As part of shaping our brand story, we asked a simple question: “What do Clients actually want?”

Turns out, most Clients hadn’t been asked that before. But nearly all knew what they didn’t want: post box PMs.

If you’ve been around the construction industry, you’ve probably heard the term. Yet you won’t find it on Google, Urban Dictionary, or even with your trusted AI bot.

So, what’s a Post Box PM?

It’s not a compliment.

It’s used to describe a project manager or a project management practice that has a reputation just being an email forwarding service or a ‘paper shuffler’. That is, they forward emails to clients without adding value to the conversation.

The term can just as well apply to other project consultants that operate the same way.

Isn’t it the PM’s job to Communicate?

Absolutely. A PM is a conduit. They’re meant to keep information flowing between stakeholders in a way that’s timely, relevant, and actionable.

But too often, “communication” turns into noise.

• Endless cc’ing just in case.
• Forwarding without filtering.
• Inbox overload disguised as “keeping you in the loop.”

For Clients juggling multiple projects, hundreds of emails, and packed diaries, this isn’t helpful, it’s a drain on attention. And when time and focus go, so does decision quality.

Reverse-Engineering “What Clients Want”

When it comes to PM communication, Clients aren’t asking for more. They’re asking for better.

Here’s what they told us:

1. Think before you hit forward.
2. Sometimes an email is not the best form of communication. A call, a meeting note, or a short summary can be clearer and kinder.
3. Be selective with who’s included.
4. Ask: does this person need to act, decide, or know? If not, leave them out.
5. Add value, not noise.
6. Don’t just send the raw info. Frame it. Add context.
7. Provide a recommendation or opinion based on reason and logic. It’s easy to fault a position but difficult to fault how you’ve come to that position if arrived at reasonably.
8. Considered approach.
9. You’ve heard the saying “don’t come to me with problems, come with solutions”. That means, we’ve considered the problem, evaluated these potential solutions and recommended this one.

That’s the difference between being a post box PM and being a trusted advisor.

The Bigger Picture

At the end of the day, no Client is ever going to say: “What I really need is another 200 emails in my inbox.”

They want someone who can read the room, cut through the noise, and keep the project moving.

Everything else is just spam with a hard hat.

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