I help connect contract management and legal experts with the world's leading and fastest growing construction, renewables and real estate companies, building long-term talent acquisition and retention strategies 🚀
"How can Contract Managers from Quantity Surveying, Engineering, or Legal backgrounds broaden their contract management capability whilst also embracing other disciplines?" 👨🎓 This is not to say that those with one qualification or even none would not perform as well in their role as they would without further learning and development, it certainly isn't. There are some highly skilled people out there who lead from the front without lots of letters after their name. These are simply some of the suggestions we have learned from working with our clients and the considerations they have when recruiting top contract management talent. So it's potentially a good question and one the table below hopefully starts to answer in some parts..... There is so much more that could be added to this and it would be great to hear your thoughts. A main point for me is the possibility of more centralised, structured, and accessible working groups between QSs, engineers, and lawyers. And closer collaboration between the different industries to afford each side more practical exposure to their work and therefore knowledge 💡 What else would you change or suggest? #contractmanager #contractmanagement #quantitysurveyor #engineer #lawyer #legal #constructionlaw #talent #recruitment #learninganddevelopment #construction #infrastructure
John, Once upon a time if you were a professional of any discipline, overseas hirers would demand at least 10 years experience and a Degree from a Recognised Western University. The Quantity Surveyor Role is a uniquely British profession. Unfortunately some non UK Countries still don't recognise or value what a Quantity Surveyor Is or Does. For example in the United States and France there is no such profession. Hence internationally there is some confusion when comparing with other disciplines. For me, most really good QSs are already one third engineer, one third accountant and one third Lawyer, due to the nature of the work that we do, which is frequently detail orientated (now this doesn't suit all candidates) The subjects studied on Quantity Surveying Degree /HND /HNC are most alligned with your three table analysis. (For Middle East purposes) I would replace "background" with Degree or Designation. Insert and compare all of the required subjects that a Quantity Surveyor must study and pass. This will very clearly explain what it is that we do and how we compare with other disciplines. Applicants are required to have the required degree plus experience prior to interview for most middle east locations.
Hi John, whilst the table is a useful guide (depending at what stage in their career someone is at), in my view it is not possible to ring-fence what attributes (academic or otherwise) may or may not add to a person being a good Contracts Manager in the field., Regardless of a person's engineering, QS or even legal background, as individuals we attain our management skillsets along the way, primarily (construction wise) through experiences of where we have been, projects we have done and the old-hand guidance of mentors given to us. You can teach people engineering, quantity surveying and law (ROPE) but you cannot teach people how to think outside of the box, take ownership, and manage matters to aligned objectives. Those who can are the Contract Managers that have evolved from engineer or QS and have this rare management ability.
Years ago when I was doing my engineering management masters degree, in the college library I came across some very old articles from the 1920s reporting on how often excellent engineers failed when promoted into management positions. It was noted that few if any of the engineers had had formal management training, and quite often, the best engineers prefer to stick to engineering, but promotion to management was necessary for salary progression. Little has changed. Formal training is required in order to outside ones basic discipline.
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10moHi John. I would suggest to add to this already quite completed list, 3 more qualifications: 1st soft skills course, 2nd soft skills course y 3rd soft skills.