Pro Tips for Successfully Moving Into a Management Role
Three design and construction professionals who made the transition offer advice and strategies
Transitioning from being an individual contractor or designer to managing teams of people doing the work is a natural career progression. But the focus of a manager is different from that of a professional in the field, and it can take time and training to get it right. Here, three building and design professionals on Houzz who moved into management share their tips for a successful transition.
Julie Cavanaugh, founder and principal designer
Design Matters
California, Wyoming and Utah
Encouraging her team to take on more responsibility helped Julie Cavanaugh’s make the move into management. As founder and principal designer at Design Matters, which spans five showrooms in Northern California, Jackson, Wyoming, and Park City, Utah, she says this shift gave her the space to focus on becoming a better, faster and more organized design professional. “Having everyone row the boat together as we moved from stream to pond to lake to ocean made all the difference.”
While still overseeing creative direction for every project, Cavanaugh now relies on key team members to handle the hands-on work. “They take responsibility for everything from the development and deliverables of work drawings and programming plan sets through to material selections and specifications. I used to do it all myself, but now I work through my team and our support-design team members,” she says.
The biggest challenge? “Clearly communicating the design vision in my head to my team,” she says.
Here’s how Cavanaugh keeps her team aligned and thriving as they grow.
Communicate. “To keep things on track and everyone on the same page, we talk to each other constantly, whether it’s casually or on a scheduled conference call,” she says.
Keep learning. “I am always learning new skills to stay cutting-edge. Identifying each team member’s best skills and letting them develop them for themselves is also how we all row the boat together,” she says.
Be clear. The advice that Cavanaugh would share with other designers moving from a practical role to a leadership position: “Take it step by step. You can’t just hand over work and expect it to look how you want or to the detail level you expect without giving your team constant feedback and the correct training.”
How 3 Pros Transitioned From Hands-On to Management Roles
Design Matters
California, Wyoming and Utah
Encouraging her team to take on more responsibility helped Julie Cavanaugh’s make the move into management. As founder and principal designer at Design Matters, which spans five showrooms in Northern California, Jackson, Wyoming, and Park City, Utah, she says this shift gave her the space to focus on becoming a better, faster and more organized design professional. “Having everyone row the boat together as we moved from stream to pond to lake to ocean made all the difference.”
While still overseeing creative direction for every project, Cavanaugh now relies on key team members to handle the hands-on work. “They take responsibility for everything from the development and deliverables of work drawings and programming plan sets through to material selections and specifications. I used to do it all myself, but now I work through my team and our support-design team members,” she says.
The biggest challenge? “Clearly communicating the design vision in my head to my team,” she says.
Here’s how Cavanaugh keeps her team aligned and thriving as they grow.
Communicate. “To keep things on track and everyone on the same page, we talk to each other constantly, whether it’s casually or on a scheduled conference call,” she says.
Keep learning. “I am always learning new skills to stay cutting-edge. Identifying each team member’s best skills and letting them develop them for themselves is also how we all row the boat together,” she says.
Be clear. The advice that Cavanaugh would share with other designers moving from a practical role to a leadership position: “Take it step by step. You can’t just hand over work and expect it to look how you want or to the detail level you expect without giving your team constant feedback and the correct training.”
How 3 Pros Transitioned From Hands-On to Management Roles
Jeff True, vice president of operations
Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors
Bolingbrook, Illinois
Jeff True began his journey at Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors in Bolingbrook, Illinois, as an intern. After graduating from college in 1995, he joined the team full-time as a landscape designer and project manager. Over the past two decades, True has risen through the ranks, serving as both design and construction department manager before taking on his current role as vice president of operations.
“My days are no longer about the ‘doing’ of design work. My focus is supporting department heads, ensuring they have what they need to succeed and helping the company stay on course. I cheerlead and provide an ear when needed, maintain consistency and strive for positive growth each day, week, month and year,” he says.
Reflecting on his leadership journey, True offers this advice.
Plan your days. “I prioritize my time across the big buckets of my role, ending each day by assessing what I accomplished and planning for the next.” He adds, “Leadership isn’t about the work you do — it’s about the work your team does. Your role is not of a doer, but of a servant leader.”
Loosen the reins. “Not everything has to be perfectly documented, lined up and everyone perfectly trained to do things exactly like you do them. Just start!”
Delegate effectively. “I fall down on delegating at times and need to remind myself to have confidence in others so they have confidence in themselves. It all starts with good hiring, onboarding and fit within our culture. If you have those, team members will handle delegation like all stars, which makes it easier to delegate more,” he says.
Work together as a team. “Clearly share your vision, desire, what a great end result looks like with your team and ask for their input. Let them try, let them make mistakes, and treat them as professional colleagues rather than as a boss,” he says.
Tell us: What helped you make the shift into a management role? Please share in the Comments.
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Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors
Bolingbrook, Illinois
Jeff True began his journey at Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors in Bolingbrook, Illinois, as an intern. After graduating from college in 1995, he joined the team full-time as a landscape designer and project manager. Over the past two decades, True has risen through the ranks, serving as both design and construction department manager before taking on his current role as vice president of operations.
“My days are no longer about the ‘doing’ of design work. My focus is supporting department heads, ensuring they have what they need to succeed and helping the company stay on course. I cheerlead and provide an ear when needed, maintain consistency and strive for positive growth each day, week, month and year,” he says.
Reflecting on his leadership journey, True offers this advice.
Plan your days. “I prioritize my time across the big buckets of my role, ending each day by assessing what I accomplished and planning for the next.” He adds, “Leadership isn’t about the work you do — it’s about the work your team does. Your role is not of a doer, but of a servant leader.”
Loosen the reins. “Not everything has to be perfectly documented, lined up and everyone perfectly trained to do things exactly like you do them. Just start!”
Delegate effectively. “I fall down on delegating at times and need to remind myself to have confidence in others so they have confidence in themselves. It all starts with good hiring, onboarding and fit within our culture. If you have those, team members will handle delegation like all stars, which makes it easier to delegate more,” he says.
Work together as a team. “Clearly share your vision, desire, what a great end result looks like with your team and ask for their input. Let them try, let them make mistakes, and treat them as professional colleagues rather than as a boss,” he says.
Tell us: What helped you make the shift into a management role? Please share in the Comments.
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Learn about Houzz Pro software
Talk with your peers in pro-to-pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
Sponsored
MLM
New Orleans
Machi Medrzycki, general contractor at MLM in New Orleans, knows the challenges of stepping from the field into management. His advice? Balance hands-on expertise with strategic thinking, and keep your team and clients at the heart of everything you do.
Leverage field experience. “Use hands-on expertise to gain respect and make practical decisions. There is a lot to be said about managers who have done installations in the field and have that practical knowledge,” he says.
Invest in education. “Understanding the industry from a 30,000-foot view is key. Pursue management courses and certifications like PMP (Project Management Professional), OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), CRPM (Certified Remodeling Project Manager) and Universal Design,” he says.
Grow your leadership skills. “Learn delegation, conflict resolution and team motivation,” Medrzycki says. “Be humble and always acknowledge team achievements, praise the good and extract yourself from it. When things go wrong, always look in the mirror and blame yourself, not your colleagues — after all, you hired them.”
Think big-picture. “Focus on strategic planning and aligning projects with client goals. Always under-promise and over-deliver. If you cannot take a selfie with your client on the end of the project, something did not go 100% right,” he says.
Build a strong network. “Cultivate relationships with subcontractors, suppliers and peers. Your trade partners are the key to success. They need to show profit and be treated with respect for both their time and money,” he says.
Master time and budgeting. “Gain experience in project schedules, bids and financial tracking. Master delivering projects on time and on budget. Always exceed client’s expectations,” he says.
Having the right business software is key to efficiently managing your team’s time, operations run smoothly. Houzz Pro software lets team members instantly see where projects are at, as well as letting you allocate tasks, assignments and deadlines to individuals using tools like Schedule.
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