Every remodeling project needs a project manager. Some companies call this position lead carpenter. Larger projects are often run by superintendents. The most important responsibilities are the same, regardless of the name used for the position:
- Owning the job. The buck does stop here. The right person focuses on making money for the company and not losing money.
- Managing the job. Eyes overseeing and ears overhearing. Paying attention to both the big picture and the small things that have been delegated.
- Making the client feel taken care of. The experience of the client must be one that produces confidence in the company.
- Working well with others, both on the site and in the company. Sometimes a project manager is operating as a Lone Ranger, alienating everyone else in the company. That is unacceptable, even if the client loves the project manager, as the project manager is not actually part of the company anymore. He is a separate company, with the same name as the one that hired him!
So, when a project manager goes off course and the company cannot bring that maverick back into the fold, what should the company do? I say: Replace the project manager.
Thus must be done carefully, particularly if the client loves that person. Being sensitive to this is a make-or-break point in the job.
How to do this with class and grace?
- Put your best project manager (as defined earlier in this piece) on the project. The client must experience an increase in the level of performance, not a downgrade.
- Review all the documents connected with the project. This should be done by the new project manager and the owner of the company. Understand all the info. Make a list of questions that have to be answered.
- Do a careful download with the current project manager. If the outgoing manager refuses to meet with the incoming one, then the owner of the company must do the meeting. Record what is being discussed. Have someone produce a transcript of what was discussed.
- If the current project manager will cooperate, walk the job with him and the new project manager. Again, it would be good to document all that was discussed.
- Do a careful download and reset with the client, referencing the transcript of the discussion with the previous project manager. Do this slowly and deliberately. You have one chance at creating the confidence in the client that you and the new project manager own their project.
- Be as honest with the client as you can about why the switch is happening. Be clear you are only doing this for the long-term benefit of the client and their project.
Finally, set the expectation that things won’t be perfect. The transition will be bumpy. You and your project manager will deal with the unexpected as quickly and considerately as you can.
Be grateful that you don’t have to do this often.
Work hard to take the lessons learned and use them in the future to only bring those into your company who can be managed and will follow the company’s best practices. After all, if you don’t “project manage” your work force, who will?