A site manager is one of the most disliked people on site for several reasons. Nonetheless, it is a tough job as there are several trades which they have to become familiar with. To be a successful site manager, you need to understand each trade as well as be well-organised; however, there are many other things you have to consider.
If you are a site manager who is finding it tough on-site at the moment and the workload is getting to you, we have a few tips which can help you.
Organisation Is Key
Organisation for a construction site is essential or it can be a disaster. Furthermore, you need to ensure that everybody knows what they are doing and when they are doing it. There is a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of a site manager which is why the organisation is key.
There will be several deadlines that you will need to meet and that isn’t easy. You need to manage different trades and keep in contact with them to ensure the job gets done. To help with this, you need to create a to-do list and note down when they need to be completed. A good way to do this is to create a Gantt chart to ensure everything gets done.
Our tip for you would be to expect things to go wrong. You could have a tight schedule but if there isn’t enough time for the odd time something goes wrong, it could set everything else back and lead to you missing deadlines.
Make Sure You Track Expenses
It is easy to go over your budget when working on-site. Things just keep on adding up and then all of a sudden, you have overspent. Nonetheless, there are many things you can do to ensure you are not overspending.
Again, referring back to the organisation section. If you finish on time or early for your deadlines, it will be less likely you overspend. For example, if you have hired several machines and equipment from a construction plant hire company, you will want to ensure you have those machines back to them on time. If you don’t this could be one of the fees that add up over time.
Communication
Communication is key on a construction site because it keeps everybody happy. If everybody on site is happy, you will notice that things get done much better than if everybody dislikes one another.
It isn’t just a simple, “this is your deadline” and then you no longer have to speak to them. At some point, they may require something to finish the job. Something might be out of reach and therefore requires a specific machine to help get to that point. All of this is essential to keeping the workers on a construction site happy.
Summary
One thing you need to ensure when you are a site manager is that everybody is happy. Sometimes, you won’t be able to keep everybody happy but if the majority are then you are doing a good job. Ensure you stay well-organised so you don’t overspend on the budget you have been given. If anything goes wrong, contact those who are above you to let them know in case it will affect budgets or deadlines.
