It’s time to recognize all the project managers out there and some of the little and often unnoticed things they do. Most people are aware that these are the guys and gals in charge of projects that are on site daily directing contractors, ordering materials, checking on progress and quality, and in general keeping the job running smoothly. That’s not all they are dealing with though and some of the little things they deal with that often go unnoticed.
There is no doubt that a lot goes on behind the scenes that people often don’t see and perhaps don’t appreciate. Every time something goes wrong, someone doesn’t show up, or materials don’t arrive, a chain reaction of shuffling and rescheduling weeks of work begins. This coordination is often done offsite, or sitting in their vehicle, or even in plain view on site while seemingly lost in their phone. That project manager leaning up against the wall or taking a seat on the stairs looking at their phone probably isn’t scrolling through Facebook, but rather working to keep the job going. It’s frustrating, time consuming, and often thankless, yet the project managers deal with this every day as part of their job.
If they are off site, chances are they are picking up materials, checking on another job or helping a past client with some issue that arose. Or perhaps they are in meetings at the office discussing jobs in progress or studying and discussing the next upcoming job. Before the first day of work, they have a good feel for the conditions and know how to get things off on the right foot. They’ve already determined how much site protection is needed where it goes, where the dumpster and porta toilet need to go, where materials need to be stored, and in general, have constructed a plan ready to implement for the entire job from start to finish.
Once the trade partners arrive to start doing their portions of the job, the project manager must put on their “police hat”. Of course, their job is to police the work being done to make sure it is correct and up to company standards, but in addition to that, they are constantly looking at things that can make them feel like a glorified babysitter at times. Are people parking where they are supposed to? Are workers being professional and not yelling or swearing at each other? Are smokers leaving the work area to smoke and disposing of butts properly? Are delivery drivers keeping their trucks off the yard? Are delivery drivers keeping their trucks off the neighbor’s yard (yes, it happens)?! Did the workers remove their shoes or put on booties while working in finished spaces? Are scaffolding and ladders set up securely and safely? Are the roofers using appropriate fall protection? Are tools and power cords and temporary wiring in safe operating order? Are the lights turned off and doors and windows locked at the end of the day? The list of things to monitor is endless and most people don’t notice until something goes wrong.
Things will go wrong regardless of preparation and experience and there is one big thing all good project managers do. Once the inevitable mistakes happen, it matters little who’s responsible. What does matter is how they handle it with the client. If they handle it right, that is what the clients will remember in the long run. They may remember and share the story of the mistake, but it will be followed up with “BUT THEY DID THE RIGHT THING”. One of our core values is to “do it right the first time”. This doesn’t always happen despite the best intentions, but at the end of the day our goal is to run towards the problems when they occur, not away from them, and do the right thing.