The 1 Relationship That Defines Project Success
The 1 Relationship That Defines Project Success
10 proven lessons + 1 powerful tool to align PMs and Superintendents.
👋 Hey, Kyle here! Welcome to The Influential Project Manager, a weekly newsletter covering the essentials of successful project leadership.
Today’s Overview:
The superintendents job is to drive the bus. The Project Manager’s job is to keep the lights green.
If you’ve ever built and managed construction projects, you know how crucial this relationship is. It directly influences the success of the project.
Here are the 10 most powerful lessons I’ve learned on how to strengthen this partnership and ensure your projects run smoothly.
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👷👨💼 The 1 Relationship That Defines Project Success
Filed under: Construction, Leadership & Managing People
A recent LinkedIn post about the dynamic between the project manager and the superintendent sparked an insane amount of reactions.
Why?
Because if you’ve ever built and managed construction projects, you know how crucial this relationship is.
When they're in sync, it's magic:
Seamless execution
Minimal delays
High team morale
Nothing beats the euphoria of a unified project manager and superintendent.
But when the relationship isn’t strong? Everything falls apart.
Here are 10 powerful lessons I’ve learned on how to strengthen this partnership and ensure your projects run smoothly.
1. The Superintendent and PM relationship is CRITICAL.
When the Project Manager and Superintendent aren’t aligned, the project suffers.
It’s as simple as that. You can have the best plans and the best people, but if your PM and Supt aren’t working together, the project will face constant roadblocks.
It’s like trying to raise kids when the parents aren’t getting along—chaos, confusion, and frustration.
This relationship MUST work for the project to succeed.
2. Intentional Check-ins Work Wonders
Don’t underestimate the power of connection.
Regular check-ins—outside of the usual work routine—can make all the difference. Grab lunch, have a coffee, or take a walk around the site together.
Why? A personal connection builds trust, which leads to a stronger professional relationship. When trust is built, issues can be addressed openly and without defensiveness.
3. Give Without Expecting Anything in Return
Respect. Trust. Time. These are the currencies of strong teamwork, and they need to be given freely.
True teamwork happens when both parties give without keeping score.
How do you strengthen this bond?
Understand each other’s communication styles—whether through DISC profiles or just by paying attention. Find ways to support each other without needing to be asked.
When both parties give freely, the whole project wins.
4. Collaborative Planning is Key.
Get the plans out of your heads and onto a visual platform.
Tools like Outbuild can help you visualize schedules, lookaheads, and weekly work plans. Check out how Outbuild compares to the other best new scheduling software on the market.
By making everything visible, you eliminate confusion and build camaraderie. The more aligned the PM and Superintendent are on the plan, the better the project will flow.
A unified plan prevents miscommunication and ensures everyone knows what’s coming next.
5. Define Roles and Responsibilities Clearly
Clarity is what precedes productive action. If roles aren’t clear, mistakes happen. Misunderstandings turn into delays, and small issues become big problems.
Clearly define who does what, and support each other in those roles. When roles are clearly understood, everyone knows where they stand—and that makes the whole team stronger.
6. One Team, One Voice
Every decision that affects the project should involve both the PM and Superintendent. When both parties weigh in, you get a stronger commitment to the outcome.
This isn’t about hierarchy—it’s about Two-in-a-Box Leadership. Two really good leaders – together – produce great outcomes consistently.
When you both buy in, you both care about the result, and that unity shows in how smoothly things run on-site.
7. Track Every Change and Decision
In construction, changes happen—sometimes daily. The key to managing them is accountability. Outbuild can help track every change, when it happened, and how it impacts the project.
When everyone is informed, and there’s no ambiguity about what changed and why, the project stays on track. This level of transparency ensures that nothing slips through the cracks.
8. Manage Resources Effectively
The Superintendent and PM each have critical roles in resource management.
Superintendents must ensure that PMs have what they need in terms of contracts, change orders, and pay apps. On the flip side, PMs must ensure materials, RFIs, and submittals are provided on time.
Effective teamwork here ensures that nothing falls through the cracks, and resources are available exactly when they’re needed.
9. Stay Three Steps Ahead
Anticipating problems before they happen is one of the best ways to keep a project running smoothly.
Both the PM and Superintendent should be thinking ahead—Superintendents focusing on the next 1-3 weeks, and PMs on the next 3-6 weeks.
👷 Superintendents:
Equipment
Materials
Manpower
Prerequisite work
Inspections
Space
Layout
👨💼 Project Managers:
Approved Submittals / Shop Drawings
Fabrication
RFIs
Change Order Approvals
Permissions
Coordination
With a system like this and collaborative tools like Outbuild, the Superintendent can drive the bus, while the Project Manager keeps the lights green.
10. Continuously Improve the Relationship
No relationship—professional or personal—can grow without feedback.
Check your ego at the door and ask, “How can I do better?” and “How can we improve together?”
The strength of your relationship directly impacts the success of the project. The more you invest in improving how you work together, the better your outcomes will be.
Putting it all together
The relationship between the Project Manager and Superintendent is the backbone of a successful construction project.
If you get this right, everything else becomes easier—smoother operations, fewer delays, and a motivated team.
These 10 lessons provide a roadmap for ensuring this partnership thrives. Have you tried these strategies? How have they worked for you?
Share your thoughts and takeaways—I’d love to hear them.
Until next week,
Kyle Nitchen
🧰 Kyle’s Toolbox
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This truly just on point. It takes me down memory lane and makes me remember the supers I have worked with that truly made success exception, and the times I used to serve as a super my self, the PMs I was opportune to worked that made me aspire for growth and change. Thank you for sharing it is truly educative.