Soft Skills and the Construction Site Manager: The Chameleon Professional

Abstract

The gaps between the skill levels of construction site managers are widening. Projects are becoming more complex and eventually too demanding. This hampers construction site management professionals in the effective management of projects. The construction industry need to keep up with society’s demands by ensuring that industry selects the best students and retains them once they have gained experience. Highly skilled construction site managers are often lured away from the construction environment to other industries, through higher salaries, better work conditions and work-life balance. The Baby Boomer generation is slowly exiting the construction industry, taking with them their critical skills and leaving no replacements. The aim of this study is to establish a profile for the typical construction site manager in South Africa based on current day-to-day industry requirements. The methodology included practical case studies that were used to illustrate that Melvin’s professions list were the results of eleven typical soft skills, and could be interpreted through Bono’s six thinking hats. Literature research was conducted on each overlapping soft skill. A construction management student owns certain soft skills which can be identified and developed into a quality that gains significant improvement. When the construction managers use these soft skills to manoeuvre between the six thinking hats of Bono, his/her effectiveness on a construction site will increase. Previous work experience will also influence the level on which he/she can optimise Melvin’s different professions. Useful recommendations were made, i.e. the importance of cultivating soft skills in a construction manager; the importance of the ability of the construction manager to interchangeably apply these softs skills in combination with the six thinking hats; the level of ease with which the construction manager can balance everything will impact his/her effectiveness on the project; the margin of increase of production will be partially dependent on the construction managers’ level of effectiveness; and lastly, a proper tertiary education in construction management and vast practical experience is not only important, but also essential. Purpose-fit candidates may have to be headhunted from as early as school level. They can be presented with bursaries and a guarantee of employment after completing their studies to assist in creating a pool of purpose-fit candidates that are more likely to stay and grow in the industry.