Hello,
I love the MT podcasts. I am a production manager for a construction company. We have 8 office staff and 15 construction site staff. I am relatively new to the company (9 months) and this is a very, very well run company. We have a weekly group meeting where the carpenters give a oral report of the jobs that they are running. I would like to know if you think that holding one-on-ones make sense for us. There are a total of 4 project managers plus myself. I am the bridge between site and office and all the jobs and scheduling. I would like to put forward that myself and 2 other project managers hold weekly one on ones. I propose that we each meet with one of the site carpenters after our Fri meeting so we meet with a total of 3 site carpenters. The next week meet with another 3 until we have each meet with each site carpenter. It would take 5 weeks to get to meet with everyone, but it would be better than no meeting at all. Am I thinking too big or too small?
Looking forward to your response.
Good Idea...
Nathan-
Sure, *I* think one on ones are always a good idea. A couple of thoughts/recommendations:
1. Try to do them weekly. We've found an enormous difference. A lot goes on in two weeks. It becomes a report (another report) rather than a relationship building meeting, in our experience.
2. You can do them over the phone.
3. You can go to their site to do it. (It's certainly possible that this is unfeasible, but lacking that knowledge just wanted you to know that they work fine at "their" location).
4. I don't exactly understand your structure, so can't make specific recommendations on who meets with whom, but generally if someone reports to you, you would do the one on one. If they report to someone else, that person would do the O3.
Let us know how it goes.
Mark
who reports to who?
Thanks Mark for your response. You brought up the point of not knowing our structure. That is where it is interesting. We have 3 (soon to be 4 again) project managers, myself as a production facilitator and 10 Lead carpenters with 5 apprentices/helpers. There is not one person that a carpenter reports to. The lead hand will report to the project manager and myself for the duration of a job (4-12 weeks) and then change to a new project manager. Every morning 4 or 5 carpenters are in the office talking with us about various issues. We all work with each other and there is no real distinction in one person "who is in charge". There is a fantastic air of "respect" for everyone here (I have worked for a few construction company's and this is the best I have seen by far)
My problem is trying to figure out who should meet with who.
Should it be when a Lead carpenter is doing a job for Project Manager (Jamie) for 6 weeks he meets with him? When the Lead carpenter changes to another Project Manager, meet with that new Project Manager (Jen or Paul)?
What about the apprentices/helpers? Do we meet with them?
Do I meet with anyone? I am not a Project Manager, rather I am more like a utility guy and involved in either the big projects or the small projects and wherever else I am needed. All of the carpenters report to me and communicate to me, but only 2 of the project managers are responsible for all of our yearly reviews.
This is a new concept to all of us here and we are just wanting to start it properly and really appreciate any input
Nathan