Elevate Construction Ep.1429 - Bringing the PM & Super together, Feat. Nic Parish
Sep 11, 2025
In this discussion, Nic Parish, a third-generation civil contractor and CEO of the Burns Group with 45 years of industry experience, emphasizes the importance of collaboration between project managers and superintendents. He shares practical strategies such as daily five-minute touchpoints and weekly lunches to improve communication and trust. Nic introduces a simple framework where the PM "brings and feeds" while the Superintendent "sees and assembles". With real-world stories, he offers insights to reduce conflicts and enhance project flow.
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PM And Super Are One Team
- Superintendents and project managers are a two-player team who own the project together but have different responsibilities.
- Clarifying mutual ownership and support reduces conflict and improves outcomes.
Stress Drives Blame And Silos
- Humans seek certainty and significance, which can push supers and PMs into blame when stressed.
- Recognizing those incentives helps leaders design systems that reduce defensive behavior.
Airplane Bathroom Example
- Paul Akers cleaned a filthy airplane bathroom because he treated the plane as a resource that helped him work.
- Jason uses this story to show treating PMs and trades as customers increases cooperation.