Simple Tactics for Construction Owners to Train Foremen

In the construction industry, having capable project managers and foremen on hand to effectively manage a project is an important part of a company’s success.

The foreman must be able to oversee employees, manage their workloads and implement the necessary steps to keep everyone safe and deliver the project on time and within budget.

There are a few tactics construction owners can implement when training foremen to raise their level of professionalism and ensure they get the job done.

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Communication

One of the most important elements in the training process is communication. Foremen need to understand the directives of the owner and the scope of the project to effectively handle the job. They have significant leadership responsibility and as the field leaders, they are ultimately the ones who will make or break the construction site. Owners will gain a lot of traction by opening the lines of communication, and creating an open-door policy for foremen to receive and disseminate information.

This includes making sure they are familiar with all the sub-contractors, pertinent personnel, and most of all, the developer of the project. Providing all the necessary information the foreman will and may need is key to better results.

On-the-job training

Nothing beats hands-on training. Every construction owner has their own system of how they want things done and it should be documented in your foremen training program. Using a proactive approach in hand-walking the foreman around the grounds, explaining the entire project, showing them how to use the computer systems and making sure they have all the tools they need. This is a core part of the training needed to successfully oversee any company project and will result in better results.

Scenario-building

Taking the time to go over standard and extreme scenarios should be a high priority in your foreman training program. Even the most experienced foreman should have scenario-building sessions to address potential hazards, inclement weather conditions, employee shortages, how to handle inspectors, and other situations that may occur on-site. At the project site, the foreman is the face of the company and should be well-prepared to project a professional image.

Team Building

A foreman needs to know how to lead the group to achieve the results needed to complete the project. Having team-building sessions and activities to help shape them as a formidable leader will be invaluable for any project they are attached to. Team building will help develop their strengths and give them insight on how to deal with a variety of employees, contractors and other people associated with the project

These simple tactics will go a long way in training your foreman to be a well-prepared, qualified individual to lead projects for the company.