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Trying to be a better foreman

6K views 20 replies 18 participants last post by  cbledsoe89 
#1 ·
I've been reading up on how to be a better foreman in the field. One individual I've seen advertisements on is for Mark Breslin's books.

Has anybody read any of his books or seen him speak? Seems like a pretty engaged guy.

Thanks.
 
#2 ·
There are a lot of books on leadership out there..

One thing you must learn is how to get people to do things they do not want to do, and at the same time earn their respect ..... You must always keep your cool and know everything there is to know about the job you are running.

Learn as much as you can about each guy under your command so you will know how to use them best.
 
#4 ·
Your guys need: The tools necessary to do the job. The material necessary to do the job. The instruction on what exactly needs to be done and any pertinent standards & procedures need following. Proper coordination. Don't hawk them. Then sit back and watch the production happen.
 
#8 ·
How far out of your time are you?

When I first topped out I became a foreman with a guy working for me with as much experience as I was old. I checked up on him twice a day and only gave him **** when i saw him working and the apprentice on the phone. Whenever I see him he is always happy to see me telling me how well i treated him.

You must know the job 3 steps in advance. The more you know, the more confident you'll become, and the more people will want to work for you.

Don't be a ****, don't be their best friend(people tend to try and take advantage of you then). Learn what techniques work for you and what doesn't.

I find most guys want to work for you. You just have to have the right material and lay out what YOU want.

Most of all, know what you're doing, and have confidence.
 
#12 ·
Everything stated above is spot on.
My biggest issue is that I'm extremely friendly with people but I am also a master manipulator(thanks dad)
Learning people's best skill set is a plus. You don't want old man river out in the elements or in an excavation and you don't want junior making up a room full of panels.
Get the conduit guys running conduit and the trim out guys trimming out.
Get your ace(if you are lucky enough to have one) doing the technical odd jobs.

Ride the slackers asses but don't treat everyone that way. Take time to explain things to the less experienced guys that want to learn.

Be honest with your PM or whatever boss and be completely transparent with him.

Don't smoke pot in the office trailer without sharing.
 
#18 ·
My pop told me this when I first started running work. A foreman is only good for 3 things.....

-Information
-Material
-Tools

If you don't have all 3 of these, the job cannot be complete. Most people think "DUH', but sometimes you have to step back and make sure that you actually are providing the above. I was always reminded when we had a problem in the field, if I took a second to look back, I usually was missing one of these.
 
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