Starting Small

A few weeks ago, the news was filled with concerns about E. coli and lettuce. Combined with how much food can go to waste when shopping today, I decided it might be a good time to experiment with growing some of my own.

In my usual fashion, I researched the full garden systems. I compared indoor and outdoor options and calculated the cost, time, usage, appearance and where I would store everything. One of the larger systems was especially appealing because it came with plants that had already sprouted. There would be no waiting and wondering whether the seeds would actually grow.

Still, I decided to start small with a nine pod AeroGarden by Scotts. I planted lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, herbs and even peppers.

Remembering what I learned about gardening while growing up in a small town, I knew onions and carrots would require me to move outside. Where I live, there are plenty of other creatures that would probably take an interest in my crop, so I will continue buying those from the farmer’s market.

To my surprise, all but one of the pods sprouted within a few days. It has been exciting to watch them grow, especially with a system that tells me exactly when to add food and water and automatically controls the light.

Knowing When to Ask for Help

Of course, even with all my research, I still needed help. I asked my husband to assemble the garden system and then needed his help again to reset it after we experienced a power surge.

I could have spent more time trying to figure it out myself, but asking someone with the right ability allowed me to move forward more quickly and avoid creating a bigger problem.

The same is true in Construction Management. Growth does not mean knowing everything or doing everything alone. Sometimes the most effective and efficient decision is recognizing when you need help, clearly communicating what you need and allowing someone with the right knowledge or experience to support the outcome.

For employers, this means creating an environment where asking for help is viewed as responsible communication rather than weakness. For professionals, it means speaking up before a small issue becomes a costly project problem.

When Growth Takes Longer Than Expected

After two weeks, the pepper pod still had not sprouted. The instructions said it could take up to 14 days, so I assumed the pod was defective. I removed it, replaced it with another and placed the original pepper pod in a pot on the windowsill.

Then, to my surprise, it sprouted.

It simply needed more time than the documented timeline suggested.

That little pepper plant reminded me of something I have seen repeatedly during more than 30 years of working with Construction Management professionals and employers: growth does not always happen according to a standard timeline.

One employee may step into a new role and show visible results almost immediately. Another may need more time to understand the project, earn the team’s trust, learn the company’s systems and become confident making decisions. That does not automatically mean the person lacks the ability to grow. It may mean their growth is happening below the surface before anyone can see it.

Growth Must Produce Results

For the Construction Management professional, growth is not defined only by receiving a larger title or earning more money. It can mean managing greater project complexity, making stronger decisions, communicating more effectively, developing others, accepting accountability and becoming someone the company can trust with more responsibility.

The growth we are defining here is the harvest of becoming more effective and efficient in the job. In Construction Management, growth must produce results. It should become visible in how someone protects safety, schedule, cost and quality; manages documentation and change; anticipates procurement and manpower needs; coordinates the work; closes open items; and communicates risk before it affects the project.

Knowing how to build, estimate, schedule or administer a contract is essential. The next level of growth is turning that knowledge into action and clearly communicating what you know, what you see and what could place the project at risk.

Nobody Showed Me Cannot Be the Final Answer

One of the most common explanations we hear in our industry is, ‘Nobody showed me,’ or, ‘I was never trained to do that.’ Sometimes that is true. A company may have failed to provide a process, proper onboarding or access to the right person.

But Construction Management professionals are hired to manage information, people, commitments and risk. If something is unclear, missing or outside their experience, they must raise it early. A Superintendent who sees a sequencing, safety, quality or manpower concern must communicate it. A Project Manager who sees a budget variance, unapproved change, procurement delay, contract exposure or forecast problem must do the same.

Strong communication is direct: identify the issue, explain the impact, recommend the next action and confirm who owns it and by when. The employer must respond with direction, authority, resources or training. Silence allows a manageable concern to become a costly problem.

A Title Does Not Define Capability

A Superintendent or Project Manager title at one company may not represent the same level of responsibility at another. Company size, project size, market sector, delivery method, contract structure, team depth and internal systems all affect the actual scope of the position.

For example, a Superintendent may have led a $20 million ground up project as the sole field leader, directly coordinating every trade, inspection, safety requirement, schedule update and owner walk. Another Superintendent may have worked on a $200 million high rise but owned only one building area or phase under a General Superintendent with several Assistant Superintendents and field engineers. Both may carry the same title, but their authority, exposure and readiness for the next assignment can be very different.

The same applies to Project Managers. One may own the complete financial and contractual outcome of a project, including buyout, change management, monthly forecasting, owner billing, subcontractor payments, procurement and closeout. Another may manage RFIs, submittals and selected scopes while a Senior Project Manager retains responsibility for the budget, contract and client relationship.

Employers cannot hire by title alone, and professionals should not define growth by title alone. The real measure is what the person owned, what decisions they were authorized to make, what risks they identified and what results they produced.

Define Ownership Before Measuring Performance

For the employer, developing a new hire requires more than placing the person in the role and waiting to see what happens. Just as my garden system provides the right food, water and light, an employer must provide clear expectations, the proper resources, consistent communication and honest feedback.

Expectations must be specific to the assignment. What project or scope does the employee own? Who do they report to? Who reports to them? What authority do they have? Which decisions require approval? What reports, meetings, schedules, forecasts and documentation are expected? How will success be measured in safety, schedule, cost, quality, team leadership and client communication?

Support does not mean lowering expectations. The employee is still responsible for taking ownership, asking questions, accepting feedback and doing the work required to grow.

Set the Target and Track the Results

Not everyone will grow at the same pace, in the same environment or according to the timeline written on the package. The real question is whether the person is demonstrating the willingness, ability and discipline to keep growing and whether the employer has created the right conditions for that growth to take place.

The employer should define what success looks like, what the employee owns, how performance will be measured and when progress will be reviewed. A practical 30, 60 and 90 day plan should state what the employee must learn, begin owning and consistently deliver. Feedback should be specific, timely and supported by examples.

The employee should confirm what they understand, identify where they need clarity or support and communicate obstacles before they affect results. Every important conversation should end with four things: the result, the next step, the owner and the deadline.

How Florida Construction Connection Helps

At Florida Construction Connection, we help Construction Management employers and professionals establish this alignment before the employment relationship begins and continue it through the critical onboarding period.

Through The Breistol Method®, we go beyond matching a resume and title to a job description. We verify the professional’s actual project experience, responsibilities, reporting structure, decision authority, team support, communication style, strengths and development needs. We also help the employer define the outcomes of the position, the environment in which the person will work and what success must look like during the first 30, 60 and 90 days and beyond.

That verification matters because a strong employment relationship requires both sides to understand not only whether the person can perform the work, but also what they will be expected to own, how they will be supported and how their effectiveness will be measured.

Before Deciding Growth Is Not Happening

Before deciding that someone is not growing, confirm that you are measuring the right results, communicating expectations and providing the authority, resources and support required to succeed.

Before deciding that an employer is not providing growth, confirm that you understand what is expected, are taking ownership, communicating risk early and clearly identifying the support you need.

Sometimes the potential is already there.

It may simply need clarity, accountability, the right environment and enough time to break through the surface.

To Produce a Successful Career and Hiring Harvest,

Suzanne Breistol