Project Management Resources

[LeadHead]

I've been... promoted?... to project manager over our commercial dept. and it is kicking my butt!! I've found LOTS of project management resources on the internet, but none specifically for our trade. Any of you guys know of any books or resources for HVAC project management that might be helpful? I would be much obliged.

[cactassdupree]

I don't have any books. The ITI from the S.M.W.I.A. has some books on leadership (formen etc. If you have access to an apprenticeship program, ask the coordinator I just wanted to congratulate you on the promotiom Leadhead. You must be doing something right. Don't hesitate to ask your superiors for advise without being a pain in their a$$. Good Luck !! dupree

[CadMan]

I had the same thing happen to me a few years back. I started searching everywhere. There are some good PM books you can pick up on Amazon and the other big places such as:

Project Management in Construction - Sidney M. Levy
Construction Management JUMP START - Barbara J. Jackson
Construction Jobsite Management - Mincks & Johnston

All pretty good books. Keep in mind...Project management is the same regardless of the trade...but finding something specialized like sheet metal management is hard to come by.

But I have found that SMACNA has a pretty good selection of things:

Alliance Project Management
Successful Building Project Coordination
Principles of Job Costing
Project Management: An Overview To Effective Project Management

I am sure I have links and more stuff if you want to shoot me an email and I can find it for you.

It's a good opportunity. But get ready for the stress!!

http://www.linkedin.com/in/krich1973

[LeadHead]

@Cadman- You're right, unbelievable stress at times! But the longer I do it, the more I realize that I've already tackled this problem before. My biggest weakness is trying to juggle as many as 14 projects at once. I know that I need some serious structure and scheduling. I'm too stubborn to let it whip me. I can do this. I appreciate your help.

[Shoneyboy]

LeadHead, is there a specific problem that you are having problems with???? or is it just organization issues??? I’m the project manager over several different departments with my company, 5 to be exact…. The number 1 piece of advice I can give you is don’t micro-manage you people….It is ok to stay informed and stay on top of the projects, but after 8 years, I have developed a working relationship with my foreman and learned that I have to trust them. Each and everyone had a different work attitude and I have to treat each one a little different to get the same outcome. I have built relationships with each department and not just with the Forman, but the workers too. I at least speak to each and everyone of the workers every chance I get……I remember when I was a worker and how it made me feel when a boss would walk by and not speak to me. It always seemed to make me feel like he thought he was to good to speak to someone as lowly as me…….I have not changed anything I have been doing in 20+ years and to this day if I ask anyone of my guys if they can spend a little extra time working on getting a project done or I need you to work over to get this project complete today…..I have the confidence in them to know that it will get done with no concerns……. What I feel some of what you are feeling is “New Job Stress”, if your company has the confidence in promoting you to this position, then I feel that they have the confidence in you to take care of the job….It is going to take a bit of time for you to learn all the inns and outs of the way the new job works and that’s what’s taking its toll on you right now……It’s also dealing with the 14 different attitudes. People in general do not like change, so you have that whole thing to deal with also. I had to and still have to deal with jealousy, there were and are several of my workers that didn’t and still to this day feel I don’t deserve to be in this position, but that’s their problem and not mine….We all have a job to do, if they don’t like it that there problem. If they don’t like it or don’t want to do what I say then they will have to deal with their foreman or superintendent…….Sorry about the rant, but I have been were you are and I feel that what I have experienced is some of what you are going through…..Congratulations on the promotion and take it 1 day at a time….it will get easier…..ShoneyBoy