BABIES & BUILDINGS

Osman offers tips and strategies in this manual for project managers.

An experienced project manager who has worked on many construction sites, debut author Osman never uses the word “problem” for the hurdles that come up during the building process. He prefers the term “issues,” because to call something a problem is to expect someone else to solve it, and a project manager has no such luxury. With this book, Osman seeks to explain the role of the project manager and to offer strategies for those who fill that role. He has a favorite metaphor for his field: “the construction site itself can be seen as a kind of ‘delivery room.’ ” The building’s architect is the doctor; the client is the father; the contractor is the mother. The project manager, whose responsibilities are the focus of the book, is the equivalent of the delivery room nurse “in their ability to monitor events, and to identify issues that require immediate solutions, find those solutions, and implement them.” Osman includes basic managerial philosophies, such as the superiority of matrix team structures over traditional vertical management structures and the importance of hiring team members who are more knowledgeable than the project manager in their specific areas of expertise. He then runs through a series of situations in which various construction-related problems arise and walks the reader through ways to fix them. By keeping a cool head and falling back on fundamentals like foresight, planning, and creative thinking, a manager can always keep the project on schedule and on budget. Osman is a patient, lucid writer, explaining each point and scenario with clarity and examples. He perhaps leans a bit too heavily on his delivery-room metaphor (and even spends several pages early on musing on the metaphor’s limitations), but his advice is rational and easy to follow. The book is written specifically for project managers working in the construction industry, but the fundamental managerial skills are applicable in any situation that involves a large team and accountability to a third party. At about 100 pages, the book is concise and informative.

A quick, comprehensive guide to successful project management.