Pre-job briefing form

Welcome to the buzz! There are alot of awesome tree guys around this place! I would think that you would have to make one up yourself. Are you doing it for residential tree work? We don't have a form. My boss takes me around the job and tells me what needs to be done, and things to look out for if I haven't been to the place before.
There are times that I wished I did have a list of things that I had on some jobs. There are things that I tend to forget from time to time, but the rest of the crew is usually informed about the job too so we get it done anyhow.
 
Work order is what you need dan.that way your boss can hand you a stack of them every morning and in turn he can do something else.
 
Yes jimmy that would be awesome for me if my boss rolled that way, but he wants to have total control over most things. I wish he would let go alittle and go golfing more often! O well I pay my bills, and show up on time and get irritated just about everyday, but I know it could be worse. Really if the man wasn't so anal about everything.....I mean everything it would be better. Maybe its my attitude I need to adjust.....oops sorry I went off on a rant....
 
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Yes jimmy that would be awesome for me if my boss rolled that way, but he wants to have total control over most things. I wish he would let go alittle and go golfing more often! O well I pay my bills, and show up on time and get irritated just about everyday, but I know it could be worse. Really if the man wasn't so anal about everything.....I mean everything it would be better. Maybe its my attitude I need to adjust.....oops sorry I went off on a rant....

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Just some thoughts here Dan.


Does he act as the job foreman? Can you propose to him that you/ someone else can do that if given the latitude?

I tell my employee, who has said that he would like to make more decisions, that the foreman has to be like the quarterback, calling the plays. Individual team members do have some autonomy, within that plan. Efficiency is super important to keeping a profit margin. I am always thinking 3-4 steps ahead of what we are doing. I would like to get to the point of being able to leave two people at a job, and let them run with the whole thing, rather than getting it down to mostly clean-up, chipping, firewood, etc.

I can be anal, as well, and if you want to know "Where is the wedges/ raker file,rope puller, repair tools, 2 cycle oil? I can tell you without having to rip apart the truck while the rest of the crew is waiting on things. I'll know what is going to be an efficient way to work thought the different trees, allowing for work room, and least duplicated efforts.

Over time of having a responsible employee, I've been able to leave the jobsite with a list of priorities, and be able to run errands, bid jobs, etc, confident that things will be moving along well and safely in my absence. Its hard to do, but it came in baby steps.

After several expensive F.Ups, or near F.ups, it has taken getting better employees and baby steps to leave the crew working without me. You could be the better employee that he hasn't had in the past. You might be able to keep the workpace at a good level in his absence. Having an honest talk, appropriately timed, perhaps scheduled, can help to "clear the air" and move things along in the right direction.


Maybe, you can show your boss that you're capable of transitioning to running the jobsite, allowing him to relax, and you to be less frustrated, more satisfied. Maybe asking him if he can start delegating more responsibility.
 
Thank you sir. I think I am going to adjust my attitude and just try to be good help for now. He dose leave me on difficult removals time to time. I haven't mest up on him yet in two years. I am just going to let it stop frustrating me and grow up and work.
 
Dan,

Only you and your co-workers/ boss know if you have growing up to do. Frustration is normal when people are micromanaged, not let to step up to their capabilities.

Maybe asking for an formal/ semi-formal evaluation is due. Often, this can get overlooked/ left undone in the tree biz, I think.

You will have the opportunity to ask for feedback. Sometimes, this is what it takes for a boss to remember "oh yeah, Dan has been dependable for two years, I can give him more trust and take some time to attend to other things that I've been neglecting/ wanting to do. I have been able to leave him on tough removals, to come back and have things running smoothly."

He might have the opportunity to tell you that if you do x, y, z, it will make him more comfortable to give you more room to work with less micro-management.

You can ask what areas of your performance might need a little boost, and what will help him to run his business how he needs/ wants to run it.

You might even get a raise. A review/ eval is a good time to say I've done x, y, z. I've become competent to do a, b, c. I'm ready to take on l, m, n, o, p. I've started at $xx.xx/ hour two years ago and my pay has gone to $yy.yy, over two years. Cost of living increases, on average are x%. I feel like I deserve at least COL increase as I know the economy is bad. What can be done. Any room for a raise?

I'd schedule the review for a future day, so you both have the time for the review and time for preparation necessary to cover the bases.
 
I can't change his attitude, but I can change mine. I don't think I want to talk to him about a pay raise. I have been preparing myself for something better, and more of what I want.
Having things done right and being totally anal about something are different worlds.
I work for five different companies really, he gets first call and he is the only one that will get all bent out of shape about the way I do things. I may just subcontract climb for companies in the area. I need insurance so the rest of these companies will know they can take me on.
We Will See.
I like your brain southsoundtree, thanks for your input.
Happy cutting be safe.
 
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