Development

Construction managers can have challenging jobs — and some might even consider them the most important part of an entire project. True, owners set the vision, and project managers oversee the entire thing, making sure it starts well and finishes strong. The role of a construction manager is different. Construction manager duties involve the starting and finishing of the structure (or structures), the task of turning an empty space into an edifice. Unfortunately, owners and project managers don’t always understand a construction manager’s daily tasks, so when issues crop up, so can unnecessary conflicts.

According to the Project Management Institute, poor communication is the #1 reason for project failure. This is especially true in commercial construction projects due to the multiple stakeholders—the developer, architect, contractor, subcontractors, consultants, suppliers and investors.

People want to learn how to lead well. Just look at the perpetually burgeoning publishing field of leadership manuals. From time-worn classics such as Sun Tzu’s The Art of War and Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People to newer additions such as Good to Great by Jim Collins and The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell, there’s no shortage of practical and inspirational tomes about how to become a great leader. However, these books often run into a common issue: Because they’re written for a general audience, implementing their recommendations can prove challenging when applying them to a specific field.