6 top secrets to becoming an effective executive: useful construction management skills
Having the right construction management skills can help you impress hiring managers in your job search. You need to know these skills. Both technical skills and soft skills can help you in your endeavour to get hired and effectively complete your duties.

Having the right construction management skills can help you impress hiring managers in your job search. You need to know these skills. Both technical skills and soft skills can help you in your endeavour to get hired and effectively complete your duties. In this article, I will share with you what I consider to be some of the most valuable skills for construction executives.
Communication
Communication involves:
- Talking to others to convey information effectively
- Asking questions as appropriate
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying
- taking time to understand the points being made
Communication skills can be utilised to interact with clients, outsourced suppliers and subcontractors.
Managing of Personnel Resources
A manager needs to be able to identify the best people for the job. You must be able to motivate your team, direct them as well as develop their skill-set. Your team management abilities will ensure that problem-solving is handled in a collaborative, professional and prompt manner. You must have know-how on:
- Procedures for personnel recruitment
- Training
- Compensation and benefits
- Labor relations and negotiation
- Personnel information systems
Financial management
This entails:
- Creating budget plans
- Making financial forecasts
- Tracking project spending
- Accounting for expenditures.
Good financial management skills will help you use a project’s resources with greater efficiency.
Delegation
As a manager, you will need help from others to complete all your tasks. Delegation includes:
- Assigning duties to team members
- Knowing your team’s strengths and weaknesses
- Assigning duties that suit your team members’ talents
- Adjusting your actions in relation to others’ actions
Understanding of technology
This can help you as a construction executive to identify and use the latest technologies for projects. This knowledge aids in applying:
- Principles
- Techniques
- Equipment
- Design
Industry knowledge
The construction industry is ever-changing and you will need to stay up-to-date with the latest trends. Some of the knowledge that you will need to know as a successful construction executive will include:
- Knowledge of materials
- Latest methods
- Tools involved
- Construction or repair of houses, buildings and other structures such as highways and roads.
Enhancing and making use of these construction management skills will propel you into a successful career as a construction executive.

Kaufman Search & Consulting works with leading Contractors and top-level talent throughout the country, building teams for tomorrow’s projects one perfect fit at a time. We use extensive know-how and our solid relationships with key decision makers at our client companies to elevate your executive career in construction.