I was just wandering what would be some good reading/listening material for honing skills as a foreman.
I am a buisness owner, and the buisness comes naturally, but the production doesn’t. We get it done right, but not as quickly as I would like. I mean they can build a house in 7 days on abc right?!? just kidding.
Maybe it is hard to find good, productive help or maybe I expect too much or I need to learn some more on good ‘foremanship’.
What is the best way to motivate a crew?
Thanks in advance.
Replies
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The best way to motivate a crew is to lead them. If your workers see you busting your ####, taking on the toughest part of the job, and keeping a smile on your face, they are likely to do the same. If you (the foreman) are not pulling your weight, are not focused, and do not show concern for efficiency and quality, there is nothing you can say that will mean anything.
The number two way to motivate a crew is to be organized so that they can keep up their momentum. There are few things as disheartening to a good crew as a work site that lacks materials, equipment and most of all a good workplan.
That ought to give you plenty to work on.
when i was working heavbey & highway.. the owner would give the supers a pep-talk..
" you keep 'em up to their a*sholes in concrete, they'll give you the production"
what i thought he meant was .. have everything ready for your production crew, and the production will follow
ummmm... the other thing i really try to work on is sequence... seldom do we get it right .. but i think that yu can certainly plan your way to better production.. and i subscribe to what i think sonny was saying..
you don't have to work faster.. just smarter
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 3/6/2005 9:20 pm ET by Mike Smith
Mike, that's what I meant. On large jobs - additions, decks or houses - we laid out the lumber, sheathing, sub flooring as was to be installed, and located it all advantageously, even several stacks of sheathing around the structure.If anyone had to go to their truck to get something, they never left the structure without taking something back we wee done with, even it it was just grabbing a few cut off pieces of lumber and throwing them into a predetermined stack. The helper was taught in advance to anticipate the work process and keep the framers set up with what they needed within grasping reach.And you're right about sequencing the work. When we did it we allowed a few minutes for the occasional glitch now and then during each day, but also tried to anticipate potential problems so we had a plan B and sometimes even a plan C.One of the best things I ever did was to not schedule a guy for Friday. As I increased the number of field employees, I scheduled more guys off for Friday. By the time I had 26 in the field I think I didn't schedule 3 or 4 for Friday. I knew that by Friday, either one of the guys would be off sick, bad water pump on his truck, etc., typical reasons for lost time, rain out the day before in the afternoon, or two days before in the morning, emergency small job for a good customer, etc. So by the time Friday hit, not one of those non-scheduled guys was out of work. Those guys covered the "what ifs" that Murphy's Law made sure happened before Friday. Even today with just me and one more guy, I don't schedule one of us for Friday, yet when Thursday night come around, Friday is booked for both of us.Then again I've always advocating working with one's brain as opposed to with one's muscles. Always wanted my guys and myself to look forward to going to work each morning instead of dreading it. I've come home after work all stress out far too many times. I'd rather come home 5 days a week with no stress then come home with not being tired but with even one day of stress. Heck, if we can't have fun - and simultaneously make money - we might as well vote for Hillary in 2008 and all go on welfare.
Edited 3/6/2005 11:10 pm ET by Sonny Lykos
Regardless if your a builder, remodeler, carpenter, painter, CPA, Retail owner - whatever, never expect an employee to work as though they too are an owner.
With each employee added to your payroll, the "given" should be that productivity will be less, and if you make the mistake of sending more people than are required to do the job, it will take even longer than estimated. An operation that would take one man 8 hours to complete will take two men 5 hours each.
I generally use the 85% factor. I add 15% to the time I now a job will take when I have my one guy do it. rarely has he surprised me and done it faster. When I had 26 guys in the field working in crews of between 2-5 guys, the job was estimated accordingly assuming production time lost.
Efficiency. Yes, it does drop off, and sometimes even if your busting your rear end along side of them. Personally, in my 34 years as a contractor I've never subscribed to the philosophy of "anyone" busting his or her rear end. A normal decent "smart" pace of work is what I expected. It's safer. It's more fun. It still gets the job done, if everyone works smart.
Besides, motivating a crew is only one aspect of being a foreman, possibly even the least important aspects depending upon what they're doing for a living.
Thinking more about your original post, a few more things to suggest:
Realize that as a foreman, you really become a "manager." As such, you are charged with the responsibility of managing "resources.'
Resources include tools and equipment, people, weather, vehicles, subcontractors, materials, planning, problem solving, anticipating problems, and a slew of other "responsibilities." So remember, motivating people is only one aspect of what you'll be doing.
Finally, I've found that no one can really motivate other people. We can only create ways for them to motivate themselves, and one of those ways is to remove obstacles that prevent them from doing their work.
Any large book store has books on how to be a project manager, which is what a foreman is. Good time also to start reading a book or two on "leadership."
Thanks guys, that is some good advice.
One of my favorite construction/business books:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0963226878/qid=1110499713/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-1195175-2566223
Pay them well, treat them the same.
mike