Over the past several months I’ve visited with a number of contractors about some of their field leaders, specifically their Crew Foremen. While not every situation was exactly the same, a common theme involved the lack of motivation, focus, and consistency being exhibited by one or more of their crew foremen.
Based on a very informal and undocumented survey via my raising a few questions, here’s some of the causes that appeared to be present with several of these field leader’s lack of vitality to execute needed work.
- “I’ve been doing the same ‘$#%@” for a long time, maybe I need a break.”
- Several Foremen complained of new workers that fail to know the difference between a hammer and a Phillips Screwdriver.
- “Most of these new workers don’t care what their work looks like at the end of the day.”
- “I train these guys on something and then they don’t remember what I trained them to do.”
- Another observation made by several foremen was that they felt as if the new worker just doesn’t care much about work in general. Sort of a “If I work, that’s OK; If I don’t work…that’s OK.”
Admittedly, my findings are not intended to be a scientific list of any major trends among our construction workers but there is a ring of truth for many contractors who have offered their opinions to me over the past few years. But, how do we assist those critically important field leaders to not get so frustrated that they simply burn out?
I think there are two issues at work here that we need to address. First, there is the very real issue that many leaders do face some level of “burn-out” in their career. I’ve seen this range from the leader thinking they would rather return to their previous (lower) level of responsibility to the field leader considering leaving their company, even the industry change.
The other issue at play here is the growing frustration many in our industry are having with what looks like to be fewer numbers of employees entering the industry with any level of construction knowledge or experience, some without even any elementary mechanical sense.
Addressing Foreman Burnout
In addressing our first issue, consider a few efforts that can help your Crew Foremen regain a bit of their “mojo” for being the leader they need to be.
- Discretely and confidentially visit with any foreman when they are displaying some unusual behavior for them. If you notice the foreman avoiding you, increasing calls for tools or information that they could have easily obtained IF they had prepared properly, etc., go to the foreman and simply ask how they are doing. Most of these leaders will often share with you some of their frustrations…just listen!
- Consider giving all your foremen 1-2 days off periodically during heavy scheduled work. This can be almost impossible to do when you’re hot and heavy into a project but often just a quick breather can prevent that leader from going “over the bar” in mental frustration and exhaustion.
- Visit your weary foreman personally on their job site, maybe even donning some work attire and work along with the crew for a few hours. This is actually a great positive reinforcement for your foreman to have you there in person.
- Send your foreman a dinner voucher at some restaurant that the foreman, and his significant other, would not normally even think of visiting; something upscale from the normal pizza parlor or sports bar. Again, this is just a little token of your appreciation for his hard work in the trenches.
- Engage your foreman earlier and during the organizational phase of his upcoming projects. One sure sign that a foreman is getting stressed is when he shortens his time preparing for projects or forgets the little things such as insuring his trucks and trailers have what they are supposed to have safely stored. Giving your foreman a little extra attention here reassures him that he’s not in the battle all alone.
- Look at other opportunities for your tired foreman to consider. Maybe another area of your company might be a good change of pace. If that’s not possible, sit down with your foreman and brainstorm for ways to do what he is currently doing…different. Maybe he’s gotten into some routines that are enslaving him to believe that there is no other way to prepare, organize, execute, follow-up, etc.
- Get the foreman to look at quality or safety improvements for his and other crews. Maybe this little twist of focus might offer a new perspective to what he is doing and help your company at the same time.
- Start including more appreciation and recognition at your weekly meetings with your foremen. These field leaders are often the brunt of all the bad news and rarely receive a lot of the positives from customers. They are, admittedly, in a tough position being stuck between dealing with customers at the site, employees and all their issues, and of course, trying to satisfy their owner’s expectations for quality, safety, and productivity!
As tempting as it is for most contractors to want to kick a field leader in the pants to “pick it up,” it’s important that contractors discern whether a struggling foreman is just having a bad week or is there something a bit more invasive. Watching a foreman for a week or two will often tell you that something more than just having a bad day is at play.
Addressing Skilled Foreman Shortages
The second issue is even more challenging as we’re really addressing an industry wide issue. Because I’ve written many articles over the years that addressed training and working with employees, let me summarize a few thoughts for construction leaders to recognize will be part of their future if they are to maintain a viable construction company that desires growth.
- You must screen applicants even more closely to detect who really has the skills and learning potential and who does not. This isn’t easy but a contractor must cease any form of “warm body hiring” practices. You have to test, ask better questions, and spend more time interviewing potential workers. Many contractors really shoot their own foot by just skimming the bare minimum of questions and testing because they need workers.
- You must “On-Board” new workers that fully baptize them into who you are as a contractor, what work processes exist, the values of the company, and the importance that the new employee will play in the company. Throw the new worker immediately on the crew without this and you simply give the worker no reason to stay with hopes of what they thought they were signing up to do. Win the hired workers over to you and your company’s potential.
- Train…Train…Train! Come on, if you don’t train beginning even the first day of employment you increase the likelihood that the new worker will quit you in less than thirty days. Pick 1-2 trainers, even crewmembers, who are responsible for teaching the new worker what they need to know to be safe and productive. Do this early and consistent and you will find more motivated workers who will also re-invigorate your crew foremen.
- Plan to check in with new workers at least weekly for the first 90 days. This is meant for the owner and senior leaders. By having some of the “top brass” follow-up with new workers, the crew foremen are actually motivated as they see their leaders being more engaged with who they hired to work under the foreman’s leadership. This activity also keeps the senior leaders more tuned-in to who they hired and monitoring the training efforts employed.
Reigniting the fire under your field leaders isn’t easy nor is it a one-time activity. Consistency is important here as in anything of importance, and this issue is very important. Should your crew foremen lose their enthusiasm and love for construction you might seriously think about selling your company and doing something different. That’s how insanely important those field leaders are for us to be successful as a company!
