Big Project: The Evolution of the PM

What are some of the unique challenges that construction poses to project management? And how do you think the industry itself is not meeting those challenges? 

One of the challenges in project management is working in silos. There is a lack of communication between the teams, not only on the site but between the site team and the engineering team that represent the owners. An in some cases, this can result in financial losses or not being able to identify problem areas accurately. 

Another challenge is if the project teams are not wired to deal with the constant changes happening, or if they are mismanaged. This results in delays and losses on the project. I always say the only constant in project management is change. 

One of the other things I have seen is unrealistic expectations from management. For example, too little time or not enough budget, which puts the project team under pressure to perform. Also, due to a lack of accountability, people are often not held responsible for their actions and therefore don't apply proper principles. But when you hold people accountable, you can improve all the above and the project can be executed properly. 

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