When it comes to managing construction, many unexpected problems pop up, even with the most meticulous planning and management in place. As a result, the best way to ensure that your construction business is up to date is to encourage a growth mindset at every level.
In the present times, we have come a long way from the traditional methods of managing and delivering construction projects. There are always new materials, trends, safety concerns, technology, marketing strategies, sales techniques, and customer expectations. With the increasing demand for construction projects, how do you stay competitive, on top of your game, and on track with everything?
To keep up with demand, construction companies must think of new ways to do things. General contractors and project managers need to realize that their construction management needs to change and adapt to new ways to avoid problems in their industry, such as using cloud-based construction scheduling software. In an article by Carnegie Mellon University (Project Management for Construction: The Owners’ Perspective (cmu.edu)), companies that needed to adapt to new technologies were pushed out of the mainstream of design and construction.
However, before all the nitty-gritty technical details, it is essential to change your way of thinking or how you approach the project first. You will need to foster a growth mindset from within your organization, where you are focused on consistent growth and learning to perfect your processes and improve how you manage your business. In this article, let us examine why your construction company must foster a modern growth mindset to ensure success.
What is the Difference Between a Growth Mindset and a Fixed Mindset?
There are two ways of thinking, which we call “growth” or “fixed.” These two approaches can affect productivity, employee retention, morale, and sales.
A growth mindset is a way of doing business where everyone can learn and improve, and every business can grow and do well. They know how important it is to keep learning and to improve – so they strive to grow in their careers and for everyone and the organization. With this way of thinking, problems become chances to grow instead of impassable roadblocks. A growth mindset will help you put improvement ahead of immediate success, which will let your business change and grow as needed. It will be easy to change and adapt to new information and take advantage of new chances, learn from your mistakes, and change to meet the ever-changing needs of your customers.
On the other hand, a fixed mindset is a way of doing business in which you think you can only succeed if you have the right expertise and experience. However, you can quickly get stuck in the past and stay committed to old methods that may have worked previously but may be failing now. This can stop a company from growing, making things remain the same, and making people afraid to make mistakes, which could slow down the company. This can also make people fearful of change and unwilling to learn new skills, even if those skills help the business significantly.
Who Needs A Growth Mindset in Construction Management?
A growth mindset begins with good leadership. However, this is wider than project managers or top management. A construction crew comprises a vast team, including architects, engineers, subcontractors, and third-party suppliers, who all have a stake in the project. In order for a project to be completed successfully, everyone should have the same mindset.
In this section, let us look at who should have a growth mindset regarding construction management.
Leaders And Top-Level Management
Good leadership is essential for the company’s success, regardless of industry. The CEO, COO, or president sets the goals for their business and gives their teams the resources, tools, and equipment required to do their tasks. And the owners set goals for the company. They also need to be able to deal with problems as they arise in a way that helps employees and clients.
Construction and Project Managers
Every day, project managers are in charge of running the business and are responsible for ensuring the construction project is delivered on time. The project manager makes project schedules and timelines, manages supplier relationships, talks to clients, and tracks inventory and resources. When a new process can help growth in a company, such as utilizing a new online construction project management software, it is their job to break down what is needed into steps that can be done. Then, they will cascade the information to the crew and other stakeholders.
Construction Crews and Subcontractors
On job sites, construction crews can provide valuable insights into everything going on with the project – they can decide whether the work is good or needs some improvement. Knowing that home buyers’ needs are constantly changing, construction workers with a growth mindset can meet new markets as they arise. A growth mindset has also made people more motivated and productive, helping them advance in their careers.
Suppliers
The last few years have shown that changes in the supply chain can happen quickly. It is important to work with suppliers who naturally encourage a growth mindset. They are more likely to offer suitable alternative materials, work with different budgets, and keep relationships going for a long time.
How to Foster Growth Mentality Within Your Organization
When it comes to construction, we all can learn, grow, change, get better, and improve how we do things over time. Doing this allows us to overcome problems with time and hard work and become better people and workers. This is the idea behind a growth mindset—it is a way to improve the workplace and help people grow in their roles.
Schedule Learning Sessions
Finding time to learn something new can be challenging when you have a lot of projects, and you might also need help with time management. Still, the more you do to learn, the better you will be prepared for the following changes in the industry. Make time to learn new skills, be open to new technology, and train in new techniques or ways to lead. If you and your team need help using new software, such as web-based construction management software, you can schedule training sessions or create strategies to help your team adapt faster.
Utilize Construction Technology
People who work for companies with a growth mindset are more likely to be open to changes in how they approach their daily tasks. In today’s modern world, it is essential to help employees connect in meaningful ways. Companies can take advantage of a powerful, natural way to reinforce behaviors linked to a growth mindset by making it easy for coworkers to talk to each other. Technology, tools, and equipment are essential to your job, so you and your team should study changes in these areas. With online construction scheduling software, you can also reach more clients and make sure the project goes smoothly.
Update Your Safety Rules
A construction worker must deal with big, heavy, and sometimes dangerous tools daily. An essential part of subcontracting is keeping safety information and procedures current. You know your job, and you probably already pay close attention to your team’s safety.
It’s important to keep an eye out for changes to equipment manuals or new practices in OSHA guides. Set up a monthly meeting with your team to discuss more safety rules and ensure everyone knows what to do. Your workers can feel more at ease when you speak to them often, keep them up to date on changes to posted rules, and give them chances to learn new things.
Stay On Top of Current Trends
There are many people in the construction management field, and not all of them get the same education. You can set a good example by staying up-to-date and constantly learning new things. If you manage a team and many projects, consider looking into online training and skill development schedules.
Create an Effective Change Management Plan
Most of the time, change brings about uncertainty; it can be bad for a company’s morale and its ability to keep employees, and it can make it easy for people to take a step backward into fixed mindsets. Take steps to stop that from happening by talking to each other often and being honest. Streamline communication and foster smooth collaboration from within the team, especially when talking about comments about the job, so that the project’s status is clear.
Strive For Continuous Learning
Make sure to see where your projects are being done. Talk to your workers and subcontractors helping you build and see the problems they’re facing. You might get ideas for making the workplace better and use those ideas to improve how you hire people.
Listen to Feedback From Your Team
Depending on how you look at the situation, you can still point out things that could be done better without being negative. This is where positive feedback comes in.
Applaud the parts of a process that worked well and point out the features that did not. Work with your team to determine what can be done to fix the problem while ensuring the next project has a solid base.
