 Always make sure to notify the project

stakeholders of the delay. Being honest and

keeping them in the loop will give them
confidence in your abilities. Update them
about the delay and the revised completion
date so they can plan things accordingly.

 Once you know there is a delay, call for an

emergency team meeting. Involve your
project team, all the stakeholders, vendors,
customers, and any technical experts if
needed. Inform them about the delay and
provide them additional details. Ask for their
input and ideas on getting the project back
on schedule, then map out a plan of action.

 If you’ll need additional resources, make

sure to ask. You will need all the resources
you can get in order to get the project back
on track, so don’t be shy to ask for help.

If you need to hire additional staff to keep to

Delays in construction timeline due to
your deadline, evaluate both the costs and
unforeseen events.
benefits of this step. Perhaps you need an
assistant to help with the paperwork so your
There will be an additional payment to the
core team can focus all their energies on
workers.
things only they can do. If you believe it will
help you bring the project on course, and the
additional staffing may help save huge costs,
go for it.

 Evaluate all the tasks and milestones that

still need to be completed and move the
most urgent ones to the top of your priority
list. This way, any tasks that are dependent
on the crucial tasks that are left incomplete
won’t suffer.

 When there’s a delay, you may have to steer

away from the originally planned schedule.
If you decide to make changes to the initial
plan, don’t forget to record these. Create a
change control plan and list all the changes
you propose.

Use this plan to review, approve and

implement all the proposed changes. This
documentation will help you compare the
progress of your new plan with the initial
 plan and see all the steps you took to bring
your project on course.
 Selling an idea is like selling any other
product. You must understand the needs,
motives and priorities of the customer.
What is your boss’s ‘hot buttons’? What are
the issues that really worry him or her? Are
they motivated by pride, ego, money, career
advancement, power, recognition or do they
want an easy life? If you can discover their
goals and motivations, then you can try to
present your idea in a way that plays to
them. Stress the outcomes of the idea that
will help him or her in one or more of these
fields.

 How does your boss make decisions? Does

Construction industry, as a whole, is
notoriously slow at adopting new technologies.
The construction project will encounter
shortage of time and more manpower.
he prefer numbers, reference from trusted
sources, evidence of proof elsewhere,
avoidance of risk, logic or emotion? Does he
make quick decisions, or does he like to
chew things over for a while?
A recent article in Harvard Business Review
by Williams and Miller identified five
different styles of decision maker. If you
know which style fits your boss, then you can
tailor your message to give it the best
chance of success.

 Put personal emotions aside. Recognize that

their behavior is not targeted at you
personally.

 Manage upwards. Proactively manage your

activities. Tell your manager what you need
from them in terms of resources and time,
provide them with rationale. If due to lack of
technical knowledge they disagree with you,
be ready to escalate the issue. You want to
be able to protect yourself from ill
management with foresight and planning.
 1. Devices and Technology. It is important
to use up-to-date digital solutions which
allow you to communicate with the other
Poor Communication
members of the team regardless of the type
of device you are using.
There will be no agreement among workers
what will be the final decision
 2. Reinforce. Convey messages in different
ways to ensure better understanding.
 3. Chain of command. Establish clear lines
of communication and chain of command
for messages and information.

 4. Clear and concise. Correct written

communication, avoid slang, keep it direct,
simple and legible.

 5. Quality and upgrades. Use document

software that tracks revisions in all stages
of the project and with all stakeholders.

 6. Continuous training. Organize continuous

training on new equipment, software, apps,
safety features and regulations and best
project management practices both on- and
off-site.

 7. Encourage feedback. Whether we’re

talking about architects, contractors, or
construction workers, all stakeholder’s
feedback matters. Make sure the feedback
is understood both ways and follow-up on
it.

 8. Connections. Ensure the proper

connections and functioning networks are
available even in very remote sites.

 9. Qualified crew. Selecting qualified

contractors and workers makes
communication easier and effective for the
whole team.

 10. Bilingualism. Identify if second or third

languages are necessary and how it will be
used specifically in safety and logistics.