Recent additions to the Stancold family changed our company, but our projects team’s transformation really started two years ago, when Becky joined us. We spoke to her to see how her role evolved over time.
Two years. How does it feel?
It feels like ten! And not in a negative way. It’s just that so much has changed it’s hard to say it’s the same job role I started in.
How come?
Many things. Firstly, we didn’t have anyone like Rich to focus on making the department run smoother, so there were many choke points. When a project manager was off for a week, you would see how things slowed down massively. There weren’t many procedures in place for what I was doing. Not so much anymore.
But that’s not all Rich…
Oh, definitely not. We’ve got a great team, and I can’t speak well enough about my colleagues, but if not for my endless hours of self-studying and reading between emails and calls, it would all look very different. I take pride in my work, and if things are not perfect, they need improving.
You did have some background in construction.
Yeah, I worked for a scaffolding and building company for five years. Simliarly hectic and very much a co-ordination job, but it was as far from what Stancold do as it gets.
Hence the need for self-study. How did you find the time for this tough?
Ever since our team expanded, I’ve found the time to pay even more attention to the technical aspects of what I’m dealing with. It’s not just ordering what the designs say to buy. It’s anticipating what the guys on site will need, as opposed to what “the office” deemed necessary. When someone on site realises they need something and calls me, it’s already too late. I’m a lot more involved than my predecessors, and I try my best to prevent these situations.
Sounds like quite the task.
In a project co-ordinator’s role, you need to be constantly switched on. Between the live jobs, the ones we’re preparing to go live and the ones in design stages, there isn’t much leeway for mistakes. Things won’t happen on time, which can be costly in construction – you have to consider the whole supply chain. It’s project co-ordination that makes this work. Yet, at the same time, we’re very underappreciated in the industry.
You can come to the office on Monday in a good mood, and your first phone is… of the not-so-easy kind. But I get it, the construction industry is stressful, and not everyone knows who’s responsible for what when running a job.
So, how do you deal with it?
Oh, the ups easily outnumber the downs. You move on, do your job, and a day later, a call with the same person can be the nicest phone conversation you’ve ever had. It’s what co-ordinators do. We put the wheels in motion to fix things.
It’s challenging but rewarding. And I have to admit my two years at Stancold have far exceeded my expectations. It’s not “just a job” for me and my colleagues all share that attitude. What more can you ask?
What more… Aren’t you tempted to try project management?
I cannot comment on that! <laughs>
