If you know you need to hire a project manager for your construction project or programme, how do you find the right person for the job?
There are three key qualities that you should look for in your project manager, regardless of the size of your project: they should have a plan, they should be a great communicator and they should have the tenacity of a bulldog.
The main function of the project manager is to ensure delivery of your project, on time and on budget. That’s impossible to do without a detailed and comprehensive plan to follow. Your project manager should be able to tell you exactly where your project is up to and how much it is costing at any time.
Every project is different, with different circumstances and objectives, and each project needs a carefully tailored plan to guarantee that delivery will happen in exactly the way that you expect. However, the project manager should not be making your plan up on the spot; that would risk some important component being overlooked. That could lead to delays, inconvenience and increased costs. Your project manager should have a tried and tested process to follow to make sure they consider every single variable of your project and plan accordingly.
At Iconic Project Management, we have many years’ experience of delivering construction projects of all shapes and sizes, across the retail, leisure and commercial sectors. We aren’t surprised by anything; we know the delivery process inside out and know how to keep the risks under control.
Our process is continually evaluated and is so well refined that we can confidently guarantee to deliver your project on time and on budget. All Iconic project managers use our process as the basis for their project plans, so you know that everything has been considered. There will be no surprises.
The project manager will not be the only person working to deliver your construction project. However, it is their responsibility to get everyone working together effectively to give you the best possible outcome. That means that the project manager needs to have communication skills that are second to none.
We consider the need for excellent communication on a project to be so critical that we have developed what we like to call the Iconic Filter. This system allows our project managers to adopt a calm and measured approach that gets the best out of people whilst keeping everybody onside. You can learn more about that here
You need a tenacious project manager who won’t give up when the going gets tough. Every project has challenges along the way; perhaps you changed your mind about some aspect of the project, maybe the workforce has been hit by a bug that’s doing the rounds, or maybe freak weather conditions are holding up delivery of materials.
You should have contingency built in to your plan for unforeseen circumstances, but sometimes your project manager will need to work creatively and put in the long hours to keep things moving. The last thing you need when your project has hit an obstacle is for your project manager to have downed tools because it’s gone 5 o’clock.
If your changed requirements are threatening your project, you should expect to be challenged by your project manager. In the heat of the moment, it may not make us popular, but an Iconic project manager will deliver whatever you require to get the best outcome according to your objective. That’s not quite the same thing as doing whatever you want!
Because we know what makes a great project manager, we know what qualities to look out for and nurture in our team. We have processes and systems in place to ensure effective project planning and communication.
The absolute commitment of all our team to do whatever it takes means that we can confidently promise to deliver your perfect premises, on time and on budget. Guaranteed.
Author
Elizabeth Hewitt Director of Marketing at Iconic Project Management Limited. We specialise in retail, leisure and commercial construction.
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