As CEO of Owner Insite I am committed to helping construction teams of all sizes utilize our construction project management software to help facilitate a better project experience for everyone. In fact, our stated goal is simple – provide the right people with a predictable, repeatable process supported by easy-to-use technology that makes everyone’s jobs a little bit easier.
We work hard at building software, that is a tool which benefits every single stakeholder on the project. From the Owner, owner’s reps and project managers to the contractors and architects, our software was designed to streamline the project document management with tracking and construction document control of critical construction data. Data, when used correctly, ensures that everyone stays informed, up-to-date, and accountable for their job on the construction project.
But the best software is only as good as the people using it, and more to the point, the people leading the team to use it.
That’s where a strong project team leader comes in.
In every successful construction project we have ever seen, there was that one individual who took it upon themselves to set the tone and expectations. They played the role of quarterback on the project, making sure the “team” functioned as a finely tuned unit. This proactive approach helped the project team understand the level of expectations by which everyone, regardless of position on the project, would be evaluated and held accountable.
A strong project team leader is there to communicate and educate as well as motivate, encourage, and drive performance. They aren’t necessarily there to punish or to make people feel like “big brother” is watching. Their only goal is to make sure everyone has what they need – whether it’s information, technology, assets, or resources to deliver the very best job performance they can.
When I often think about how our software product has evolved and grown over these past few years, it’s very similar to how a construction project evolves. It was often a strong project team leader who pulled the troops together, got them excited about the new features we were developing, and was there as a sounding board and to offer feedback when and if things didn’t go well. The project team leaders always knew precisely when to apply the right amount of pressure and encouragement to accommodate a pending deadline.
I bet if you think about the construction project successes and failures you have seen or experienced in your career, the presence or absence of a strong project team leader was a significant factor in the end result.
By the way, we excel at helping project team leaders maintain visibility and control by leveraging some powerful tools in our software to keep the team moving forward and towards a successful result.
