Managing Your Team

There are two types of people in this world: people who think they can save you a ton of money and people who own their high price. The former, in my experience, are usually more expensive in the long run…you spend more money fixing their mistakes. My philosophy? Pay more for quality work. The assurance of a job well done helps me sleep well at night…there’s something to be said for beauty sleep! In all seriousness, I like to break my processes down into 3 categories: people, materials, and time. Here, I’m going to focus on people.

Competition & Contracts

When I manage my subs, I cultivate competition. The next job is never a given. I want to ensure I’m getting their best work on every single project while also adhering to a schedule. For general contractors, sticking to a schedule tends to be a universal issue. On my projects, I build a timeline into our contract, so the expectations are clear. If my subs don’t meet the deadline, they get a warning. If they do it again, I call in someone new. In order for this system to work, I need to have the confidence to follow through should the need arise.

It doesn’t matter how old you are, if you follow through with this once, your team will fall into line. Sometimes you need to show your muscle and flex a bit because your main goal is to be respected, not liked, and a large part of leadership is about maintaining chaos.

This was a difficult thing for me to come to terms with. Initially, I wanted everyone to like me, and if they didn’t, it would throw me off. The important thing to remember here is this: as a business owner, your relationship with your subs is an employee/employer relationship, not a friendship.

Adjusting…

I’m younger than 75% of all people on a job site at any given time, and often, I’m the only woman. So, I definitely had to adjust to being on site. My primary struggle? I love pretty things! I’m a hard hat and heels kind of gal, so for a long time, I didn’t wear construction clothes at a project. I also strongly believe in playing by my own rules, and if I think something is cool and groovy, everyone else has to sit with their differing opinions. However, I started to realize that the way I was coming across was much different than the image I saw in the mirror. When working with (predominantly) men of all different backgrounds and cultures, the hard hat and heels persona I felt so strongly about was being interpreted in a very different light. 

Now, I make a distinction. There’s construction Bella, who now lives in jeans and Timberlands, and there’s the person Bella. I often remind myself to hold this line. And, as a side note, I ordered some designer jeans and custom Timberlands because that’s the appropriate amount of the person Bella that gets to show up in my construction wardrobe.

Processes

Your project, your site, and how your subs interact all directly correspond with the amount of respect and control you have over your team. Understanding your subs’ mindset and how they work together is crucial. If standards aren’t met or teams disrespect each other, a project can descend into total chaos. I’ve seen it happen before! This is where competition, a contractual timeline, and having multiple subs on standby help you maintain order.

If you need any support managing your team or, perhaps, some construction fashion advice, I’ve got you covered.

Xx B

About Bella McCann

With a degree in civil engineering and experience working in global construction and banking, Bella's professional expertise and talent in construction management, design, and project budgeting allow her to deliver creative and sustainable solutions.

As the Principal of Cann Construction and a General Contractor, what Bella brings to the relationship is a passion for solving problems in a creative and holistic way. She loves learning new things about construction, design, processes, and people...and how she can apply her skills toward achieving her client's vision for their project.