes first in construction. When we don’t watch the money, the project loses money…then the company loses money…then we get fired!
It’s not even about making money – in fact, that’s where contractors run into trouble by cutting corners or screwing over other people. It’s really about not losing money on the project.
An older, more experienced Project Manager told me this early on…
Just Watch The Money. Whatever You Do, Watch The Money
-A P.M. Who Went Around The Block A Few Times
Read Next: Cost To Complete Template: FREE Excel Download (ETC, EAC, BAC)
PROMOTION
5. Don’t Take Someone At Their Word (Explained Below)
In construction, a word is not a bond. We’re all capable of lying in some way, even with the best intentions. Sad, right? I’ll explain…
Everyone can appreciate a positive, optimistic person on a construction project. This is good in nearly all circumstances. When there’s bad news, delays or problems, though, optimism must take a backseat to reality.
A overly optimistic person will want to give you good news. Even if they deliver bad news, they may be tempted to take the edge off it by not telling the whole story. In either instance, trust will be broken and expectations will be unmet when yet another thing doesn’t go to plan. It’s best to be realistic and honest at all times.
In other instances, people can lie for a variety of reasons. Maybe they just want to end the conversation so they’re saying whatever you want to her. Perhaps they think they have the answer but are actually wrong. There’s many ways that one’s words will not come to fruition.
As far as construction management rules of thumb go, it’s important to not only understand what someone is going to do and when, but also how it will be done, too. This clears away confusion, over-optimism and lies.
Read Next: How Do You Manage Subcontractors? 7 Essential Tips
6. If It Takes Less Than Two Minutes, Do It Now
This rule of thumb counts for construction management and household chores alike.
“If it takes less than two minutes, do it now”
It’s tempting to think we can draft that email, make that phone call or organize those documents ‘later’. What is later?
In terms of spirituality, one could argue that we only ever exist “now”. The future will be “now” just as the present moment is. In terms of real talk, we won’t want to do those things later anymore than we want to now.
The craziest part is that these small tasks can often serve as force multipliers for the project as a whole. Making a phone call now may get you results before days’ end rather than tomorrow. Having a conversation now may give you more information for a meeting this afternoon that will connect the dots in some other way.
If any task takes two minutes or less, just do it now.
Read Next: Project Management Efficiency Tricks & Hacks: 10 Go-To Techniques
7. Talk Is Cheap
This is the cousin of item no. 5. One of the most crucial construction management rules of thumb to recognize is that talk is truly cheap. It’s so cheap, that it’s free.
We all know the type of person who’s ‘the talker’ on a project. They’ll discuss past successes, what others are doing wrong on the project, mistakes others have made, how certain things aren’t their fault, how easy certain items of work will be for them, etc. etc.
Have you ever noticed how these types never seem to live up to their reputation? It’s because their entire reputation is based on talking!
In my experience, those who achieve results ironically spend most of their time working on achieving those results. Weird, right? The more time someone spends talking about being good, the less time they’re spending on actually being good. Food for thought…
Read Next: How To Manage Vendors Effectively As A Project Manager: 10 Crucial Tips
8. There’s Never Enough Time To Do It Right, But Always Enough Time To Do It Again
When there’s a delay, trouble, unexpected issues or some kind of pressure, it’s always tempting to get the job done as quickly and cheaply as possible. “Let’s hurry up and finish! We’re out of time!“.
When the work is done right, doing this is a great thing. When the work is not done right, it’ll need to be done again. Doing the work twice is costly and of course, takes even longer.
Just as some people can’t help but to gamble, risk or take chances, some people want to try and takes shortcuts on projects. Just be aware that construction is a business with few second chances – work must be done right the first time for true success.
Read Next: Avoiding Rework In Construction: 10 Common Causes & Solutions
9. Always Follow Up With An Email
This article may sound like it’s all about doom and gloom. In an optimistic way, this article is really about preventing doom and gloom. Just because we own umbrellas doesn’t mean we don’t want the sun to shine!
That said, we cannot fully trust what has been discussed verbally with others on our projects. We must follow up in writing to confirm the discussion and to cover our backsides.
Sure, some people just can’t be trusted. They may try to go back on their word later or lie on purpose. Sending out an email or meeting minutes after having a discussion with them is essential to mitigate this risk.
Other causes of confusion are less insidious. Most of us have trouble remembering the details of a discussion even one hour after it happened, let alone days, weeks or months later.
This is why written follow ups are a must for all discussions!
Bonus Tip: Let the other person(s) in the discussion know that you’ll be sending the email afterwards. This gains trust and reduces the odds that the person will react defensively in return.
Read Next: How Do You Organize Project Documentation? A Few Must-Know Methods
PROMOTION
10. The Early Bird Gets The Worm
Let’s round out this list of construction management rules of thumb with a classic…
The Early Bird Gets The Worm.
-Every Parent & Teacher In Existence
I promise that what is written below is not said in condescending or preachy tone. It’s really to illustrate just how powerful and worthwhile it is to get to work early each morning.
Feel like you never have time to plan your day? Get to work early.
Want to leave on time each day? Get there early.
Need uninterrupted time to focus on your work? Get to work early.
Don’t want to sit in morning traffic? Get to work early.
Have a bunch of emails to send or calls to make? Get to work early.
Facing stressful, looming deadlines? Get to work early.
The list goes on and on, but the picture is clear. Getting to work early will make you a happy bird indeed. That sounded a lot creepier after I wrote it.
Read Next: What Is It Like Being A Construction Project Manager? A Day In The Life
10 Construction Management Rules Of Thumb & Hacks: In Summary
Construction is an industry that’s been around for thousands of years. Throughout this history, many patterns have emerged. We can also see history repeat itself on our projects – the same issues, confusions, miscommunications, etc. plague most projects. Thankfully, with repetition comes anticipation. Now that you have these 10 construction management rules of thumb and hacks at your disposal, you’ll be able to break the cycle in the future! I hope this article has been helpful – thanks for reading.
