A few words about progress — incremental progress — progress achieved a few, small steps at a time thru steady, consistent action, with every step headed in the right direction. When Jerry Seinfeld was starting out, he realized that the way to become a better comic was to create better jokes. And the way to …
To give credit where credit is due, I developed these seven paragraphs from something I adapted many years ago from words written by the humorist, Larry L. King. I wrote down his words but didn’t note the source. The original words rang true to me as a writer and publisher, and I encourage you to …
Construction is a complicated process that requires repeated and skillful problem solving. Your ability to solve problems will have a significant effect on your success as a foreman. Problem solving is a skill — and like most skills, it can be learned, and you can expect to improve your skill with practice and experience. Problem …
Every foreman must occasionally deal with a troublesome crew member. Nobody’s perfect, and you’re smart to allow enough slack that your crew doesn’t feel that you’re always looking over everybody’s shoulder. But from time to time you’ll have a crew member who repeatedly causes problems or difficulties — and you’ll have to step in to …
Any one of these behaviors will make it tough for you to succeed. If you have two or more of these shortcomings and can’t get rid of them, you may not be considered for foreman. If you’re selected and your “killer mistakes” continue, you’re likely to fail. This may sound harsh, but it’s reality. You …
Fundamental #4. To be effective as a foreman you’ll want to put a strong dose of leadership into the way you work with your crew — your style. Everyone likes to work for a foreman who enables them to stay self-motivated and headed in the right direction to get results. Just like baseball players build …
4: You “Make It Home” When You Become a Confident and Respected Leader Read More »
Fundamental #3. Budgets and schedules are accepted facts of life on a construction project. And, if you don’t know already, you’ll quickly understand that they’re a fact of every foreman’s life. Everyone pays close attention to budgets and schedules — and the pressure is always on. But having budgets and schedules will not, by themselves, …
Put yourself in a new foreman’s shoes as you think about Fundamental #2. It’s the weekend, and Monday is Day 1 for you as foreman of a crew of six. Make no mistake about it, you’re about to tackle one of supervision’s toughest transitions when you realizes that you can’t do it all yourself. After …
2: You Make It to Second Base When You Get Results Thru Your Crew Read More »
Fundamental #1. To reach first base you must demonstrate that you’re in charge and you know what you’re doing. You achieve this by establishing your authority and setting up reasonable standards and limits for your crew. Establishing and maintaining a fair, open and healthy relationship with each crew member is a key to effective supervision. …
1: Establish Your Authority and Set Up Reasonable Standards and Limits Read More »
Becoming an effective foreman is like playing baseball. In baseball you must reach all four bases before you score a run that contributes to the success of your team. As a foreman, there are four fundamentals, essential principles you must master to become effective and contribute to the success of your crew, your project, and …
