A construction project manager needs skills and qualities that justify and reinforce his or her leadership position. If you’ve ever worked with or for a bad construction project manager, you know exactly which problems arose from poor leadership and usually, poor communication.
Qualities a Construction Project Manager Should Have
In my opinion, all leaders have one thing in common—they do, as opposed to just talk. Leadership is about action, not position. –Eric Sheninger, ICLE
Qualities are born, not made. Your qualities as a person were formed genetically and during your childhood. They were influenced by family and friends as you developed.
Some of the qualities you need as a project manager include:
- Adaptability
- Compassion
- Enthusiasm
- Honor
- Low panic threshold
- Problem-solving tendencies
- Trustworthiness
There are many more good qualities project managers need that make them successful leaders.
Skills Can Be Cultivated
You can develop good communication skills. Some authorities list good communication as a quality, but it’s a skill you can learn.
Skills and experience as well as qualities are core competencies. “If a project manager can run a $15 million project and make money, they must be doing those things correctly,” says Construction Business Owner.
In addition to superior communication skills, construction project managers’ skills include:
- Ability to deal with uncertainty – Alert the media if a construction project ever has a cookie-cutter script to follow. Project managers balance the frustration of ambiguity with here’s-what-we-know and work it.
- Proactive planning skills – Effective construction project managers plan for worst-case scenarios and strive to attain best-case results. And they always have a Plan B.
Construction Monitor Data Analytics for Business Development
If your goal is to become a great construction project manager, market analysis is another skill you’ll need to develop. You should know what’s happening with the construction industry globally. More importantly, you should know your construction industry dynamics at home; where you live.
Construction Monitor data analytics can make that happen. Every week, we offer the most up-to-date information available for your state, county, community. Contact us today to learn how local information can become a project management tool.