Masonry Magazine December 1996 Page. 21
Relationship Building
Another essential area is the importance of relationship building at the beginning of and throughout the project. I happen to believe that first impressions do make a difference. I've experienced first hand the importance of getting off on the right foot with the general contractor and having that positive first impression serve me well through the difficult times we all face at some point in the life of a project. And, I've watched the "cowboy," the "hotdog," or the "bully" make a bad impression in the first contractor's meeting and have to live down that impression for the duration of the job.
Just as important as your relationship with the general contractor and other subs, is the relationships you form with your own employees and coworkers within your company. I'll bet you've worked with or observed a supervisor who could never be pleased. No matter what his or her workers did, or the efforts they put out, it was just never enough or up to that person's exacting standards. In my opinion, that's just not the way to get the best from those who report to you. The supervisor sets the tone and the pace of the entire job.
Respect and Delegation of Responsibility
We are in a "macho" business, and many supervisors in our business think they are expected to be tough, gruff and hard driving. I've always tried to treat people who work for me as I have wanted to be treated. Now, don't misunderstand. I am not advocating being a pushover. But, I have found that when a crew is performing well and truly working together as a team, positive reinforcement goes a long way in sustaining their efforts. And, there's no reason not to be pleasant. Having a smile on your face does not make you less of a leader, if anything it can be contagious. Work should be satisfying. It certainly increases productivity when it is.
Delegating responsibility throughout your crew can be another way of building solid working relationships. On a medium to large project no one supervisor can be everywhere, observing everything and doing it all. Many of your workers are happy to help you if only asked. And I don't mean just supervisory help. You can and should assign certain workers to be the ones to alert you to problems or needs they see coming... the crew needing certain shapes cut by 11 a.m. or some material that is running low, for instance. Nothing used to push my crazy button faster than having the operator or mortar man tell me we just ran out of some material we need right now.
Spreading Responsibility
Spreading responsibility around helps your workers gain self confidence, helps them to be bought into the goals you've set, and helps them to have a chance to taste success. How sweet it is!
Productivity
We all know that you can beat your productivity schedule each and every day and still lose money on a project if it takes too long to finish. Do you know exactly how much you are spending on a project down to the minute? You should. It could make the difference for you.
How many masons are enough? No, this is not a trick question. It is an issue that confronts a supervisor many times. Some general contractors believe the more masons you put on the job, the faster it will be built. But it's not that simple. There are other factors to be considered, such as the skill of the supervisor and the capacity of the operator.
I am a firm believer in the use of speed leads. With the shortage of well trained masons in many parts of the country, it is important to control costly human error whenever possible. When you do, productivity and quality are likely to improve. Putting speed leads on every corner, and every twig, and jack lines on every corner and vertical joint can put a lot of pressure on the supervisor. And it does make the project more complicated to run. But, the rewards are enormous compared to the alternative of having the masons building the leads as they go.
Playing To Win
The masonry business is one of the most unique in the construction business. You can take two identical projects and put different supervisors in charge. Each supervisor could run their jobs in their own way using different equipment and different techniques and procedures. And both can be successful. That's what makes the masonry business so challenging.
My experience in this business came from my beginning as a laborer and learning as an apprentice and then progressing as a bricklayer, assistant foreman and foreman. Becoming a superintendent and then partner in a very successful commercial masonry business broadened my prospective considerably and tempered all those thoughts I had that my way of doing things was the only way.
I've learned the masonry trade from some of the best in the business and I've had the good sense to realize that there are a lot of smart people out there from whom you can learn. You can take one idea or tens of ideas. It doesn't matter. What does matter is that you bring an open mind and a willingness to risk trying something different. Because if you always do what you've done, you'll always get what you've always gotten...
Play the game to Win. Lajaune is a consultant out of Nashville, Tennessee. You can learn more about his philosophies in his new book "Masonry Supervisor, Playing the Game to Win, Not Just to Stay in the Game." Tom LaJaune, 527 Beech Grove Way, Bums, Tennessee, 37029.