Masonry Magazine April 2001 Page. 29
during construction. They can range from a simple set of safety glasses to taking an hour every morning to pass through security to get to your area of work (as with the nuclear plants). Either way, this lost time should be accounted for in your bid.
• Learning curves. Bringing on new people means training periods - and the more your people are being trained (or doing the training) - the less they're producing. Learning curves go hand-in-hand with employee turnover, and the only way to quell turnover is through dedicated and consistent efforts to offer good wages, benefits, and programs to boost employee self-esteem and morale.
• And while we're on the subject, poor worker morale by itself can play a huge (and detrimental) role in employee productivity. Morale is a very real (and potentially profit-draining) business liability when left unchecked and should be handled with the same tenacity as (for example) loss-prevention or drug programs. Most of the time, all it takes is a company picnic, company newsletter (to keep the employee more involved), or (better yet) a few nicely-placed bonuses.
• Client cooperation/participation. This includes such things as responding to the architect's request for information (often about finishes), approving change orders, being
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open-minded and helpful when problems arise, and even whether or not they meddle too often in daily affairs. A good owner is worth their weight in gold and a bad owner can cause considerable roadblocks to positive productivity.
"Morale is a very real (and potentially profit-draining) business liability when left unchecked..." I'm sure you can think of more. Remember, the greatest tool you will own in your quest to increase your own productivity is the simple willingness to tackle the issue head on. Good luck!
Steve S. Saucerman is a full-time commercial construction estimator/project manager, freelance author and lecturer for the construction industry and also teaches Building Construction Technology at Rock Valley College in Rockford, IL.
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MASONRY-APRIL, 2001 29