Learning From The Life Experience Of Practicing
Managers – The ‘How To’ For Site Managers and Site Supervisors
An Online-Course aimed at Construction Managers wishing
to safeguard and consolidate their position in the market and for Supervisors working towards a management position.
Dear Manager-Supervisor,
In my experience working over many many years within the construction industry, I’ve noted that the positions of ‘Manager’ and ‘Supervisor’ are professional positions worth attaining. However, in contrast with professional managers and supervisors found in many other streams of employment, within the construction industry there is a lack of professional guidance, maintenance, information and support to achieve these positions for those coming up through the trades with a non academic background. That certainly was the experience I had on my management journey!! I can only describe my journey as an enthusiastic pick and mix ride, a help yourself adventure lasting a number of years.
What follows is a brief description of my journey. It is here as a learning aid, to hopefully point you more speedily in the right direction to becoming a manager or supervisor or even to become a better manager and supervisor. In addition, I’ll also highlight some of the concerns that as site managers and supervisors you may have. Managers and supervisors need to be professional at all times. So what do you need to know and how do you gain that knowledge?
To begin with let’s take a look at some of obstacles, on the right/below panel, that need to be overcome. Do they resonate with you? I’ll come back to them later.
Some of the Problems to Overcome
- Construction Managers and those wishing to become managers through promotion in the field are generally NOT academic learners and find it difficult to professionally progress.
- Management training courses ARE generally costly in time and finance and take the manager off site.
- Fatalities and ill health due to construction related incidents are still a fact. There IS a gap between that which is being taught and the desired results.
- The gap between SMSTS courses IS too long. Practicing Managers need to have a refreshed vision to manage safely.
- There IS a shortage of courses for construction management CPD.
- Candidates who embark on Management NVQ’s ARE often failing to complete timely due to insufficient preparation.
Does the above list resonate with you?
Firstly, how did I become a professional manager?
It was twenty years ago, on the back of an advanced NVQ 3 in brick wk. and an extensive construction working history as a tradesman and site supervisor that I made myself available for management duties via an employment agency. I commenced as an Assistant Manager & Finishing Foreman and worked my way up the ladder, adding an SMSTS and first aid certificates on the way. This is how I learnt to be a construction manager; on the job training over many years!!!
Like most managers of my era in the construction field, I acquired my position with little formal Management and Supervisory Training, something now which the CDM regulations do not allow! Sure I received H&S Management Training, that is, I learned what I needed to know about complying with H&S Construction legislation, but no training on how to be a Professional Manager or Supervisor. I learnt to be a professional manager and supervisor from studying role models along the way.
Since those early management days, I’ve gone on to hold numerous senior positions over the last 20 years including company development manager and manager and trade NVQ assessor. I have to acknowledge that none of this later success would have been possible without achieving my first higher qualification, which in my case was a university degree at the age of 40. This launched me in the management direction and I’ve not looked back.
At university I learnt how to learn and to work successfully under pressure. As a construction lecturer and assessor, passing on this knowledge has enabled my students to succeed in their studies without having to attend university.
Enough about me! What about you?
Perhaps you can relate to my management journey, or not as the case may be, but I believe you will relate to the following construction management and supervisory concerns and it is to these concerns our mentor management courses address, assisting managers and supervisors to better their professionalism, advance in the industry safely, not over a number of years, but over the duration of 14 guided learning hours.
Please expand the following links and consider the points raised carefully.
continue reading, 'What are these concerns?'
The concerns we have identified are as follows:
- How as a manager or supervisor do I protect myself and my family from the affects of prosecution as a result of a health and safety incident?
- What is it that sets apart very good managers and supervisors from the run of the mill?
- How can I simply gain an understanding of the current construction laws and regulations that as a manager and supervisor I must comply with?
- How as a manager or a site supervisor do I run my sites safely to current legislation requirements?
- As a site manager or site supervisor, what should be my greatest assets and management and supervisory tools?
- How do I resource my sites to the correct H&S level?
- How can I prepare myself for a Construction management of supervisory NVQ?
Having reviewed and identified with these questions, this raises the next three questions:
- How can I learn all of the above cost effectively without having to take time off work?
- How are you going to teach me this in a way I can understand, take on board and apply on site?
- How will I be able to prove to an employer or client that I have undertaken a construction management or supervisory qualification that meets these aims?
All of these questions will be answered shortly.
Before we do that, I would also like you to consider the following…
continue reading, 'How do you remain professional?'
How do I remain a professional competent Construction Manager or Supervisor?
- By remaining employed? Incorrect!!
- By renewing my mandatory training certificates such as asbestos awareness, first aid and SMSTS or SSSTS? Incorrect, this will keep you employed and no more.
- By maintaining an active CPD program? Correct.
- By giving and adding innovation to the working environment? Correct.
- By maintaining a success record of completing projects safely to or within cost and to program? Correct. It is often said you are only as good as your last project.
Our Certificated Courses are designed to satisfy the last 3 points
As a result of taking these courses you will also:
- Saves lives and the negative impact on the victims family and your own
- Reduce injuries, poor health and diseases and the impact on families
- Improve quality of life for yourself and those you are managing and supervising
- Enable work to be carried out safely to current legislation
- Take advantage of cost effective e-learning with nil time required away from site
- Build business and your reputation
continue reading, 'What does the course do?'
With these courses I have specifically set out to do the following:
AIM 1: To instruct, form and strengthen a practicing construction manger and supervisor’s resolve to manage and supervise H&S at the appropriate professional level, from a moral, cost and legislative perspective and to produce an excellent CPD resource and GAP filler between SMSTS & SSSTS courses. (This course is also ideal preparation for those candidates considering a management or Supervisory NVQ).
AIM 2: To produce a mentoring program for Assistant Managers, Site Supervisors and Foremen. This is achieved in one of two ways. Any person can use the course as a stand alone management mentoring program due to the case study texts and Podcasts. However, the course has also been designed for existing managers to complete the course with their Assistant Managers, Supervisors and Foremen. The existing Manager would gain valuable CPD and a refreshed mission for Managing Safely and those they do the course with, would also gain the insight and experience of you their Managers, thus building ‘TEAM’.
In order to meet these AIMS the course content specifically covers the following topics:
- The Management and Supervisory Roles and Responsibility of a Construction Manager and Site Supervisor
- Good Management and Supervisory traits to be adopted and poor management and supervisory traits to be avoided
- H&S Statistics and Trends
- Construction Law, Regulations and Consequences
- Construction Health, Safety and Welfare Manager’s Practices and Procedures
continue reading, 'How is this done?'
Simply learn from the best!!
Our courses are delivered via our mentoring learning environment and include:
- Audio lectures plus written teaching and visual slides.
- Audio case study tutorials with textual explanations and slides.
- Multiple choice interactive online learning assessment quizzes after each section
- Final interactive assessment with printed certificate.
In other words, learning from the life experience of practicing managers and supervisors.
Please take a couple of minutes to consider the following:
Here are ten benefits of our new online Site Managers and Site Supervisors Safety Training GAP Course. There are many others!
Mature Management Professionals, Loyal progressive workforce, Legislative know how, Enthused H&S Culture on Site, Projects completed to Program Safely, Repeat Contracts Secured, Safe Workforce, Online Training Delivered Cost Effectively, SMART Phone Compatibility, No lost work time or travel expenses!
What's your management style? ... find out by listening to a short Sample Lecture OR View the Course Contents HERE (from £12)
Do you understand your site manager's role? ... find out by listening to a short Sample Lecture OR View the Course Contents HERE (from £12)