His job at JANS in neighbouring Luxembourg has broadened his horizons in a number of different ways, both in terms of his trade and the people he deals with. Together with his team of engineers and tradespeople, Kleines makes people’s dream homes become a reality.
All-rounder on the building site
Supervisor is a job in which social skills are often more important that knowing the craft.
David Kleines grew up in a mixed German-Belgian family of tradespeople and is a qualified carpenter. Through a lot of hard work and dedication over the years, he has made a name for himself as a site manager for turnkey houses and took over responsibility for the construction department at JANS.
Wide range of interests
“When I was at school, I already knew that I wouldn’t be able to spend my working life sat in an office drawing things,” says Kleines, referring to his passion for getting things done. “That was simply too monotonous for me.”
After leaving school, he worked as a carpenter for a few years and then at a prominent windows company. Over the years, his area of expertise and level of responsibility increased. “I always found it exciting to be responsible for things,” he says. There are plenty of people who didn’t go to university but are still very successful. As long as you don’t go through life with blinkers on, you will always make progress. When I do something, I want to do it properly. It’s great that my family support and encourage me in what I do.”
A big offer
When Kleines received an offer to become a site manager for turnkey houses in his mid-20s, it was a big shock. “I never thought I would be considered for such a role,” the man from eastern Belgium explains. “I was so young and inexperienced.” But as he says himself, Kleines learned something new every day – be it from workers on site, colleagues or customers. That’s still true to this day. What makes the job so interesting is the variety, working with people with different personalities and characters.
“For me the most important thing is to talk to people,” the 33-year-old says. “I always tell my team that they should come and find me if they see something wrong. I listen to them. That’s how we can all improve ourselves and others.” As a supervisor, it’s important to have solid foundations in the trade and continue to develop professional skills, listen to the experts, keep your eyes open and have an interest in the industry. That’s only possible if you really embrace the role.
Perfection and subtlety
This kind of background is also an essential part of providing colleagues and uninformed customers with expert advice. But that’s not all you need. It’s also important to be able to understand subtlety and show empathy to build relationships with customers that allow their dreams and imaginations to become a reality. “You have to listen to what the customer wants, you can’t just get on with the job,”
Kleines says. “After all, they are entrusting us with something hugely important.” People do a lot of research online, draw comparisons and strive for perfection based on the images they see on the web. “You can see that people’s standards are getting higher and higher, but in reality, perfection doesn’t exist,” says Kleines, with a little resignation. “When you are building a house, lots of things are done by hand and the final result may be slightly different to the mock-up on the PC.”
Passionate problem-solver
It’s important to find a common solution with engineers, tradespeople and customers. Much of Kleines’ work is about solving problems, often caused by others – which, according to Kleines, is why many aren’t too keen on the job. “In my eyes, a site manager isn’t just someone who really understands the trade. It’s someone who can get on well with other people. In fact, that’s often more important than technical expertise.” You also have to be able to put together your ‘team’. “And your team will only be on your side if you treat them with respect and act on their needs,” Kleines adds. “It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to find reliable, qualified and loyal employees, which is why it is so important to appreciate the people you have and make sure they want to stay. We site managers can’t do things on our own. We need a well-coordinated and reliable team of people to build homes.”
