[jwholden]

I'm with the same guys this year as last and it is coming to my attention that I need to 'train' my employees better. I prefer not to think of it as standing over them with a whip, more of 'standardizing' the way we do thinks and making sure the guys are completing tasks efficiently, my buzz word for the year.

My crew are great laborers, show up for work on a regular basis, and have a good attitude most days. However, because I've been doing the work longer than them I see they could accomplish tasks quicker with less effort. I also see issues developing with a long term employee who is losing motivation or thinks he can slide.

How 'specific' do you get when training laborers. I am a micro-manager and don't want to be heavy handed, but I realize that more could be gettting accomplished with less effort if I showed the guys better.

Some points I feel I should go over are:
- Don't walk to or from the truck without a tool in your hand if that tool is going that direction anyway.
- When we arrive at a jobsite don't stand around and wait for me to tell you what to do, jump up in the truck and start unloading equipment. If not sure what to do ask.
- Never stand around, find something to do or I will find something for you to do.
- Fill the wheelbarrow with mulch, you're not going to die.
- Proper procedure for cutting an edge and cleaning/prepping a bed for mulch. The guys seem to be 'lollygagging' when doing this work, and I assume it is because I havn't trained them well enough.

I see being a foreman in a new lite as of late and want to delegate more. My biggest fault is fixing other peoples mistakes or picking up the slack for slow work.

I see the benefits of training someone how to do something, letting them do it a while, and then show them exactly the same thing an hour or two later when I know they are paying attention.

My latest tact is not to get too excited/stressed at work over the job at hand, try NOT to pick favorites, and don't let a bad action persist and become a habit.

This post got random, but any input on training and motivating labor on a foreman level would be great.

[trees]

Training, or coaching, needs to be an on-going process. Our jobs as managers are to constantly be in the process of making those that work for us better.

A couple of things to remember. It's really easy to turn people off. One negative comment will counteract 10 positive ones. This means we need to conciously give positive reinforcement to every employee, and alot. That's hard to do. Studies show that the happiest, and most productive, employees have received a positive comment from their manager within the last 7 days. I know happy, touchy-feely comments are not part of the everyday routine on the job, but ask yourself if you are meeting the 7 day guideline. It really makes a difference. Employees that feel they are respected and appreciated are much more likely to take a critical comment to heart and work towards changing. When they do change, give positive feedback immediately. Act like a coach.

Check out www.whizbangtraining.com for more information. I found this guy at the ANLA management clinic this winter. He's a cheese-ball management type, but has a lot of great tips. I've tried it and it really works.

[cutntrim]

Well, one thing that I don't think you can teach is work ethic. They've either got it, or they don't. I make up my mind pretty fast (usually the first day), whether or not they'll be able to cut the mustard. I'm not always right, but trusting my gut usually is the most accurate way to go.

Proper training takes time, and the better employees I've had have always benefited from thorough training from myself, and not another employee. I try to work personally with a new employee for the first week-or-two so that I can teach them all they need to know. I'm speaking of maintenance work by the way. One of the nice things about maintenance is that it's the same tasks repeated week-after-week, so I think it's easier to train for than installation.

The more time a new employee has working under YOU, the better...assuming you are a good teacher.

[johnkeegan]

JW, I can directly relate to most everything you said. But I don't know of any secret solutions. I try to remind myself that most employees will probably perform tasks an average of 15-20% slower than I would (so remember to figure that into your estimates). And it's not necessarily because they're goofing off and not working hard. They just don't work smart. Their work ethic (as measured in sweat) is fine, they just don't have the incentive to work efficently like I do.
It's for these reasons that I've found that I must get away from the jobsite if I hope to get any design/estimate work done. I use to think I could do my estimating/design computer work on my laptop in the truck while supervising the crew.You'll drive yourself nuts if you watch how everyone works all day long. It's hard for me to ignore someone with a 1/2 filled wheelbarrow of mulch, or using the wrong shovel to dig with, or not parking the truck in a spot to minimize loading/unloading, or not working safely...... You get my point.
Hopefully, you can find a foreman that can at least keep the inefficency at that 15-20% level, so you can get your estimating work done ... and maintain your sanity. Some times it has helped if I go through all facets of a project with my foreman and he tells me how long he thinks it will take to complete these tasks. Then if he fails to meet these goals he can't say, "Well the boss expects too much and doesn't understand what's involved..."
And if they can accomplish only 5-10% inefficency consistantly you shoud praise them and give them a raise. And why you're at it do your own private "victory dance" and begin writing your own know-it-all book called "Secrets of an Efficent Workforce," and plan to hit the lecture circuit.
On a more serious note, in regards to the bed edging. I strongly recommend the Brown's Bed Edger. It's cuts the perfect bed edge and grinds up the waste into dirt that can be quickly raked into the bed. It's probably 5-10X faster than hand edging. And with one man and a fully revved motor, there's no "chatting time" involved.

[GLAN]

I have men with me some 15 years.........they still need reminders and pointers....LOL..I even have to check over myself to time to time.

I don't feel that anyone is beyond training or coaching no matter how many years they work for you.....That goes for myself. I would be the first to admit at the beginning of the season I need to freshen up on my skills

[NC Lawnscapes]

Sounds as if you have some workers who are either Lazy or Burned out.

Sit down with each one and let them know how you want things done and be frank with them and let themknow if they dont want to Git Er Dun then you can and will find somone who will
(I call this a Motivation speech)

As far as mulch goes lading it into a wheel barell and then moving it to the desired area is the only acceptable way For LawnScapes to put out mulch (NEVER will we just chunh mulch from the back of a truck

Funnest thing is when we have a job big enough to warrrent using a BLower