There is so much involved when it comes to the transition into leadership that it is not surprising that many people find it difficult.
You have to take the initiative yourself to be ahead of the pack. Everybody desires a high salary and better employment, yet it is up to you where you are heading.
As an illustration, learning how to estimate software like the Best Bid Hybrid Pro will instantly make you ahead of the pack. Another strong benefit is learning Accura Cadd in order to be able to create drawings when others fail to do so. Such basic skills make you more valuable and visible in an organization.
Lessons on the Super Superintendent Role.
In our Super Superintendent post some weeks ago, we mentioned that the most desirable qualities of a lead project superintendent are that they should own job sites through daily interaction with project team members and subcontractors. The territory of a project superintendent is, however, restricted to one geographical area throughout the project.
Thus, to shift that position to that of a Corporate General Superintendent or a Field Operations Manager, you have to change your attitude by 180 degrees.
Coach: A Basic Change of Mindset.
When you stop being the doer in the field and become the coach who helps others to accomplish their goals, your internal dialogue has to be different.
You move from asking:
Am I in control of my project?
Am I communicating directly with the trades?
Am I assuming the responsibility of adhering to the project schedule?
Do I walk my job site several times a day to monitor and rebuke workers?
Do I do my daily job site reporting?
Do I directly address the team of the project lead superintendent?
…to asking:
Do I have the superintendents I lead in control of their projects?
Have I furnished them with what they require to communicate with and to manage their trades?
Am I putting them to task to deliver on set project schedules?
Do I go to their places of work once a week, and am I aware of what I am supposed to see when I get there?
Am I training, reviewing, monitoring and holding responsible the superintendents who report to me?
Am I listening, observing and coaching field superintendents so that they can lead more effectively?
The Real Work of a Leader: Long-term Coaching to Success.
To change your role as a player to a coach, you should keep in mind that the task of a coach is to make people realize a more significant and fulfilling career- and, finally, a more successful life.
Coaching implies living in the future, making other people the best they can be, and having faith in their willingness to succeed.
Emotional Intelligence as a Leadership Competency.
Coaching is also teaching others how to cope with their emotions. Although it is quite natural that a great variety of emotions can be experienced at work, leaders should make their teams realize that it is crucial to take responsibility for actions and avoid the negative impact of emotions on performance.
Respect through the Appropriate Chain of Command.
Respect is a necessary element as a coach, and one of the frequent chances to gain it is the one that occurs regularly.
Frequently, a project team member or subcontractor having a complaint will not go through the regular chain of command, but will go directly to the Corporate General Superintendent. In such cases, you need to enquire whether the person has discussed the problem with their supervisor. Even if they have, it is preferable to bring that supervisor into the discussion before letting the conversation proceed.
You must give the immediate supervisor the freedom to facilitate the discussion, only intervening when the discussion starts going the wrong way.
Leadership by Restraint and Trust.
Although the approach might seem to be slow at first, particularly to the superintendents who have been used to acting quickly and decisively, it is important to know what you do not know yet about the situation.
You gain respect in the long run by avoiding the temptation to meddle with the communication and decision-making of a project superintendent using BestBid electrical estimating software. The success of your team will eventually be the best testament of your leadership, which will not only improve the development of your team but also your career.
