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Safety is the top priority on construction sites. At the same time, however, there is pressure to generate profits. Construction management engineers working on-site are constantly faced with the highly contradictory challenge of improving their technical skills while also figuring out how to increase profits.<\/p>\n
Carrying out construction work safely while incorporating the latest technology requires a certain amount of funding. It is necessary to develop construction plans and procurement plans for materials and heavy equipment so that work can proceed as quickly and efficiently as possible, while securing personnel capable of performing their duties properly and eliminating potential accident causes one by one.<\/p>\n
However, that alone does not guarantee a profit. Ensuring a safe working environment and making sure materials and heavy equipment are properly on site are merely part of setting up the right conditions. It is how people move and how they are managed that directly impacts profits.<\/p>\n
At a site where profits were booming, I witnessed a situation where the boundaries between positions and titles had dissolved, and everyone was able to work together on an equal footing. This took place at a tunnel construction site on a certain expressway. They had eliminated the boundaries between those in leadership roles\u2014such as the site manager, deputy site manager, construction manager, and construction section chief\u2014and rank-and-file staff, as well as between foremen and laborers, building relationships with just the right amount of professional distance. While they got along well, their relationship wasn\u2019t one of friends; \u201cproject partners\u201d would be a more fitting description.<\/p>\n
Not only did we never address people by their job titles, but it was also a workplace where it was acceptable to sometimes use their first names\u2014even when speaking to someone older\u2014and to use casual language rather than honorifics. The office director\u2019s policy was clear: \u201cLet\u2019s break down the thick walls of age and status and work together as a team!\u201d<\/p>\n
At that workplace, although it wasn\u2019t an official rule, we were encouraged to call each other by nicknames. Whether to use a person\u2019s real name or a nickname was left up to each individual, but this helped strike a good balance in interpersonal relationships, allowing us to maintain a distance that was neither too distant nor too close. As a result, a pleasant sense of tension was fostered\u2014one where we could enjoy a friendly, harmonious atmosphere while still staying focused when necessary.<\/p>\n
So, I was really impressed by how everyone enjoyed their work as if it were play and moved the project forward with enthusiasm. Laughter could always be heard somewhere, their faces were full of energy, and the atmosphere on site was always lively. During site tours and visits by employees from our headquarters and stores, I even heard them say, \u201cI want to work at a site like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, this project was quite profitable, so in addition to our monthly drinking parties, we organized recreational activities like barbecues and hikes up Mount Fuji, and when we reached milestones in the construction work, we\u2019d have yakiniku parties at the office. Of course, the project covered all the costs, so there was absolutely no financial burden on any of us.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, I\u2019ve also experienced sites that weren\u2019t profitable. At a road construction site I visited during a patrol, the air was incredibly stagnant. As soon as I walked into the office, I was hit by an atmosphere that made me think, \u201cI just want to go home.\u201d I no longer wanted to stay there; I was filled with the urge to get out of there as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
The reason for that atmosphere was that everyone except the station chief felt as though they were \u201cbeing forced to do their jobs against their will.\u201d I didn\u2019t realize it at the time I was on patrol, but I heard later that a significant number of people assigned to that station had requested transfers, and the majority of them wanted to leave as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
I was told that relationships among the staff were strained, that what the managers said was law, and that subordinates and workers were required to follow their instructions, moving about as if they were robots. Hearing this, I recalled my patrols there and thought, \u201cIt\u2019s true\u2014everyone did look expressionless.\u201d I was told that the site had ended up in the red.<\/p>\n
So, does that mean the site\u2019s profitability and atmosphere depend entirely on the site manager\u2019s skills? Not quite\u2014entry-level construction management staff are also expected to have certain skills. After all, it\u2019s the job of construction management staff to give instructions to workers and set site policies.<\/p>\n
Therefore, not only the branch manager but also other construction management staff need to think about how to manage their teams. If doing so leads to greater profits and more enjoyment outside of work, I believe it\u2019s well worth the effort to give serious thought to how to manage people.<\/p>\n
As a construction management engineer, why not take a moment to reflect on what it would take to make your site profitable?<\/p>\n
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From the God of Construction<\/p>\n