Communication as a Foreman’s Tool

Many of us spend, or have spent, a great deal of time and thought in the area of our painting businesses that concern application procedures. We want our labor to be expended in such a way that not only reflects the quality craftsmanship we’re selling as a product, but does so in a safe and profitable fashion as well. That’s why most of us aren’t opposed to spending what it takes to outfit our supervisors and our crews with the kinds of tools it requires to operate efficiently, safely, and in such a way that the workmanship we’re after isn’t compromised. There are many, many tools in our arsenals and our vendor’s stores that can help us achieve these basic goals. But the most important tool isn’t generally found in our grips, trailers, or toolboxes. The most valuable tool for achieving profits in a safe and workmanlike fashion is communication.

I’ve seen a lot of quick and proficient foremen, but the ones that really were the best had either a knack, or a respect for the value of what I refer to as the cerebral aspect of managing a job. This approach to be fully exploited, leans heavily on the ability to be a good communicator.

Prior to sending our foremen out to the project, we meet and thoroughly discuss the job in detail. We give them a folder that contains a work order that provides the name of the customer, their contact, the supplier we’re using, the designer or architect if there is one, an outline of the scope of work that was bid, a complete list of all work processes involved-including the square footage of walls, ceilings, siding, number of doors, frames, lineal feet of base, crown mold, etc. Also included is a form for recording the types and locations of products, colors, manufacturer’s numbers, etc. We also want them to appreciate and understand how we got the opportunity to do the project, if, why, and what to do about any potential political issues surrounding the job. If certain portions of the job are a key to it’s success, we need to communicate how we figured on attacking that phase or portion. They in turn, need to advise the office if any deviations from “the plan” occur in the field (this of course, is extremely rare J).

The foreman records all time spent on each and every work process so we can compare our actual vs. budgeted allocations as the job progresses, as well as when it’s complete so as to reflect on and adjust our pricing. Each week a foreman’s report is turned in for every project that time was claimed on, along with the timecards. This report indicates in general what was done each day, who worked each day and how many hours they worked. It also has a line item for communications on site for each day, as well as a place to record and bring forward to the next week the hours used to date.

Our jobsite representative, the person in charge, must have these tools in order to properly perform their responsibilities. They are in charge of all labor, materials, sundries, rentals, and all other expenses on their project on an hourly and daily basis. They are representing us to our clients. Why would we want them to be less than adequately equipped with all the correct and BEST tools to do the job?

Dave “sigco” Siegner

Siegner and Company

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