[jwholden]

I have become more aware as of late of the syndrome where employees become less productive when the boss is not around. I admit that there will always be a certain degree of 'slacking', it's part of the big picture. I think it is half that my employees don't move as quickly when I'm not on site and half that they don't think of the most efficient way to perform a task. They assume if they are doing something it is acceptable without trying to maximize efficeincy, as the owner of a company does.

I'm not trying to get down on my or any one elses employees. I simply got to wondering today when I returned to the jobsite after being gone for a couple hours.

What percent of productivity do you think your crews give when you are not around as opposed to when you are? IE, if your crews work at 100% efficiency with you what percent are they at when you, or your foreman, are not present?

[agla]

There is no difference between a human being and other animals. If a bear has the choice between working hard to eat grubs out of an old tree stump or rolling a trash can, he'll roll a trash can.

It is no different for an owner to take on high profit easier work instead of every crappy job that comes down the pike. Would you take easy work over hard work? Yes, if it paid the same. But, you have the incentives and consequences which drive you to work harder to get what you are after.

The laborers are still no different. If they are getting $x per hour working really hard or moping around, human nature is to mope more. That is unless there are consequences and incentives. You have to make sure that they know that you are not happy about what they got done without you there. It can be subtle, but it has to firm enough to get them to respond. Sometimes that means you have to be really firm by blasting them and/or firing a guy here and there.

Production is a direct result of your ability to manage help whether you are there or not. Some people do this very well others do not. This is the biggest issue that limits growth of landscape companies and it is something that is not self confronted by owners of those companies.

Look at all the 'scapers with enough equipment to supply four crews of three working full time. Instead only one crew of three has the mowing trailer goes out for two days a week, the hydroseeder goes out ten times a year, and the Bobcat averages one day a week on a job, but they only have one crew of three. The reason is not that they can't get enough work, not that they don't have enough equipment, not that cash flow limits hiring new people, but that they, as individuals, can not get the production out of the additional employees for one reason or another. At the same time another landscape company has twenty people working efficiently.

It is more uncomfortable for some than others, but you have to keep pressure on your help because they are putting it on you. When production is down because you are not there, that is them putting pressure on you. It is no different than you screaming at them. The advantage they have is that they can do it without being confrontational. But, if you react to it like it is confrontational, it will make them start to be aware that it is and it is something they will be more likely to try to avoid.

How you react dictates whether something is OK or not. It is solely up to you how it is. It is like training a dog. A dog can be trained to sit, lay down, and come by most people. But look at a police dog or a seeing eye dog. They overcome huge instincts to chase cats, continue mauling a suspect, etc., all because they are trained by how the trainor responds to what they do. I'm not calling your crew dogs, thats up to you to decide. But, you definitely can program them to work harder or not by how you respond to what they do. Just as true is that they can train you to accept their production loss.

How our help responds is directly related to our response to them. You have to at least match the pressure they put on you or you are going backward.

[Stonehenge]

Agla makes some good points, as always. I do disagree with part, that everyone will automatically opt for the path of least resistance. I have to wonder if that's coming from living in that part of the country, where it sounds like laziness in laborers abounds.

It also could be that I weed out the lazy ones more quickly, leaving me with the harder workers.

For my guys, I think they give pretty much the same effort whether I'm there or not. I'd be kidding myself to think that they don't drop it a notch every so often, but at the same time I get compliments all the time from clients about how hard the guys work. That being said, I think efficiency is quite another thing. Having an understanding of project flow, logistics, and being able to think two steps ahead of what's in front of your nose makes a big difference in productivity. And that's not something that many have right out of the shoot. I think that has to be coached and cajoled out of people sometimes, and might take a season or two before someone is really good at thinking as they work and keeping the job flow going.

[justgardens]

I like to think the guys don't slack off when I'm not around. The proof is when I return to a job it shows how hard my crew has been working. They have gotten quite a few bonuses for doing jobs in record times. They blow me away sometimes with there efforts. I have letters from clients telling me what a great bunch I have. There are always few who need lessons from the best of my crew but I tend to weed them out. The guys know who isn't pulling their weight and let me know. I have a contractor buddy that works harder, makes less and can't figure it out. Watch his crew one day and it is obvious. The over equipped syndrome Agla spoke about also. I try to be flexable with hours when someone needs off and the guys always give me more when I need it too. I fired a guy I really liked this season for being late so much. He knew plants,was terrific on the job and with customers, needing no hand holding. The rest of the crew liked him too. It was a hard fire on all of us. I'm going to call him this off season and talk about a special way I can use him where his work would be on his schedule. I need a person to visit clients homes to do fine tuning on a weekly basis, weeding, spraying, Treflan and very light pruning. About an hour at each home. He would be perfect and he could get there when it was best for him , choose the days, how long to work , ect. He would keep a log of what he does, how long he was there and mileage. I think it will fit him and I perfectly. He is a great worker that just can't do a time clock. I'm willing to work around that if we can work this out. JW- don't give up there's a great crew out there with your name written all over it. It takes time to find the cream of the crop.

[Bill Schwab]

We frequently get complimented on how well and steady the guys work when I'm off site. One time it was hot, and I snuck up, they were sitting under a tree drinking water. As soon as they saw me they ran to thier shovels...I told them that I expected them to take breaks when it pushes 90. And after we all talked and laughed about it. In a different scenario, I could count on guys rubbing the skin off thier gooses neck when I was not around. With the set up we are working at now, there is every incentive to get done on time, or even under time.

[VoodooChile]

60%-80%

[justgardens]

Voodoo- No A.D.D with you. You actually answered his question.

[site]

I'm about even with VooDoo at 60-80%. And yes with proper training they could be programmed to be more productive. I am not a crack the whip kind of guy by nature. I compensate for this by finding intelligent motivated employees. I dump the slackers as quick as possible, and reward the performers. I would love to be able to say they were 100% even when I'm not looking, but I have been doing this long enough to be realistic.

[jwholden]

My reply would be around 70%. I have a great crew right now (with the exception of an absenteeism problem with one member) and get compliments from my clients as well (which result in a bonus for the guys, cause = effect). However, I notice that things don't happen as quickly when the boss is not around.

I'm by no means dissappointed with my crew, but know I could be doing more to let them know what I want from them. I know that a crew that smiles when they work will get better results than when the boss stands over them all day barking commands, in addition to better morale and attendance.

[Stonehenge]

Hey, it's not ADD - I'm multi-tasking! Besides, I'm not sure a % figure was what was being asked for, even though the post might look that way...

I did have one guy once that was at 100% no matter what. And his first job in his life was working for me. Great kid - he's now an Airborne Ranger guarding the boarder between North and South Korea. But I digress.....

I'm a big fan of the book "Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun." Even when I asked for another copy at my local bookstore, the librarian-type clerk snickered when I mentioned the title. Too bad - there's some great advice in there that translates very well to our industry.

My favorite line in the whole book is "A great leader is both loved and feared." And maybe 'respected' would be a good substitute for 'feared', if one is needed. In my life, the bosses I had that got the most out of me were the ones that I both loved and feared. They were genuinely good people with senses of humor. And I also never wanted to disappoint them, for fear of what it would mean to me, my future opportunities, and to them, and what they thought of me, and what it meant to the company. One would bark stuff every so often, but most wouldn't.

You don't need to yell and scream to have people respect you. At the same time, they should know you have passion about what you do, and that you're driving this boat.

Who in your work life was the best boss for you, a person for which you did some of your best work? Figure out how that boss made you feel, both good and bad, and figure out how to instill those feelings into your people.

[jwholden]

I really was looking for a percent, in addition to the usual banter around GTX.

I further don't believe you can create great employees, they either have the right stuff inside or they don't. You know the truth after the first day.

One of my past and highly recommended reads, "Now Hiring! Finding and Keeping Good Help For Your Entry-Wage Jobs" by Steve Lauer and B. Jack Gebhardt, who owns a bunch of subways, described his 'perfect' worker as the guy right off the farm. I suspect in Wisconsin and the midwest there are more guys right off the farm than the suburbia I live in.

[Stonehenge]

y'know, there's a way to find out how hard they work when you aren't there. Tell them you're leaving the jobsite for awhile, then just pull around the corner and watch them. One of my old bosses always used to do this. I've done it a little, was only disappointed once (those two guys were toast soon after).

Okay, okay. If I need to put it to a percent, I'd say 80-85% productivity. And that number I believe is due more to lack of project management experience than it is desire to work hard.

[GLAN]

I have a great crew. 3 core guys have been with me some 15 years. I have one guys son with us now.

And of course had to weed out the slugs from new hires. All in all my crew today is rather stable.....There are 2 or 3 that realy understand our over all perspective in providing service. They go above and beyond to provide some of the best work around. And they are self motivated.

Others.....Well, they are not self driven but along side people who are they then have an opportunity to shine.

Now with the men with me the longest. We have been through alot together. Business ups and down. Personal ups and downs. The thing is.........we did it together. There is an understanding that I had talked with them some years ago about. That is...........they need me as much as I need them.

I have always been very fair and liberal with the working hours. As long as we communicate everything is cool. Give me advance notice you have to leave an hour early one day......no worries. Let that slide comes the end of the week adding the hours worked. Same goes if they have to be late. There has been a couple times one had to leave for 1 - 2 hours in the middle of the day.......they came back. So I can over look the time they were gone.

Spring.........we can get shut down a couple days in a week due to weather........It's the beginning and every one is replenishing their funds. So if enough days lost......I toss them a day.......Some years I have had to do that a few times.

When I am around.......I can expect 100% out of all of them. When I am not around.......it doesn't fall that much......90%. Maybe 80% pending the day.

Everyone has bad days........so we identify that and don't make a big issue.......When you work with the same people long enough you can get tuned into the little things that make a person who and what they are.

[jwholden]

I was working at a painting contractors house when first starting out. He was close to retiring and his son was taking over the business. Anyway, Glan reminded me of something he told me. Sometimes guys have off days and you just have to accept it, as long as it's not every day.

What wisdom.