It's About the Team

Teamwork is the key to success in any business endeavor. Whether a company is attempting to boost sales, increase revenues, or looking to develop ideas for a new facility to bolster operational capabilities, teamwork will ultimately play a deciding role in the success or failure of a project.  Commercial construction projects are often massive endeavors with multiple moving parts.  In order for those parts to move in harmony, a successful and strong construction team must be assembled.

A business owner’s primary concern should be the capacity of their building team to work together toward a common goal.  Like any other project team, a construction team needs to communicate efficiently between groups, share information and ideas openly, and seek out resolutions to problems in an effective manner.  How can an owner find such a team to ensure the success of the next building project?

Strong Construction Team

Every strong team starts with good leadership.  Think of the chaos that would ensure if there wasn’t a quarterback leading the 11-man offensive unit on a football field.  Who would step up and call the plays? Who would make adjustments?  Most importantly, who would make the critical decisions at crunch time?

Strong teams start with good leadership at the top.  Look for leaders that objectively analyze their own management style, along with the strengths and weaknesses of other managers in the company.  A construction team’s success depends on a leader’s ability to lead from the top.

Skilled Individuals

A project team cannot succeed with a random collection of individuals.  A good project manager with the capabilities to lead individual construction teams is essential to success.  Project managers should possess a strong vision for the overall project, as well as the ability to motivate others.  At the same time, a project manager needs to possess a positive attitude about the team and the project, as well as loyalty to both the customer’s company, and their own team, to see a project through to the end.

When it comes to other individuals, a diverse workforce is needed to fill the construction team.  Few, if any, building projects call for a narrow set of skills.  This means filling out the building team with skilled workers (electricians, plumbers, green-building specialists) and equipment operators who bring experience to the jobsite.  Teams with experience completing similar projects, composed of individuals with years of experience, are a plus.  However, don’t discount the value of young, skilled workers in a project team either.

Communication & Consistency

Communication is a two-way street.  A good project team consists of individuals and parties that are willing to listen as much as they speak.  Good communicators don’t stand at the front and bark out orders.  A good communicator has the ability to tune in to an audience and assess whether or not the message is understood by the rest of the team.

At the same time, consistency is critical to the success of a construction team.  Everything about the team should be consistent, from its message and management style, to its policies and business processes.  Consistency helps eliminate human error on projects and sets clear expectations.

The Total Package

With the knowledge of how a good project team should be constructed, the question is how to identify one?  The answer is simple.  When selecting a construction team, a track record of success in construction is important.  Of equal importance is the company’s connection to the construction community.  How successful are they at working with local suppliers and maintaining relationships with subcontractors in the area? Sometimes a call to a subcontractor or supplier tells the rest of the story regarding a builder. 

Additionally, don’t discount the importance of a construction team’s connection to the future of a community.  The successful completion of similar building projects in an area and local business connections are beneficial, but what about the ability of the team to support continued growth?  Good construction teams have a strong connection to training and recruitment programs.  These connections establish a pipeline of skilled workers and managers that ensure the success of that construction team now, as well as in the future.

At Fetters Construction, our team is dedicated to your success today, as well as tomorrow.