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WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

WHY MINDSET IS THE FOUNDATION TO EVERYTHING

HOW TO GO FROM ‘WORKER BEE’ TO RESPECTED LEADER ON A PROJECT

STRATEGIES THAT YOU CAN START MAKING TODAY IN YOUR BUSINESS

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Do you find yourself being the ‘worker bee’ on projects? The one doing, doing doing all the tasks? The way to change that and be a respected leader on the jobsite is through your mindset. 

Shifting your mindset on the jobsite

How you see yourself is how others see you. And if you want to be respected by your clients, the contractor, and hell, even yourself, that transformation begins with you and your mindset.

Mindset does play a role in how people view us.

If you show up on a job site in the role of a ‘worker bee,’ feeling subservient to the contractor, first of all, that will be perceived by that contractor. You will do it whether you’re consciously meaning to or not. You’ll be doing it in your actions, your word choices, and even in how you pause when you say certain statements. If that is how you’re projecting yourself on day 1, it will be very hard to reestablish yourself as an equal weeks later. 

And by the way, spoiler alert, you are an equal to every contractor on every project you’re in. The client has hired the contractor. The client has hired you. You both work for the client. 

Whatever it takes to change your mindset from being that worker bee or taskmaster into an equal is what you need to start doing immediately. 

So often, what happens with designers is that instead of leading the project, we get pulled into the day-to-day minutia. Maybe you’re constantly running around sourcing materials, fielding questions from contractors, handling last-minute client requests, and being busy, busy, busy. But at the end of the day, who is really leading the project? And unfortunately, in many cases, it’s the contractor. They have taken control and then you’re left reacting to their decisions. And while you might be making things happen, it feels like you’re working for them instead of working with them. 

Why does this happen?

We need to see ourselves as the leaders of the project—not just the decorator or designer executing the tasks, but a true equal to the contractor, who, by the way, sees himself as a leader on the project. And that’s okay. Those two roles can be beautifully maintained if you come in and own yours from the beginning. 

When you step into the role of project manager, you’re not just managing the project’s esthetics; you’re managing the entire process and timeline, and yes, that includes contractors. 

This isn’t about you taking over their role. You can’t. You’re not physically doing the work. But it’s about understanding that your vision, your design, is the guide for the entire project. 

This is where mindset is key. You have to see yourself as this leader before anyone else will. You need to believe that your role is critical to the success of the project. Cause guess what? It is critical.

This does NOT mean you need to know every technical detail about construction. You absolutely do not. After 30 years, I do not know every technical detail about construction. You’re not there to micromanage the contractor. But you are there to make sure that the project aligns with the vision you and your client created together. And you’re the one ensuring that that vision is executed properly regardless of any issues that may crop up along the way.

What if I told you that most contractors want a designer who leads the project?

The reality that I have learned is that contractors have a ton on their plate. They deal with the build, the permits, codes, managing their team, ordering materials, and often have more than one job running at the same time. What they don’t want to deal with is indecision from the client or a constant back and forth over design changes and selections. So, when we step into a leadership role and take control of that decision-making process, a massive weight is taken off the contractor’s shoulders. 

This allows the contractor to focus on what they do best, and that is building. 

They didn’t get into the business to interact with clients, but it IS something that we excel at in our businesses, so that becomes a win-win situation. Something you need to truly understand is that the contractor isn’t your adversary, they are your partner.  However, that partnership only works when both parties know their roles. 

Once I stepped into that leadership role, not only did the projects run smoother, but the contractors started referring me to other clients they had. 

Steps you can start taking today

This is a mindset shift that has to be taken care of before you can move forward. And there are some actionable steps that you can start doing today besides a daily mantra, however, I do really encourage that. 

I want you to start evaluating your current projects and ask yourself, “Am I leading this project, or am I just reacting to what’s happening?” Now, this only works if you’re honest with yourself, and I know that can be very humbling. 

Whether it’s on current projects or your very first meeting with the client and contractor, you need to communicate that you are in charge of managing the design, the timeline, and key decisions. Frankly, your client will expect you to communicate this because that IS why they hired you. 

This does not mean you are bossing anyone around. It is an absolute failure in the immediate moment as well as in the end. What I want you to do is make it clear that you are the one keeping the project on track as an equal with the contractor. 

The other thing I want you to communicate is that you have the ability to anticipate potential issues as well as come prepared with solutions. If you understand the schedule – when selections need to be finalized, when orders need to be made, and when orders should be received- it allows for when problems arise, and you don’t have to wait for someone else to solve them. You will be coming to the table with options and you will be making the final call on the next decision. 

This may sound like a lot, but please understand that this isn’t an overnight mindset shift that you will be able to create. But I do know that small shifts in the right direction will be perceived and will shift the perception of your role with the other team members and your client.