From remodeling a kitchen to building a garage, there is no need for these construction projects to be long and drawn out. There are practical ways to expedite projects without sacrificing quality. Check out these five tips on quickly and effectively completing construction projects.
1. Find the Right Workforce
Start out with the right workforce. Hire dependable people who you know will show up to work and get the job done. Hiring your brother’s son, for example, may not be such a good idea. Having a workforce that comes from all walks of life is a great benefit. A diverse workforce allows for multiple perspectives and innovative ideas. Being surrounded by people just like yourself hinders the discovery of many interesting and exciting ideas.
Take the time upfront to interview multiple people to see who is the best fit for your construction project. Also, be ready to train new hires. Even experienced workers need refreshers on best practices at a construction site. Additionally, if your construction project includes any type of tree care, look to Utah tree removal.
2. Plan Ahead
Another way to maintain a consistent pace with the construction project is to have both a daily and long-term schedule. These schedules keep both you and your workers on track. Everyone is then aware of the daily work that needs to be accomplished in order to meet that future deadline. Make sure to communicate these schedules regularly and provide either a paper or electronic version of the schedules.
Decide ahead which construction approach is best for your project. Avoid methods that lean on shortcuts, which can ultimately slow down construction in the event of an injury onsite or poor quality work that has to be redone. Also important to get materials ordered ahead and plan out which days they are needed. Having all the building supplies ready to go helps you to stay on schedule.
3. Set Up a Strong Communication System
Having a strong communication system in place saves time in the long run. With a clear system, problems and questions that arise can be addressed quickly. Create a system where workers feel comfortable communicating with supervisors about obstacles or delays in the project. Make sure they also know exactly who they can go to and how that person can be reached. Provide a backup contact in the event that a supervisor is unreachable. Instead of pausing construction work while waiting on a response, a backup contact can quickly resolve the issue.
4. Schedule Routine Worker Evaluations
Regular performance evaluations benefit both you and your employees. Evaluations help workers improve at their job, and they also help improve the quality of the work. Feedback is best given when it clearly addresses areas of weakness and also includes areas that they excel in. Constructive criticism is easier to take when paired with something positive.
Consider providing incentives and employee rewards for efficient and quality work completed. Workers are more likely to be committed to working hard when they feel appreciated. Generous bonuses or grocery store gift cards are great ways to show that you value your employees.
5. Delegate Duties When Necessary
As a project lead, it is easy to get overwhelmed. In this instance, look to people who you trust to take over some of your duties. No one benefits from an overworked supervisor. For example, you may more easily get upset; you may get sloppy with certain elements of the planning; or, you may start to resent the project at hand.
Assess in the beginning the amount of responsibilities you can realistically take on. Then delegate the rest to other competent leads. Admitting you feel stressed and overwhelmed can be hard. However, you are doing everyone a big favor when you have a balanced workload.
Construction projects can be executed in an efficient manner without sacrificing quality. The key is to find the right workforce, plan ahead, set up a strong communication system, do routine employee evaluations and delegate duties when necessary.