How Team Dynamics Affected Project Outcomes

Want to ruin a project fast? Put a PM and Superintendent at odds. But when they’re aligned? You get magic ✨ • Seamless execution • Less chaos and finger-pointing • And a team that clicks Here are 10 powerful lessons and realizations that have helped me build that kind of partnership: 1️⃣ The Superintendent and PM relationship is CRITICAL. Nothing destroys a project faster than when your PM and Supt aren’t on the same page. It’s like trying to raise kids when Mom and Dad aren’t getting along—it’s impossible. This relationship MUST work for the project to succeed. 2️⃣ Intentional Check-ins Work Wonders Go for a walk. Grab lunch. Sit down for a real conversation. Building a personal connection leads to a strong professional relationship. 3️⃣ Give Without Expecting Anything in Return Give respect. Give trust. Give time. True collaboration starts when both people stop keeping score. And if you want to go deeper, try this: - Understand each other's DISC profile. - Match the moment, not the mirror. - Ask how you can support each other. 4️⃣ Plan together. Visually. Get out of your heads and into the same plan. Whether it’s a whiteboard or a digital platform, build the plan side-by-side—and stick to it together. Outbuild is a no-brainer for this. One place for everything: schedule, lookahead, weekly work plan, constraints, and analytics 🙏 5️⃣ Get crystal clear on roles. What are you owning? What are they owning? Then back each other up when it counts. 6️⃣ One Team, One Voice Make key decisions together. Back each other in front of the team. Disagree in private. Align in public. 7️⃣ Track Every Change and Decision Who said what, when, and what changed? Clarity = accountability. 8️⃣ Support Each Other’s World. Superintendents: Make sure PMs have what they need to move the paper (contracts, change orders, and pay apps). PMs: Make sure Supers have what they need to move the dirt (material, RFIs, and submittals). 9️⃣ Stay Three Steps Ahead—together. Anticipate problems before they happen and take proactive steps to prevent them. Superintendent focus (1-3 weeks out): • Equipment • Materials • Manpower • Prerequisite work • Inspections • Space • Layout Project Manager focus (3-6 weeks out): • Submittals • Fabrication • RFIs • Change Order Approvals • Approvals • Coordination The best duos build lookaheads together—and use them to stay out of each other’s blind spots. 🔟 Continuously Improve the Relationship Drop the ego. Ask each other: • “What’s one thing I could do better?” • “What do you need more of from me?” Remember: The strength of the relationship between the PM and Superintendent directly influences the success of a project.

Projects don’t fail because of bad plans. They fail because of bad work culture. I once led a project that was perfect on paper: → Clear goals → A skilled team → The best tools available → Full support from leadership But over the months I kept seeing a pattern. The team always felt stuck. People were reluctant to speak up. Their collaboration as a team was non-existent. The team dynamics was extremely toxic When I shared my concerns, my VP said I'm 'overreacting.' That’s when I learned something important. This is not a system problem, this is a culture issue. As project managers, we can’t always change the culture at large. But we can shape the culture within our team. Here’s what helped me do that and might help you too: → Pay attention to what’s unsaid ↳ Watch how your team reacts when mistakes happen. ↳That’s where culture reveals itself. → Create psychological safety ↳ Make it okay to speak up, disagree and fail without fear. ↳ That’s where real growth happens. → Be the example ↳ If transparency or feedback is missing, take the lead. ↳ Model the behavior you want to see. → Call out the gap ↳ When company values and daily behavior don’t match. ↳ Don't hesitate to speak up with care and clarity. → Be patient ↳ Culture doesn’t change overnight. ↳ But small actions, done consistently can shift the norm. Projects don't just run on plans and tools. They run on trust, safety and shared values. Agree? P.S. Have you ever faced this in your projects? How did you handle it?

The Day I Fired My Star Performer (and Tripled Team Output) It was a Tuesday morning when I made the hardest decision of my career. I fired myelf, our top salesperson, the guy who consistently brought in 60% of our revenue. Crazy? It felt like it. Here's what happened: As a salesperson I was brilliant. My pitch? Flawless. My numbers? Off the charts. But in team meetings, I rolled his eyes at others' ideas. I interrupted, dismissed, and occasionally mocked. "I'm just being honest," I would say with a shrug. I thought I was an inspiration because, well, results talk. Until I noticed something: 1. Team meetings fell silent when I spoke. 2. Innovative ideas stopped flowing. 3. Three promising team members quit in two months. The last straw? Overhearing a junior salesperson say, "Why bother? He will just shoot it down." That's when it hit me: I was sabotaging our collective performance. The day after I let myself go, you could feel the shift. People sat up straighter. They spoke up more. Ideas started flowing again. Three months later, our sales weren't down. They were up. Way up. We'd tripled our output. Why? - Psychological safety skyrocketed. People took risks, shared ideas. - Collaboration replaced competition. The team started building on each other's concepts. - Employee engagement scores jumped 60%. Happy people sell better. The kicker? My replacement, Scott, has great sales skills and high EQ. He listened, supported, and uplifted the team. Under his influence, everyone's performance improved. Lesson learned: A high-performer who diminishes others isn't a high-performer at all, even it if it is you. True performance multiplies across the team. Have you ever had to make a tough call for the greater good of your team? Share your experience below. Let's learn from each other's leadership journeys. #LeadershipLessons #EmotionalIntelligence #TeamDynamics #Leadership