MSMP 145: Julia Starzyk on Effective Communication for Effective Management

Mads Singers Management Podcast

Today's guest for the Mads Singers Management Podcast is Julia Starzyk! Julia runs a Project Management and Construction Consultancy specializing in refurbishments ranging from £3-6M.

Julia initially worked in central London's high-end residential market for the past decade, delivering some of the finest, perfectly tailored homes.

Julia started as a junior project manager for a construction company, or as we call it today, as an assistant to the site manager. She was in charge of the people management, order taking, and ensuring everything around them was working, whatever it may be.

Unlike most roles, being a manager usually puts a person in a tight spot because they rarely receive guidance or training, which sets most for failure. However, regardless of what type of management you will be doing or where the best way to be, a good manager communicates effectively. Communication, though, can mean two other things sometimes. There will be a battle of personas and even ego; some may not even care if the project will go well or not.

To overcome this, you need to understand who's who, how they think, and how you approach them to get the results you want; in fact, you will be surprised how communication effectively and clearly can help that employee perform better and deliver excellent results.

Key Learning Points:

1. Despite their differences, Julia shares that she has learned a lot from the tradespeople while working as a site manager in the construction firm. - 03:24
2. Despite the misconception that management in the construction world is easy, Julia says it's the opposite. There are many things to consider to make things run smoothly, just like in a corporate setting. - 04:32
3. Julia says that effective communication helped get things done during her time as a site manager. - 05:13
4. Julia says that when people know that they can come to you, no matter small or irrelevant their problem may be, they will never forget that. - 05:33
5. Mads agrees that communication is essential, not only in management but also in life itself. - 09:11
6. Julia says to be a good manager in terms of people skills. You have to be able to see the best in people and pull that out of them.- 11:41
7. Mads says that management is also about lifting other people. He adds that most people become positively surprised most of the time when they are given the responsibility and ownership.- 12:18
8. Mads says that people will support you when they see your value and willingness to do the right thing. - 14:37
9. Mads says that it's okay to make mistakes because we learn more from failures than we do in success- 18:56
10. Mads says that when you build a good relationship with your staff, they will most likely go the extra mile. - 22:45

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