Ben Clifton helped his son design a cable-stayed bridge in Minecraft while homeschooling and remains grateful that his day job as a senior project manager with SJA Construction has been “business as usual”.
Ben Clifton, Senior Project Manager, SJA Construction Services Pty Ltd
What I love most about my job… Working in multi-disciplinary teams, solving problems, and generally contributing to a better built environment.
How my work has changed since Covid-19… Fortunately, I have several projects running concurrently, each with multiple work fronts at different stages. Some work fronts have slowed or paused; others continue, overall, business as usual.
How I’m adapting to the “new normal”… Working from home with three kids was challenging. Home schooling is not for me, although I did enjoy helping my son design a cable-stayed bridge in Minecraft.
My new workday essentials are… Continually evaluate project risks and bring a risk assessment approach on a day-to-day basis. This has always been essential. Raising one’s hand when using MS Teams?
The innovative technology or idea I’ve embraced is… Agile information flow is a concept I use that allows an inordinate amount of disparate project information to be dealt with quickly and effectively.
My advice to others looking to implement this… Establish and maintain simple and structured process and systems that allow up-to-date information to inform better decision making.
My most valuable skill in challenging times… Pushing projects along, keeping momentum within project teams, making sure all stakeholders are performing effectively.
My biggest inspiration… I love seeing new facilities come online and reflecting on the many challenges and setbacks that were overcome to get to the end.
One way I’ll work differently on the other side of this crisis… Perhaps work from home more often, use MS Teams more often to save travel time.
What I’ve learned so far from 2020… Sydney’s commercial construction sector is fortunate to have many major infrastructure projects with minimal impacts due to Covid-19. The residential sector, however, has been setback and I feel the next upturn in cycle is another year or two away.
How are your people stepping up to meet the challenges of the Covid-19 crisis and finding a “new normal”? To share your stories or be featured in our #iworkinproperty series, contact [email protected]