sociability within crews

[treeman82]

I was working for somebody today climbing. I have mentioned him on here before. The guy and myself get along very well outside of a direct work environment. The conversation flows freely, moods are relaxed, etc. Whenever I work with him though, he doesn't like to have a conversation at all. All he likes to say is "Get up the tree." Or something to that effect. Whenever I work with him though, I wind up being miserable, I get on his nerves a lot because I want to have at least a half assed conversation. On top of that, stuff gets broken. Such was the case today. I owned a chain link fence today 3 times from 2 trees.

Now on the other end of the spectrum, I have a couple of other friends who I have done work for in the past. One guy does tree work on a regular basis, the other guy (the clothing burner) I have done work at his house. The guy who does tree work on a regular basis, I can't really ever remember damage happening while I worked with him, and yet we get a whole bunch done, the jobs come out clean, and we can have a conversation to a point. The cockroach, when I did work for him at his house, there was conversation going on between either he and myself, or the people on the ground and myself. I do not believe that I ever did any damage over there, and I did some pretty nasty trees over there compared to this place today. Even when I had my own thing going, I would try to keep a conversation going at least to a point, and I can only really remember doing damage one time where it was definately my fault.


What kind of atmosphere do you guys like to keep while you are on the job?

 

[NickfromWI]

I like my work environment to be fun. Productivity is key on the jobsite, and I think people are more productive if they enjoy where they are and what they are doing...it brings about a more positive attitude.

If it is fun, I want to be there. If it seems everyone else enjoys being there, I want even MORE to be there!

I dislike working with grumps.

I also dislike when it's me that gets hit with the snowball

love
nick

 

[BigJohn]

You go to work to get something done or to gossip? I get guys on my crew who just want to talk. I tell the same thing your buddy does get up that tree drag that brush ect. Talk time is for lunch break and after work or the ride home. When there is work to be done you do that and not worry about why your buddy wont talk to you. I do like to have and joke around all day and its like a party but you can't have a conversation while saws are running and chipper going. I mind is on what I am going to do next and after that not where did you get those shoes or what are thinking.

Hey Nick if you want to have fun come on over the bridge with Roachy some time to Ward. My guys don't stop laughing. Laughing is good no time for talk though.

 

[rborist1]

:Eye:

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Different people work different ways, one guy I work with loves to stop and talk all the time. I'ts not a problem if the work gets done.

i know others who want to blow the work out and nothing else.

It's cool with me either way. One of the key traits of a subcontractor is to be able to adapt to the crew you are with and fit in.

So far there has been only one client I have that I've not been able to click with. Nothing bad on either side, we seem to liek each other. Just get on each other's nerves when on the job. Needles to say I don;t call him and he does not call me.

If you dinged a fence three times on one of my jobs, I would not have much to say to you either

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Originally posted by rborist1
I run a slave ship! No talking allowed! I pay my men to work, not to talk. If they don,t like it, they know where the door is.

Ho about singing, Craig? Can i sing when in the tree?

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Originally posted by rborist1
I run a slave ship! No talking allowed! I pay my men to work, not to talk. If they don,t like it, they know where the door is.

[color="ff0000"]GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE.[/COLOR]

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

OW!

 

[dbeck]

I hate working w/ grumps also Nick. MAkes the day drag. Conversation is good, watch your mouth though! Talking to someone when they are frustrated can help alleviate their pain...ask them about sports, yachting, carving, world news is always a good one - something they are interested in helps them ignore thier frustration...

 

[Crofter]

Depends on peoples styles. I really dislike a radio playing or frivolous conversation going on if the situation calls for ongoing thought or potential for unforseens cropping up. Now if you are piling wood or something very routine, discussions OK. Some people are able to tune out and others not.

Frank

 

[MasterBlaster]

I like the fools that can't work and talk at the same time. To those I say 'STFU'!

 

[treeman82]

JPS- the three dings were after lunch and towards the end of the day. One of them was VERY minor, from a branch going the wrong way. The other two weren't as minor, but the tree was a DEAD ash tree that I wasn't very comfortable in. It was a good thing I wrapped my climbing line around the trunk on the way down, otherwise I would be in the hospital tonight


Nick- I hate getting hit with snowballs too, but to me it kind of shows a jovial work environment. Not all "gotta get it done, gotta get it done."

As far as having a conversation goes, I am not talking about talkin when limbs could be flying. I am talking about when the ground is trying to get caught up, or when the climber is trying to reposition, or what have you. I am also not talking about discussing the meaning of life. I am referring to just quick things that don't require much discussion.

I'm with Nick though; I hate working with grumps, and if the place I am working at is a friendly atmosphere, then I want to be there.

 

[stewartglenn]

On my crew ,Ya gotta get along. It makes the day go fast. We all know our job , get the work done early and then we "coast" . If you have to "bust your ass 24/7 mentality" nobody will stay with you long, because your an a$$hole. Tree work is hard work there has to be some fun in it...comraderie. If you have to be a whip cracker or a slave driver...then your either an A$$hole or you don`t know how to hire or run a business.

Stew

 

[rborist1]

:Eye:

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

No, I think they were just at you.
There really isn't a lot of time for pleasentries in our world. If the saws not running, the chipper is. If the chippers not running, the Bobcat is. If that's not, you're probably driving a truck somewhere.
This year for our winter triming work, I got me an MP3 player, which is nice, but does cut down on talk.

 

[NickfromWI]

Originally posted by stewartglenn
...comraderie...

This is exactly what I'm talking about. Not playing around....just good comraderie. It gives a good reason to wake up. Why wake up to go to work to get harped at by pissy people to bust your ass so that you can not quite satisfy anyone?

Who wants to do that. Whistle while you work. And have fun while you're doing it, too!

love
nick

 

[Greg]

Your friend who doesn't want to talk on the job is probably talking to himself and is worrying. Especially if things are getting banged up. I work as a sub about 2 days a week and those days are always a lot more laid back for me, less headache. But when it is my job I feel the pressure, and I bet that is what shuts up your friend, he is thinking "he better not hit that fence again, I hope the homeowner gets home in time to pay me, I thought this should have been done by now, did I bring extra gas mix, I hope my chains will make it to the end of the day, I'll never have time to do those estimates this afternoon, will this guy just shut up and work!!!" I wouldn't take it personally, my buddy that I sub for says before big jobs he has a hard time sleeping at night (he has been in the biz for 10 yrs) we all deal with pressure in different ways.

--I droped a limb on a fence about 2 weeks ago. It was a dead tree that I did not feel good about and was not going to rig out this limb. I knew it was 50/50 sure enough it smacked it and bent it down (aluminum fake iron fence), we were able to bend it back, but I would not have felt bad if we had to pay up $50 for a new section, I was not going to rig in that tree. My a$$ is worth more than some crappy fence --- or even a million dollar house.
Greg

 

[ORclimber]

I think the dangers and physical challenges of treework naturally breed comraderie. Many guys I've worked with for 6 months know me better than people that I've known socially for years. I quit talking when stressed too. There'll be time to chit chat when the trees on the ground, between jobs, etc.

 

[Gypo Logger]

When working together, it is best to work like you're mad at each other. More gets done that way, but there's always interuptions of some sort. I never did go for the "Bunch and Lunch," thing though ,and prefer to work alone, so I just talk to myself and tell jokes, but I only laugh at some cause I think I told them to myself before.
John

 

[blue]

i've worked with alot of differant people over the years in the UK and after reading this thread started me thinking that every single one of them was sarcastic.this doesn't bother me at all as i really take the p1$$ outa people(not in a nasty way just a joke if you know what imean).the current crew is probably the best though.if people over hear us they must think we are about to come to punch-ups,common topics are wives,girlfriends(or lack of),familys etc,etc.things sound really personel sometimes but we each know it's only a joke and not at all personnel.

every day is a laugh,even on the crappiest jobs we have a laugh and the job gets done in time.

if i had to work with grumpy gits who don't talk i would do me head in big time.this job is dangerous but people take things to seriously sometimes.have a laugh at work and lighten up