[Nebraska]

A common recurring theme this season has been a dependence amoungst the employees concerning every situation where a piece of equipment has a minor breakdown. Over and over and over again.

Wheel barrow tire goes flat...panic call! "John what should we do?"
Mower tire flat....panic call! "John what should we do?"
Shovel broke...panic call! "John what should we do?"
Trailer spring broken...panic call! "John what should we do?"

The recurring minor breakdowns gradually eroded my patience... at first I would calmly explain "Fix it". If the person did not know how to fix it would explain how to do it. If it was too complicated then they were to take it in.

The reference to panic call is that if I did not answer the phone on the first call...no message is left. They would call and call and call. Back in July crew leaders were sat down and explained again to them what is expected. No problem understanding of course. It continued to a mild degree from that point on with most being somewhat complicated....at least they could repair a flat...clean out an air filter etc. ......well the straw that broke the camels back ocurred on Wednesday.

I get back to my truck and see that I had missed two calls...one voice mail. Check the voice mail and it said "John, the 2000 Chevy dump truck just took a sh&*."

.....hmmm Call back and go through the motions to maybe help them figure out what happened. Went so far as to ask if it ran out of gas. To no avail a solution could not be figured out.

Here I go all the way across town. Find the truck which is about two blocks from the jobsite. Open it up....turn the key and check the guages...The gas guage was buried below E. I'm fuming! Normally I wouldn't get so angry but combine the situation with the fact that my wife is due at any moment and I am on fire.

I drive to the jobsite... Tell all three "If I ever. Ever. Have to drive across town to tell THREE guys that f^$%^%$ truck is simply out of f%#%#%& gas or anything similar you're all f$#%&*@ looking for new jobs. Before I could say anything more the crew leader dropped the shovel he was using and said he quits. He was going to be fired at the end of the day because of this constant issue. I told him to get the f#%# out of here. He asked for a ride and I said walk. He called later in the day to apologize yet I simply said bring your shirts in on Friday for your final check.

Never have I blown up like that.....Yet I am sick and tired of spelling out expectations and people not being held accountable.

[P-Train]

Sounds like it's time for a sit down talk with the crew.

Not a chew out session but just a talk on what's expected, what to do in these situations. These guys need to think for themselves.

I think it's a good thing to tell you if there was a problem and they fixed it but they don't need to have their hands held to go potty.

Money talks.

Pay a crew leader a little more to have the understanding and leadership ability to handle things like this that pop up. Because they will pop up. It happens all the time.

I think if you could bring in a little more structure it may bring some weight off your shoulders.

Wheelbarrow tire goes flat...

The crew needs to tell the crew leader first. Not you.

Does the crew leader have a way to buy the tire? A blank check or a card with a spending limit on it? Tools to fix it?

Structure. Repetitive motions like the truck gets checked for oil and fuel every morning before leaving…

Checklist:

Fuel

Oil

Gas cans

String line

Fix a flat

Whatever you need every day, there could be a list with those items on it that your crew leader checks off in the morning. One page for every day so you could look back through the week and see information on when and what things were bought. Or look at it daily to see when you need to stock up on products. Who bought them (crew leader) and so forth.

It’s easy to get in a rut with employees that have been employed for a while. It’s also easy to say, “Look, we’re going to do things just a little different starting this week.”

Hope that helps.

[P-Train]

Hmm...

The heading is not working?

[Stonehenge]

There are a few actions that can be taken that cause this. I'll fess up the problem is caused by some site modifications I wanted to make awhile ago, but didn't turn out the way I'd like. I'm going to try to reverse-engineer those mods to see if I can't undo this issue. But that may take a little while...

My apologies.

Jeff

[BJR]

I think that the fact that you basically sacked one of your crew leaders might be a wake up sign for the rest of the crews.

I learn't a long time ago that when you are the boss you are also the mother.

I think that P Trains idea of a "Fix It Sheet" that deals with everyday problems is a good idea. I am going to do one ASAP.

[GLAN]

Ineresting.

Been there before.......I have had so many scenarios.

Some years ago I had a crew at the very early stages I was building this one.........We had some serious problems.

Keeping the quality as consistent as possible......equipment broke and nothing being done about it....tools left behind and so on.........

Got to the point where I actualy had someone I knew translate to spanish little phrases that I had then painted to the inside of the trailer.....

Quality is Job #1

Think Safety

Do what the customer Expects or there will be no Customer

Check engine Oil

Fill Gas End of Day

Machine Broke Tell Me End of Day

Work Smarter Not Harder

Work together

Team Work


All in spanish hand painted like little signs

I would have to say it worked........that and suspending the goof offs a day or two helped


I have also written things and with a translation program print them out in spanish. Then I was doing it in English and Spanish....Now the men and new hires are more bilingual

[Stonehenge]

Nebraska - I can completely understand where you are coming from. Had this issue been an actual equipment issue, I would have been frustrated. But to not know that the truck died because it was out of gas is something else.

I've had some of the same experiences you did this year, and I wish I could say I have the answer, but I don't yet.

My lead guy does have a store credit card for Menards (it's like Home Depot), and we have accounts set up all over the place, so he can do some of the things P-Train suggests. We also have daily tool checklists, but I found they were largely ignored. I've gotta hammer on that next season.

If there is a silver lining for you, I do think that crew leader has just been held accountable.

[PSUscaper]

Considering it is November, and I know my tolerance level for BS is zero, I can't say what you did is wrong. I know it may sound brutal, un-bunsiness like, not professional.......but you know what, it seems to be the only way to get things across these days.

I'm not sure, but it seems as if you have let this thing happen all year, and perhaps this is where the real problem started. If, in April you exploded on guys the same way you did today for a broken shovel, then it may not have escalated into one giant blast this week.

My only solution......first as others have said, a system and a firm plan for conveying to the foreman that he is responsible for handling small situations like this, and that if he shows any sign of not being able too in the first month of work, time to look for a new one.

Second.......extra shovels, run flat wheel barrels, and of course, Trucks that get better gas mileage!.......lol...

I support you completely Nebraska on your decision and don't think you need to think twice about what you did. A man can only get knocked down so many times before he doesn't get up anymore.

[Nebraska]

I have job descriptions, check lists, and forms that all have to be followed or filled out at certain points of time.

Every Monday Morning.... vehicle and equipment maintenance where are all tasks are itemized and require and initial.

We have Wright Express Gas Cards for each vehicle and each employee has a Driver ID#.

Have a Mastercard with the Landscape Crew Leader's name on it; limit of $250 for him though.

Landscape Crew leader has a Menard's Contractor Card with his name on it.

Our business has accounts at 3 nursery's, 2 hardscape / supply stores, 2 sprinkler supply stores, 2 rental stores, 1 auto repair shop, 1 small engine shop, Lesco, 1 independent fert dealer...I could go on. Any place else can simply be paid for over the phone by me.

Phone books in all the trucks.

Tire repair kits in each truck.

Tow chains in each truck.

Jumper cables in each truck.

Simple tools in each truck.

The tools for success are there! Though I sense apprehension on their part to take full advantage of it. That I believe is in part from their previous employers.

From your advice P-Train, I did sit down with the remaining employees and crew leader and spelled out my expectations rather candidly.

In a nutshell I said, "I have hired you for your abilities you have now and abilities that you are not fully aware of. Most importantly you are hired to complete each job with quality as your number one priority and production time as your number two priority. For you as a crew leader it means you do what is necessary to insure that the job is completed to spec from beginning to end; smoothing out and handling all minor bumps in the road yourself. If something breaks figure it out...if you can't figure it out ask for help from those with you...if you all can't figure it out in a short amount of time, rather than taking away from job productivity then take it in for repair and do what is necessary to replace that piece of equipment. You will be held accountable for the quality and timeliness of work. PERIOD. If you have an issue with being held accountable, feel that you have not been given the best tools (equipment &/or employees) let me know now."

I agree Penn.... I think it just took a while to reach my breaking point....better November then Never. They will be held to a much higher level of accountability than before. That definitely is the silver lining Stonehenge...Accountability has been brutally spelled out.

.....by the way, being short a guy, I was out hauling dirt from the jobsite today with the truck that ran out of gas.....The gas gauge does not work beyond 1/2 tank..basically sticks at 1/2 tank ; yet what I am looking for is employees that can figure out the same thing I just figured out. Is it too much to ask that they be conscious of their environment?