Tim Faller of Westerly, Rhode Island, founded Field Training Services in 1999, a firm committed to training production staff in good job-site management and helping companies develop production systems that produce profit. For 12 years, Tim worked at Hopkins & Porter Construction in Potomac, Maryland, where he started as lead carpenter, became production manager and then helped begin the New Homes division. Based on his extensive experience, Tim has conducted many successful lead carpenter training programs across the country. He is the author of The Lead Carpenter Handbook: The Complete Hands-on Guide to Successful Job-Site Management and the Lead Carpenter Audiobook. www.leadcarpenter.com
- Posted by Tim Faller on August 9, 2010
As most of you know as the consulting business I run slowed down for the recession, I founded a remodeling/handyman company. It has been fun getting the tools out and getting back into the craft. Most importantly it has been educational to put my Lead Carpenter System to the test. Recently I have started doing service calls for a large remodeler here is Rhode Island. It is interesting to be following up on the work done by the company, in some cases 5-8 years ago and in some cases jobs that have just finished.
Some of the items that I am finding could have been solved with a little better finish up policy for the company. These are not major things but small items that may be missed. So perhaps a final completion checklist for each type of job would make sense. A checklist that includes the things that are commonly missed, as well as the items that are usually taken care of, just to make sure.
Another interesting thing is that the clients are not mad. As I said before, these are small things. They could, however, if left unattended, create more serious issues. Fortunately, a contact person from the company is in communication with the clients identifying the problem and dealing with it. This individual, does not necessarily have the knowledge to solve the problem, but he/she tracts down materials, returns calls to clients, documents the conversations, and gets help with the tech part as needed. They have a relationship with suppliers that allows them to get product free to replace broken or faulty parts. All this contributes to a scenario where when I show up with the right color caulk or the right valve, the problem gets solved.
As you might have guessed, I am very interested to know about the way the client has been treated by the company during the construction. I am proud to say that on every call I have made, the clients have been extremely happy with the way the company had done the work and n some cases were even embarrassed that they had called about that small problem.
The moral of the story - you do not have to be perfect, you just have to have a system, communicate well and deal with your problem spots quickly.
Tim Faller of Westerly, Rhode Island, founded Field Training Services in 1999, a firm committed to training production staff in good job-site management and helping companies develop production systems that produce profit. For 12 years, Tim worked at Hopkins & Porter Construction in Potomac, Maryland, where he started as lead carpenter, became production manager and then helped begin the New Homes division. Based on his extensive experience, Tim has conducted many successful lead carpenter training programs across the country. He is the author of The Lead Carpenter Handbook: The Complete Hands-on Guide to Successful Job-Site Management and the Lead Carpenter Audiobook. www.leadcarpenter.com
- Posted by Tim Faller on June 11, 2010
A while back Shawn McCadden wrote a blog about the RRP EPA lead rule, and I wondered if there was a need for a training the Lead Carpenter about lead. I dismissed it not knowing the extent of the law and the details of the work. The other day I received my training for the new lead rule and am convinced that this ups the ante for the skills of a Lead Carpenter.
Here are a couple of thoughts on this:
It is new. I hate change and I believe I am like many people and certainly Lead Carpenters. If I have a habit it is hard to change. This law mandates that we learn to think again about the way we disturb paint. It changes the routine and so Lead Carpenters must be flexible enough to implement the site concerns. It takes planning. Now I have been pushing job planning for many years, but again this ups the ante. Not only does the lead have to consider dust mitigation in general, they must have specialized equipment on site when needed. It also will change the routine of demo. No more just come in and tear out, but now it is lead based paint first, then clean, then demo.
This takes a plan. It involves paperwork. This is the real kicker. I used to say 4 pieces of paper is all you have to deal with. Now it is 7-8! Not only do they have to be filled out, but the implications are long ranging. A time card misplaced, my apologies to book keepers everywhere, no big deal! A lead paint inspection form misplaced, and you can have the weight of the government on you.
It takes increased communication skills. Imagine the slip up that can happen if a Lead Carpenter says the wrong thing to a client about lead paint. You think a budget question can cause a problem, this could lead to a law suit! By simply blowing off a question or not being serious enough about the issue will raise red flags for clients.
With all this in mind it is important for companies to not rely on the EPA based training, but to train your people to act and communicate the way you want them to. Train them for what to say to clients; how they turn in paperwork; who is responsible for the testing, and more. Train! Train! Train!
Tim Faller of Westerly, Rhode Island, founded Field Training Services in 1999, a firm committed to training production staff in good job-site management and helping companies develop production systems that produce profit. For 12 years, Tim worked at Hopkins & Porter Construction in Potomac, Maryland, where he started as lead carpenter, became production manager and then helped begin the New Homes division. Based on his extensive experience, Tim has conducted many successful lead carpenter training programs across the country. He is the author of The Lead Carpenter Handbook: The Complete Hands-on Guide to Successful Job-Site Management and the Lead Carpenter Audiobook. www.leadcarpenter.com
- Posted by Tim Faller on May 4, 2010
A few weeks back a friend of mine fell off a roof. Not a bad fall, in fact there does not seem to be any injuries or long term effects. He simply stepped backward into nothingness while trimming the gables end shingle during the last phase of the work. He got distracted, lost focus, and could have been in for a bad time. It occurred to me that as the economy rebounds many remodelers could be in a similar situation.
For myself as things got slower, I started to focus more on several things: how I spend my money and how to get another job. Marketing instead of waiting for the phone to ring.
Following up on leads, no matter how remote your chances are. Call past clients to simply “check in”. When the phone does ring, return the call immediately. As we rebound and once again look at regular work, if we lose focus we could be in for a bad time. From dictionary.com to focus means to concentrate or to focus one's thoughts. It is time to forget about all the great times, “back in the day” and look ahead with a renewed focus on what works for a business
Market your business. One of the lessons we have learned is that word of mouth works well until the pool of leads dries up. Spend money and time in marking your business to the people that you want to work for and the types of jobs you can sell. They may not be the jobs you would like, but market to the jobs that are available. They are smaller now, but they are there.
Follow up on everything. I believe this is primarily a service business that thrives off a personal touch. I have heard people say, “If they do not fit my profile, I do not even call them back”. And I hear the public say, “I can’t even get someone to call me back.” Call people back! You can decline the job if you want, but you’ll build a base of supporters by simply making contact. Develop a network of people to refer the jobs you do not want. Return calls quickly. On many occasions I have been at my desk working on something and I get the email that says, “can you call me sometime to discuss….?” I pick up the phone and call them! The recipient usually says, “thanks for the quick response!” Focus on people and it will get you back on track.
Be careful how you spend your money. Focus on your spending in a way that you get the most bang for the buck. In my personal life I have tried to be careful on how I spend money. The same must be true in a business. Owners must think carefully about how to spend money. Where will the biggest investment be? I think it is obvious that an investment in sales and marketing needs to be made. But consider your production team. A smaller crew gives you the opportunity to train them to operate the way you want them to. Concentrate on your big returns; clean job site, communication with clients, and learning how to create and stay on a schedule. These will pay great dividends to your business.
Tim Faller of Westerly, Rhode Island, founded Field Training Services in 1999, a firm committed to training production staff in good job-site management and helping companies develop production systems that produce profit. For 12 years, Tim worked at Hopkins & Porter Construction in Potomac, Maryland, where he started as lead carpenter, became production manager and then helped begin the New Homes division. Based on his extensive experience, Tim has conducted many successful lead carpenter training programs across the country. He is the author of The Lead Carpenter Handbook: The Complete Hands-on Guide to Successful Job-Site Management and the Lead Carpenter Audiobook. www.leadcarpenter.com
- Posted by Tim Faller on March 3, 2010
Not enough has been said about leadership on the job site. Project manager, lead carpenter, and site superintendent all imply a role of leadership. But when it comes down to it more emphasis is put on tech skills and getting the job done than leadership. However, good leadership will result in better productivity with less effort.
There are essentially two extremes of leadership and one middle of the road type. It won’t be hard to see that I favor the middle of the road, but we have to see the extremes to appreciate the right course of action.
Authoritarian: The first is what we call authoritarian. This is the person that not only barks orders, but expects everyone to jump. They typically do not listen to input and will think and sometime say, “It’s my way or the highway.” Making it more complicated is the fact that this type of leadership is often conveyed not in words, because most people are smart enough not to say those things, but in attitude and actions. This type of leader will get instantiations results, a large amount of work gets done while they are present, and are often able to achieve goals by hard work. However, they often lose good staff members, stifle creativity and limit growth to what they can handle alone. All of which are not conducive to a company growing.
Laissez-faire: The second type is the polar extreme: laissez-faire. This essentially means “hands off”. The style is represented by a leader that simply allows the employees to work independently, gives little or no guidance and is often couched in terms like “I trust them completely”. This style can be good for highly self motivated people and works well in highly creative areas. It also offers a great deal of freedom which many enjoy. Unfortunately there is a downside. The leader may not really trust them and becomes extremely stressed about their work, while the employee feels that all is well. Often goals, like a budget, are not met because of a lack of involvement by the leader. And some are insecure, not knowing if they are performing to the leader’s standards or not.
At this point an old saying comes to mind that I believe is only half true. “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” Most flies will enjoy, in fact, take advantage of the honey unless there is some teeth in it. This leads me to the third type of leader, authoritative or a coach.
Authoritative or coach: This is a leader that has a good nature, is comfortable with people, builds report easily, but also holds people accountable for commitments. This person gives clear directions; confirms that people know what is expected; achieves agreement and then holds people accountable for their performance. The benefits of this style are clear. Goals are reached because of the attention to results. Morale stays high because the leader knows their people and the work place is fun. Self motivated people get the chance to excel while others get the direction and guidance they need. But most importantly people are productive to the leader’s standard, even when the leader is not around, allowing growth to occur independent of the energy of the leader.
Tim Faller of Westerly, Rhode Island, founded Field Training Services in 1999, a firm committed to training production staff in good job-site management and helping companies develop production systems that produce profit. For 12 years, Tim worked at Hopkins & Porter Construction in Potomac, Maryland, where he started as lead carpenter, became production manager and then helped begin the New Homes division. Based on his extensive experience, Tim has conducted many successful lead carpenter training programs across the country. He is the author of The Lead Carpenter Handbook: The Complete Hands-on Guide to Successful Job-Site Management and the Lead Carpenter Audiobook. www.leadcarpenter.com