Elevate takeoffs for faster bids and increased project success for FREE. See Details Here.

PlanHub’s Q2 Research Reveals Many Opportunities. Register for the Webinar and Learn More

Four Essential Components of Leadership in Construction

Essential Components of Leadership in Construction

People are essential to the success of a construction site. People require leadership, which in turn requires a leader.” The project manager is the most likely leader in any construction project. They are in charge of completing the project on time and on budget. But there’s more to it than just getting the work done. Good team leaders inspire team members to work well and learn together. They do this by finding a great team, communicating well, setting clear goals, and showing that they care.

Finding a great team

The key to finding a great project team is casting a wide net and properly qualifying subcontractor bids. Using a free general contractor software bid lead site, like PlanHub, to find subcontractors is a great way to get the word out about the project and attract quality subs. Local bidders will be notified by the construction bidding website about the project and can quickly review the plans and specifications online to gauge their interest.
The next step of the leadership role is to qualify subcontractors and their bids. This involves researching each company, calling the references of the workers and supervisor, and reviewing their financial and claims history. Quality contractors will get high marks from their customers, have few claims, if any, and be financially solvent enough to take on the project. Bids are qualified by asking questions to ensure that all parts of the scope are covered, and the specifications will be met.

Communication

Open communication is key to any leadership style and the successful completion of any construction project. Team members should be updated on a regular basis about changes that affect their scope of work, as well as communicate with each other regularly to coordinate their work.
Project teams should have a communication procedure or tool to help them ensure that everyone is informed, has access to the construction leader, and has access to the latest documents and information. Often general contractors employ project management software to help organize the communication and documentation among project team members. The software tracks all communication, highlights outstanding issues, and provides a central repository for all project information and documentation. The rise of mobile technology has improved the availability of this information in the field.

Set clear goals

Everyone on the project, from the construction workers to the project manager, shares a common goal of completing the work. The project owner may have additional goals related to budget and schedule that can be shared with the rest of the project team, like construction cost management goals. Sharing these owner goals demonstrates authentic leadership, improves the camaraderie of the team, and gives everyone common goals to work towards.
Project goals for a construction company should be clearly defined and obtainable. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and have a timeframe. Each member of the team should have a set of goals for the project. They will change as the project progresses but should be focused on the end goals of completing the project and meeting the owner’s objectives.

Show you care

When conflicts and concerns crop up, either between crew members, within the greater construction organization, or between businesses, an effective leader will listen with empathy to what the other party has to say. They ask questions to help them understand the other’s point of view. Then they explain their side of the story, including any constraints they are dealing with. The parties can then work collaboratively to come up with a resolution that is satisfactory to everyone. This also is a vital component of construction quality management.
The adversarial relationship that is usually fostered between construction industry contractors doesn’t work and creates more problems than it solves. Only by working together, demonstrating leadership skills, can a project be successful.

Find a great team with PlanHub

Looking for a great project team? Post your project on PlanHub to get qualified construction worker sub bids quickly and easily. PlanHub is free for general contractors to post projects. Get started today.

Be the first to know

PlanHub insights, resources, and news, sent directly to your inbox.

    planhub
    planhub icon

    Data and Deep Insights

    We make construction smarter by connecting with the right people, at the right time, for the right project.

    With our technology and data intelligence, we empower construction professionals to easily build the right business relationships, streamline pre construction processes, and make efficient decisions.

    From competitive intelligence in each project allowing you to know how many other contractors are downloading or bidding to insights as to contractors’ performance, we provide the data you need to lead your business to success.

    By providing faster, simpler, and unmatched data insights in each step of the pre construction process, PlanHub helps your business lay a strong foundation for the success of the rest of the construction process.

    planhub icon

    Bid Leveler & Proposal builder

    Comparing bids to one another has never been easier. Users can now see bids side by side, compare bid amounts, and review subcontractors’ certifications and qualifications all in one place.

    Bid Leveler’s apples-to-apples approach allows you to easily drill down and see detailed, easy-to-scan cost breakdowns. Indicate bid preference, hide bids that don’t meet your needs, and request needed information from subs.

    planhub icon

    Full Bid Management

    From the initial decision to pursue a project to the final bid submission and follow up, bid management plays a central role in pre construction.

    Effectively managed bids during the preconstruction phase set the stage for a successful project execution and satisfied clients.

    Streamline bid management from project posting to estimating, bidding, and awarding in one place with easy project posting, project-contractor automatic matching based on trades, location, and qualification with PlanHub.

    Use bid planner, bid builder, bid leveler, and award tools to always know what’s going on with each project and bid.

    planhub icon

    Estimation and TakeOff

    Let’s face it—time is money. And the more time it takes to perform takeoffs and submit bids, the more you risk losing out on valuable revenue opportunities. Manual methods and locally installed desktop software slow your takeoff process, and many digital solutions currently on the market can be overly complex and not user-friendly. 

    Build faster takeoffs, get more bids out the door, and win more projects. Forget pen and paper, outdated desktop software, and overly complicated digital takeoff solutions. PlanHub’s easy-to-use Takeoff tool helps you and your team build accurate takeoffs faster, minimize errors and material waste, and win more projects that boost your business growth. Performing your takeoffs with PlanHub allows you to:

    • Streamline and integrate your process: Perform your takeoffs in the same platform you use to manage your network and bids.
    • Avoid costly estimating errors: Get better accuracy with digital tools instead of traditional, mistake-prone pen and paper.
    • Collaborate easily: Share and work with your team, no matter where you—or they—are located.
    • Submit more bids and win more projects: Get quality bids in front of general contractors faster and get ahead of your competition.
    planhub
    planhub icon

    Document Management

    Organize, store, and manage various documents, blueprints, drawings and other information related to projects before the actual construction phase begins.

    This phase is crucial for setting the foundation of a successful construction project, and effective document management plays a significant role in ensuring that all necessary information is accessible, accurate, and up-to-date to all interested parties.

    Access, review, work on, and share large complex documents in one platform with amazing speed. From project definition, drawing management, takeoff, estimation, bid management, and contracts, everything happens in PlanHub.

    planhub crm
    planhub icon

    CRM

    Be part of a construction professionals’ ecosystem that enhances collaboration, streamlines project management, and fosters smart relationships between companies, construction professionals, and projects.

    Enjoy seamless communication, build strong relationships, and streamlines project management. By leveraging the power of connections and collaboration, we enhance efficiency, save time and resources, and drive collective growth in the industry.

    planhub network
    planhub icon

    1M+ pre-qualified network

    PlanHub is the leading platform that connects companies, construction professionals, and projects in the pre-construction industry, focusing on building and developing meaningful relationships to enhance efficiency and productivity.

    We have integrated general contractors, subcontractors, and material suppliers’ workflows in one platform to simplify the complex back and forth usually present in preconstruction. By allowing all interactions to be done through PlanHub, tracking projects and relationships is much easier, saving contractors and material suppliers time and money. Interactions in the platform are tagged and measured to provide insights to users.

    General contractors create bid packages that are shared in PlanHub as projects. They can include templatized lists of all CSI cost items as part of the new Baseline feature. Baseline allows for faster and more accurate bid requests, facilitates homogenization of subcontractors’ bids, and simplifies the comparison of incoming bids.

    Subcontractors are automatically matched with relevant projects based on their profile, preferences, and pre-qualification information saving hours of research to both sides. They can review project details, documentation, and blueprints.

    planhub icon

    High-quality projects

    Your one-stop job for qualified hard-to-find private project leads in varying stages like pre-planning, bidding, etc., and across different geographies, zip codes, or distance to your office.

    Projects include plans, specifications, bid dates, and other relevant project information.

    You can segment project leads by type of project, status, project building use, trades and sub trades, or create your own list of keywords — and be notified when one of them is found in a posted project’s documentation or plans.

    We make it simple to find projects that match your business — and make sure you are notified right away.

    				
    					<script src='https://planhub.com/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery.min.js' id='jquery-core-js'></script>
    <script charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript" src="//js.hsforms.net/forms/embed/v2.js"></script>
    <script>
      hbspt.forms.create({
        region: "na1",
        portalId: "7063061",
        formId: "ced7254f-5c61-49b9-9ce0-6f870b79a958"
      });
    </script>
    				
    			

    Get the report!

    From the very beginning, PlanHub has been a place where people can do meaningful work and build strong relationships.

    Come grow with us! We’re building innovative technologies that simplify preconstruction for everyone.

    Expand your network and connect with general contractors, subcontractors, owners, architects, and suppliers – not to mention thousands of relevant projects at your fingertips.

    Generate relevant leads, faster and with precision. With access to private, hard-to-find projects, you can connect with architects and owners on projects still in the pre-design and design stages.

    PlanHub’s advanced suite of bid management tools allows you to increase productivity, identify relevant projects using data, build bids with Takeoff, and manage bids through the entire process.

    Create quicker, improved takeoffs effortlessly. PlanHub’s Takeoff Core aids your team in accurate, faster estimates, minimizing errors, and driving business growth.

    Expand your network and connect with general contractors, subcontractors, owners, architects, and suppliers – not to mention thousands of relevant projects at your fingertips.

    Generate relevant leads, faster and with precision. With access to private, hard-to-find projects, you can connect with architects and owners on projects still in the pre-design and design stages.

    PlanHub’s advanced suite of bid management tools allows you to increase productivity, identify relevant projects using data, build bids with Takeoff, and manage bids through the entire process.