Greatest frustration with running a crew or otherwise

[cory]

I have calmed down with workers. I used to be hard on them. Ive become more patient. BUT, I do get frustrated at a worker that cant get in a rhythm. Tree work is predictable. Arrive, sort and prep gear, make mess, clean up mess, put away gear. 5 step process. When a guy cant get it that rhythm and stay self directed, it stirs me.

I've calmed down too...

I like the 5 step process! Also, they gotta realize there may be lulls, and when the lull passes its time to freaking hustle till the next lull may appear

Thinking ahead comes out of the need for survival. Lots of folks seem to have never required that. I like working with people that since they are walking by something, and since it needs to go in the same general direction at some point and remaining there is pointless, why not pick it up then?

 

[cory]

I had a groundie (got rid of him finally this summer) that would occasionally go postal if the limb he was feeding into the chipper flipped up and clipped him. He would just go ballistic and heave the stick as far away as he could, while swearing at max decibels.

What a pussy! Bet you were glad to see him disappear

 

[Porkbrick]

thinking ahead (really helps with non standard sign language if you are already thinking about what is next), keeping busy, and please no prim a-donas. you need to be willing to do any job that needs to be done that you have the skill to do, and if you don't have the skill you'd better be willing to learn it.

 

[cory]

I was foreman on a line clearance crew for 12 years, plus 6 years right of way clearing. Turnover rate was about two greenies per year, on my crew alone. It was tough, but in those 18 years a few of those kids came out shining and become foremen themselves.

Gerr, about how many guy did you go thru to find those that had the talent to become good foreman, what's the ratio? I'm going to guess 75/1

 

[Pelorus]

What a pussy! Bet you were glad to see him disappear

I miss his brute capabilities sometimes, but that is all he had to offer. Brute force.

 

[cory]

I'm surprised he had brute force, which is a mighty handy thing to have on a tree crew, yet flipped out at getting nicked. Takes all kinds.

 

[stig]

I don't have any of the problems mentioned.
If someone isn't working out, they get fired, pronto!.
Plenty of guys and girls out there who wnts their job.
We treat our employees really well, but have zero tolerance for screw-up, drunks, lazy or plain stupid ones.

 

[Pelorus]

Yeah, but I think a copious consumption of pharmaceuticals in his younger days, + current massive daily booze intake has fried his brain.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Showing up late.
Rocking saws.
Needing to be told to do everything.
No, you will not get a raise until you start ask questions and learning. By learning new skills and thinking ahead, you become more valuable to the company.

Ian, if I may suggest...you could give them the task list. You will earn a raise after you can demonstrate how, and know when to U,V, W, X, Y, Z. (ex. be on-time, tie sheet bend to send up rope, tie clove hitch to send up pole hook/ pruner/ water bottle, tie trucker's hitch around a tree for pulling a top/ spar, emergency lower on basal tie system, stay clear of drop zone until signaled that its safe to enter).

It worked really well at a place I worked previously, pre-tree work. I was motivated. I learned for what I wanted to earn.

 

[cory]

Yeah, but I think a copious consumption of pharmaceuticals in his younger days, + current massive daily booze intake has fried his brain.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I fixed part of my problems.. I don' have any more "employees" and rarely any subs...

 

[cory]

That must be quite stress free, but I would have difficulty making $ without employees.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I have two other owners helping.. No biggie.. We do ok... never gonna get rich, but we do ok.
I save money by not having them.... I get one good one in seven... Train.... buy him or her a saw and on their merry way they go to start their own.
If they are worth keeping.... They usually deserve to make a stab at their own gig. They'll never make much working for someone else up here.
Our labour force up here sucketh. I remember running a couple kitchens up here and having 1/2 my kitchen staff taken out in cuffs on a busy night more than once. No shows... Fug up gear... No memory retention or attention span... Too much meth or alcohol.. Fug it. 41 percent WC Screw it.

 

[SimplyArbor]

Thanks Sean, I'm pretty clear with guys on what the expectations are. Usually upon hire, skills are evaluated and then they are given things they need to learn. I feel like I'm a pretty patient teacher, but lack of motivation of some many people really irks me... I think a lot of it boils down to personal motivation. I can't force them to strive to improve and learn, only encourage.

 

[treesandsurf]

Stephen, I see the same issues here and they seem to be pretty widespread in this industry and I'm sure many other industries as well. I've become a big fan of investing in equipment to replace having to have a lot of guys on the ground. That being said, you will always need at least ONE capable hand on the job, preferably two. I'm currently in the process of trying to find that 'right' person(s), its tough.

jp

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Yessir it is....
Why we down sized to just the owners.
Fortunately there are three of us.
Two years in we had up sized our labour force to three running seven when busy. Three vehicles out. Ended up me not working save for estimates, scheduling and fixing. I am the highest paid asset in the company. And all I was doing was running around in circles putting out fires. One thing after another was breaking down. Most employees could GAS about your gear and think you are getting rich on their backs. When we started letting people go, maintenance, replacing and repairing equipment went through the floor. Our gross went down, but the profit percentage went up. And it all stays in house so to speak. Nary a hole in the schedule either.
No more caught with your pants down showing up with a full crew and finding out someone else did the job.
If someone cancels, we move minimal assets to the waiting list with out skipping a beat. No paying people for showing up for no work because some client neglected to call us to reschedule or cancel. SOOOOOOO much less stress.
The Dingo reflects not hiring two bodies this year.
More to come.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Hope you're able to find some good workers Ian. I know how hard it can be. We run mostly two of us, with a third on bigger jobs, or Erik with the other guy if I'm on daddy-duty. Extra hands are a necessary evil. I'm looking forward to two arms attached to hydraulic cylinders, with a grapple on the end. Iron doesn't show up for work hungover or get tired. I might go more for sometimes using a hired grapple truck than my chip truck and chipper, once I get a mini. Dunno. Sub out part of disposal, stick to the more technical aspects.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I wanna see you put some iron and hydraulics to work Sean. You deserve it

 

[Steve Mack]

I fixed part of my problems.. I don' have any more "employees" and rarely any subs...

That's been me for quite a few years now, just one sub. We've worked together on and off for about thirty years. He's getting a bit old for it now though, he's 52.

That must be quite stress free, but I would have difficulty making $ without employees.

I don't know about stress free, but it sure keeps overhead down. It wouldn't work for a lot here but where I am the two of us can handle most jobs.

How about employees who steal work from their employer.

That one still gets to me and it's years ago. Thought I could trust the guy to leave him on jobs, turned out he'd be up and down the street as soon as I left using my gear.

 

[woodworkingboy]

I like the guy that picked up my saw when i wasn't using it, took it over to where he needed to cut something, then when he was finished just left it there, so I had to go retrieve it. I don't mind someone on the crew using my saw if it is handy to cut something, but I appreciate it getting returned to the general vicinity of where it was picked up if taken some distance, and where I will be needing it. Seems basic courtesy to me, and it wasn't like he forgot.

 

[wiley_p]

The mantle of leadership can be heavy. That is just how it is. It's like a perfect golf game, never gonna happen. Crew members will always find a way to do goofy shit.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

So true.

 

[Mick!]

I like the guy that picked up my saw when i wasn't using it, took it over to where he needed to cut something, then when he was finished just left it there, so I had to go retrieve it. I don't mind someone on the crew using my saw if it is handy to cut something, but I appreciate it getting returned to the general vicinity of where it was picked up if taken some distance, and where I will be needing it. Seems basic courtesy to me, and it wasn't like he forgot.

Or he'll blunt it and not tell you. My personal peeve.

 

[rskybiz]

It's already been stated but to no wasted trip is my biggest grrrr. Always speak about being efficient
And how that relates to more money you would think it would sink in

 

[gf beranek]

Gerr, about how many guy did you go thru to find those that had the talent to become good foreman, what's the ratio? I'm going to guess 75/1

In the cities I would think your estimate on the turnover rate is correct. Though in more rural areas, like Ft. Bragg, available jobs are much less than the cities. Still the turnover rate was high. From my experience 1 in 10 would stick with it for longer than 6 years.