Find out the top 10 core skills you need to master as a construction area manager and what hard skills you need to know to succeed in this job.

A construction area manager is tasked with the responsibility of overseeing and allocating construction resources for many construction projects within an area. It is his or her duty to go through plans and blueprints right from when the project starts to when it will be finished. Furthermore, he or she will get to evaluate all construction methods and procedures before, during and after construction and handle and resolve any problem that might arise.

In addition to that, he or she will get to perform the following responsibilities; making projects timetables, determining the cost of labor and building materials, scheduling and assigning roles to construction workers, ensuring that all documents pertaining to the construction activities are in order, perform supervisory role and maintenance of all construction materials.

Core Skills Required to be a Construction Area Manager

Core skills describe a set of non-technical abilities, knowledge, and understanding that form the basis for successful participation in the workplace. Core skills enable employees to efficiently and professionally navigate the world of work and interact with others, as well as adapt and think critically to solve problems.

Core skills are often tagged onto job descriptions to find or attract employees with specific essential core values that enable the company to remain competitive, build relationships, and improve productivity.

A construction area manager should master the following 10 core skills to fulfill her job properly.

Teamwork Skills:

Teamwork is the process of collaboratively working with a group of people with an aim to achieve a set goal within a business ensuring that the staff and management cooperate using their skills and provide constructive feedback.

A Construction Area Manager needs to exercise effectiveness and understanding in creating teamwork using the right techniques in an environment of trust and cooperation with the aim of increasing productivity, higher morale, and a fulfilled workforce.

Inspiring others:

Inspiring is encouraging one to be their best in contributing to the vision of an organization where they are placed and entrusted to work.

A Construction Area Manager must create a culture where the staff can use their professional prowess and aspire to be the best by giving them a clear vision and purpose through decisive leadership that motivates and inspires them.

Managing at team:

Managing is the administration of an organization which includes activities of setting the strategy of an organization and coordinating the efforts of the employees to accomplish its objectives.

A Construction Area Manager must learn the art of creating corporate policy, organizing, planning, controlling and directing organization resources to achieve the aims of the policies formed while making decisions to oversee the enterprise.

Strategic Planning:

Strategic Planning is organizational management activity that is used to set priorities, focus energy and resources, strengthen operations while guaranteeing that employees and other stakeholders are working towards common goals.

A Construction Area Manager should be liable to develop the systematic tools to be used in the organization's processes that coordinate and align resources and actions with the mission, vision, and strategy throughout the organization.

Assertiveness:

Assertiveness is the inclination to stand up for your rights or other people's rights in a calm and concrete way without being aggressive or accepting a wrong.

A Construction Area Manager must be self-assured and confident to master the skills to put his points across without upsetting others or becoming angry and allowing the employees to do the same while complying with the company's policies and procedures.

Commitment to the Job:

Commitment to the Job is the feeling of responsibility that a person has towards a mission and goals of an organization.

A Construction Area Manager should be diligent in helping the employees connect and commit to their job by creating proper communication channels that make the employees feel listened to and encouraged to provide feedback thus creating mutual trust and respect in the workplace.

Enjoyment of the Job:

Enjoyment of the Job is the ability to enjoy what you do rather than enjoying what you earn from it.

A Construction Area Manager needs to creatively learn of ways to motivate his employees to benefit from the workplace by matching their personality to the culture of the organization where they fit best and allowing them to explore their hidden talents to grow and mature with the team.

Personal Commitment:

Personal Commitment is an obligation that you have voluntarily agreed to fulfill without being cajoled or threatened and are willing to be held accountable for the results.

A Construction Area Manager ought to understand that though adopting new policies and procedures will be met with resistance, the approach by which safety standards are implemented and enforced influences employee's attitudes and commitment towards the organization.

Organizational Skills:

Organizational Skills is the ability to make use of time, energy and resources available in the most efficient manner to achieve their goal.

A Construction Area Manager should organize the work for the employees to ensure overall organization, planning, time management, scheduling, coordinating resources and meeting deadlines is handled most efficiently by each employee for both personal and professional growth.

Time Management:

Time Management is the capacity for an individual to assign specific time slots to activities as per their importance and urgency to make the best possible use of time.

A Construction Area Manager must schedule each task within a stipulated period for each employee and ensure all the tasks are completed promptly thus actually teaching the staff the value of time and how to utilize it for the interest of the business and their growth.

Hard Skills Required to be a Construction Area Manager

Hard skills are job-specific skill sets, or expertise, that are teachable and whose presence can be tested through exams. While core skills are more difficult to quantify and less tangible, hard skills are quantifiable and more defined.

Hard skills are usually listed on an applicant's resume to help recruiters know the applicant's qualifications for the applied position. A recruiter, therefore, needs to review the applicant's resume and education to find out if he/she has the knowledge necessary to get the job done.

A construction area manager should have a good command of the following hard skills to succeed in her job.

Construction Area Manager: Hard skills list

Accounting
Algebra
Analytical
Analyze and interpret data and budgets
Apply drafting and mechanical drawing knowledge and techniques
Apply mathematical principles to accounting, bookkeeping or budgeting
Apply regulations to surveying and construction activities
Apply structural and safety principles to buildings and other construction projects
Bid engineering, construction or extraction projects
Budgeting (Develop budgets)
Building Codes and Specifications
Communication
Conduct Employment Interviews
Construction Contracting Regulations (Interpret and apply)
Cost Estimations (Prepare cost estimates for construction related projects)
Develop delivery and production schedules
Develop staffing plan
Establish and evaluate employee performance standards
Estimate time needed for project
Evaluate new construction industry practices
Geometry
Hazardous materials specifications
Hire and dismiss employees
Interpret maps for architecture, construction and civil engineering
Mechanical
Research and apply land use regulations
Respond to personnel problems and grievances
Schedule and coordinate construction work
Schematics and Specifications
Safety Inspections
Strategic and Tactical Planning
Supervise building maintenance projects
Translate design specifications to cost estimates
Use negotiation techniques as management tool
Visualize spatial relationships in construction and mapping
Writing
Write request for proposals or bids

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