What Makes A Good Superintendent? From Scrubs to Hard Hats: A Story Of Females In Construction

October 30, 2024

What does a construction superintendent do?

Construction projects are complex, and no two projects are the same, however, budgets, timing, details, safety, and precision all matter. When it comes to ensuring that a project runs smoothly from start to finish, the job of the superintendent is not only important, but also indispensable.

Superintendents play a critical role in overseeing the day-to-day activities of a construction project, from planning and design to construction and maintenance. Afterall, superintendents manage stakeholders, logistics, equipment, supplies, budgets, schedules, and more.

So what makes a great superintendent? What skills are essential to working in a fast-paced environment with many stakeholders? And, how might one transition into this role? What background and qualities are helpful? We’ve asked an expert on our team these questions and more.

Trading baby blankets for sheet rock.

We spoke recently with Addi Burke, one of Scott + Reid’s superintendents to learn more about the role she has as a superintendent and to understand her journey in the construction industry. Addi started her career as a birth doula where she provided guidance for mothers going through the birthing process.

A doula is a trained professional who provides emotional and physical support to mothers before, during, and after childbirth. Addi spent several years helping mothers come up with a birthing plan as they prepared for one of the most important days of their lives. While birthing seems like it is on the other end of the spectrum from construction, Addi told us that the skills needed as a superintendent were actually not that different. Interesting given she moved from a job environment surrounded by females to one that is historically male-driven.

Addi Burke – during her previous career as a doula

Addi traded her scrubs for a hard hat.

Baby blankets for sheet rock that is. With this transition, Addi found that though the environment and people may be different, but that there were similarities in the management of projects.

“Being a doula was wonderful for a lot of different reasons. I began reflecting on my strong suits and fell on project management. Being a doula, I’m working with the client from pregnancy through birth. And, project management in construction is similar. I’m getting to see something from start to finish. I love what I’m doing now.”

Superintendents Act on the Client’s Behalf

While superintendents do not bring lives into the world, they do breathe life into new spaces. Simply said, they make a project work – from start to finish. A superintendent is the constant presence on a job site, working with subcontractors, laborers, and vendors to keep the project moving. They are often the last to leave a job site. They are responsible for daily documentation and communicating the stated and unstated needs of their clients. Addi agrees that communication is key and shared that the ability to understand the client’s wishes was critical in meeting the project goals. She stressed the importance of a good superintendent acting as an advocate and subject matter expert for the client.

“As a superintendent, we must understand construction on the client’s behalf. There are a lot of things that must be communicated to the client that they may not understand. We take in that information for them, communicate, and translate it. This is exactly what I did as a doula. This was the same for first time parents as I had to be an expert in pregnancy and birth for them, while translating that experience into something they could understand.”

Project Oversight and Coordination

The heart of a superintendent’s job is project oversight and coordination. Most clients do not have a background in construction. Superintendents serve as the main point of contact for subcontractors, vendors, clients, building contacts, security, and more. They translate the client needs to everyone working on a project to ensure the team is on the same page and delivers on their commitments. They do all of this while keeping safety and quality control at the forefront.

Addi mentioned that having a plan is critical.

“In both birth and construction, you have to try to prepare for and anticipate problems before they pop up. In both situations, you make a plan to navigate potential problems together and you try to be as prepared as possible. In my current role, I need to be an expert in construction and help translate everything that’s going on for you. I work to predict problems before they arise and help you navigate them when they do come up.”

Building Trust with the Client

She acknowledges that you cannot predict everything. She admits that when she doesn’t have the right answer, communication and transparency are key.

Trust, she says is critical when building relationships with her clients.

“I think it’s super important to tell clients: ‘Hey, I don’t know the answer to that, but give me 24 hours and I’ll find you an answer.’ As a doula you have to do the same thing. There would be things that would pop up and maybe I didn’t know the answer. But, even then, I would do the digging and research and figure it out. Today, if a client in construction asks me something I don’t know, I tell them I’ll call them back and loop them in as soon as I know. It’s such a big deal to have that kind of transparency. If you make up answers, it’s going to come back to bite you. And, then the clients will have no trust at all. So, I say to them- I’ll figure it out and we’ll make a plan together.”

Building trust with your clients is critical for any superintendent. Clients trust their general contractor to deliver on their behalf. As Addi mentioned, she keeps open dialogue with her clients, giving them updates on the status of a project and the performance metrics the team established. When the client needs answers on unforeseen events, Addi added that a good superintendent needs to be resourceful and good under pressure. She stated that the while you may have a plan, unforeseen events do arise. And sometimes you encounter something that you have never seen before. The team relies on the superintendent to be the steady leader and keep the project on track.

On Being Comfortable Being Uncomfortable…

“Being comfortable being uncomfortable was something coaches told me my whole life playing sports. You have to get comfortable being uncomfortable because there’s so much that’s going to happen that’s going to be thrown at you that you aren’t going to understand the first time through. Not through any fault of your own, but just because every single aspect of what’s going on is so complex that it would be naive to think you can get it the first try.”

Leading Teams Through Open Communication

She goes on to say that the team usually has an answer. A good superintendent asks questions and looks for solutions. “Get comfortable with the fact there’s going to be things that you don’t understand so you must ask the questions. Someone here knows the answer to the question you just have to be willing to ask. And, you can’t take things personally. In my prior role, I worked with predominantly women. Now I work with predominantly men. Sometimes men and women communicate differently. And, it’s critical to be able to separate that. That was one of my most useful skill sets as a doula that’s translated well…handling a lot of stressful situations and being able to communicate. Prioritize what’s most important and put out the little fires from there.”

Prioritizing work and handling the fires.

While it may sounds strange, Addi’s role as a doula helped prepare Addi for managing the unknown and being resourceful. We asked her if she was ever hesitant that these skill sets wouldn’t translate, and while she did admit that she was a little nervous at first, she told us that she was resilient.

Being resilient

“I was nervous. I do think I’m a bit too headstrong for my own good, maybe not as nervous as one should have been, but I definitely had my own hesitations just coming from a different set of experiences. Not that I wasn’t going to be able to figure it out, but thinking people would say she has no idea what she’s talking about. But I worked to navigate and figure out how to interact with everyone. I let them know I’m doing my best and I respect their opinions and knowledge. And, in certain situations, I defer to their experience and knowledge, but in others I have to say ‘no this is better for the project as a whole.’ The people that have been teaching me have so much knowledge to give and give it so freely, and I’m willing to learn.”

What makes a good superintendent?

A willingness to learn. The ability to communicate and build solutions. The capacity to manage multiple stakeholders. Resiliency. The role of a superintendent is multifaceted. Having a strong superintendent on a job site is critical in being able to deliver high-quality construction with exceptional service. As the construction industry and technology evolves, having the right leader on a project makes all the difference in delivering outcomes to meet client needs.

We are inspired and thankful to have Addi on the Scott + Reid team.

We invite you to come see how Addi and our team of superintendents help deliver a difference for your projects.

photo credits:
North Dallas Doulas
Dallas Newborn Photographer