By Aubrey Logan, Vice President of Division Operations
I recently celebrated my 48th work anniversary with Hoar. In all that time, I’ve never stopped learning. I feel fortunate that I have experience and knowledge that I’m able to share and pass on to others, but it’s true that builders learn something new every day on the job. There’s always a new challenge that needs a solution, and a way to do something just a little better than the day before. I’m surrounded by colleagues who share the same belief and the same desire to constantly work to improve. Because of that, we consistently share lessons learned and best practices with our entire team of field leaders, across all divisions.
In the most recent memo I wrote, I took a different approach and drafted a list of what I consider the most important traits and mindsets of a quality conscious superintendent. In our industry, everything comes back to quality. The same habits and practices that create quality work help eliminate safety hazards. When you’re building with quality in mind, you’re doing things right the first time and staying on schedule. That’s why I wanted to share a portion of that list with our clients and partners. If you’re looking to hire a project team that can deliver a reliable, quality building — on time and on budget — use this as a checklist during the interview process. Any team that can check all these boxes will help drive your project to success.
Inspect What You Expect
I trust our field leaders, and I know my colleagues trust me. But I fully expect them to check back and verify any work they expected to get done by me, did in fact get done. A good superintendent expects the most out of their team but always inspects the work to make sure it gets done. It’s not about distrust; it’s about holding each other accountable.
Pre-Plan Everything, With Everyone
Field leaders responsible for the success of the project need to be the driving force in making sure all the work is planned, and every step of the plan is accounted for. From reviewing and making sure all submittals and shop drawings are approved, to holding pre-construction planning meetings with each trade partner. I can’t overstress the importance of daily huddles — taking time every day to plan the work ahead.
Make Sure Each Area of Work is Ready, And in Order
Its critical superintendents are making sure that each area of the job for each trade partner is ready for that team to start and progress their work. They need to be constantly tracking progress and ensure each scope of work is advancing in the proper sequence. They are the train conductors essentially for many moving parts, and it’s up to the field leader to keep everyone on track.
Do What You Say You’re Going To Do
This is a non-negotiable for a successful superintendent, in my opinion. If you don’t do what you say, and you’re not a person of your word — you can’t be a good leader. It’s as simple as that. Beyond this, you should be fair. You should fulfill obligations on time. In short, you have to be someone that everyone around you can trust and depend on.
Be A Good Listener And A Good Communicator
We are in a people business. Relationships with all parties — from clients to trade partners — are so important to build and maintain. The first step to building solid relationships is being a good listener. Further, communication may be the most important tool a superintendent has in their toolbelt. Miscommunication is the root of most safety issues, quality issues, and mistakes in the field.
Begin With The End in Mind
We schedule work this way during pull plan sessions, because you can’t plan your first step if you don’t know what your final step has to be. You start there, and work your way backwards making sure you account for every action that has to happen and when, to get to that final step. This mindset also applies to meetings and conflict resolutions. Leaders need to approach every meeting knowing what their goal or desired end result is, before they can successfully lead that conversation in that direction.
Don’t Let Problems Linger. Attack Them
Small problems can easily, and quickly, become major issues if left unresolved. A good superintendent takes action the second a problem is brought to their attention. They involve all parties necessary to communicate, and work to a resolution.
Never Stop Growing, Personally And Professionally
It’s like I said earlier, I never stop learning in this industry. I believe the best builders are curious. It takes a healthy level of curiosity to want to figure out how things go together, to seek out new and improved ways to build, and to genuinely want to get to know the people around you. With that curiosity in mind, I encourage our superintendents to take training and development courses whenever offered and to take time to learn from their colleagues and partners on the job.
