[jwholden]

I am a jobsite control freak and mico-manager!

My employees know this, my clients know this, I know this.

I don't go off on hissy fits but if I see something not beeing done the way I would like I take corrective action immediately. Again, I don't jump on the guy but explain how I would like the job done and try to stay calm. I'm sure I look annoyed.

As we were working today I had the crew spread and tamp process while I was laying flagstone. The process was too sandy/soily and ended up becoming mush when hit with the tamper.

The guys thought it would be better to go with small lifts of about 1" at a time and it took forever and ended up making an even mushier mess. I got upset with the pace things were going and stopped my job and 'took over' their part of the project. After completing a section, while telling them to fill the wheelbarrow and tamp the corners rather than watch me working, I explained that it is better to go with a thicker lift and not to go tamping crazy because over tamping draws the water out.

Needless to say, I got a little 'tude and was VERY afraid of getting a crappy job 'because you said to do it that way.' God I hate that s--t!

I can leave the guys alone for about two to three hours unsupervised if they are mulching or planting or doing things they know well. Perhaps compacting wet process today I should have explained more beforehand (hey, this was the first time it compacted that poorly for me as well). I heard a few comments about it being wet but didn't correlate them to a warning about wet process.

I'm not a natural leader and am in this business for my love of the job more than my desire to manage people.

What steps could I take to help me learn to let go?

I know the part about complimenting people, explaining things up to three times until it sinks in, leading by example, etc but would love some exercises for me to test my ability to LET GO!

[Stonehenge]

Honestly? Just keep doing it. As you did, they will learn from their mistakes. You will also find that they come up with good ideas you would never have thought of.

Sometimes letting them make a mistake, and then having them tear down and rebuild the right way can also be a great learning experience, because doing something twice is no fun, even if you are getting paid to do it both times. They won't soon forget that lesson.

Here's something I like to do that allows me to relax the control muscle in me: Look at the stars. There are billions and billions of stars, many of which have been burning thousands of years just for the light to get to this little place. Just in our galaxy there are millions of stars, and even the closest one would take a lifetime to reach, traveling as fast as we know how to go. Knowing that makes the things I worry about seem pretty insignificant.

Just keep letting go. I would imagine it's a lot like giving yourself insulin injections - very difficult and painful at first, but you kept doing it, and I imagine it got easier and less painful as time went on.

[Will Pacala]

I think that it's good to keep the reins tight on your people. If you don't they could go off on their own and totaly mess up what you are doing. That hurts your buisnese's reputation and appearance.

[Nebraska]

I'm not a natural leader and am in this business for my love of the job more than my desire to manage people.

Start here.

That statement just flashes over and over at me. You seem to be at a crossroads where you have to decide for yourself to either grow your business and assume a new role or maintain a smaller business whereby you can micro-manage all aspects. Which direction do you want to go? There's no right or wrong answer in that except for the fact that the correct answer is within you.

As far as making mistakes I would have to agree with Jeff....

I also look away if the same desired result is achieved with similar efficiency via different methods (not using your specific situation).

Training and communication especially implicit written instructions / methods. The written word possesses less ambiguity.

[chc]

You have trained these people, worked with them, provided them with your expectations, now have faith in them & let them do their job. Just don't let it be blind faith.