Teach a man to fish

TreeStyle · Jul 17, 2007

i've got a mate who's kinda been a bit lost in his employment lately. I've only just started a small business (1 day a week) and he was keen to work and he has his chainsaw ticket. so i thought beauty! he is kinda keen to learn and enjoyed the occasional rec climb, i endeavoured to teach him some things and try to build his confidence. oh yeah and i am paying 25 an hour when he had no experience......wheres the gratitude?

after a while he tells me that he's got work with another tree company maybe 3 days a week and still able to help me. GREAT. after a month of this he has maybe lowered 4 times and climbed none BUT in his mind he is now a seasoned Arb work with years of experience.

on the weekends i had been letting him use my gear to climb trees, i would set objectives for him the tree. like get to that fork or touch that branch sort a stuff. the other day he says to me that i now need to get insurance so he can use my gear. he says that if he falls out the tree i'll lose everything..........this really irritated me. Coz we are mates hanging out and i'm only trying to help. so i said fine you're not using my gear anymore. and then he asks why?

it's all good he's a good mate and i hope he always is. It just really urks me when i've been trying to help him and build his confidence and now that he has a little bit of experience he thinks his crap don't stink.

spose that i should have just never expected any appreciation.

sorry guys just need to have a whinge!

Ekka · Jul 17, 2007

Welcome to the real world, wait till you train your competitors!

It's hard to develop a true mature working relationship with people rather than the employee/employer one.

Right now you need to focus on the employee/employer one, he has laid the foundation for compo or liability claim, beware!

These days I work in with other tree guys, some are contract climbers and others run their own little business. It's much better.

You need a hand, gizza a hoy, I got a kanga loader, stump grinder and chit loads of rigging gear with know how. Just book in advance. You'll be banging jobs out a twice the speed with quarter the amount of communication and dialogue.

I feed the 18" with the kanga all the time, rather have that machine than a staff member!

Think outside the box, and dont share too many of your secrets, next thing you know he'll be into you for more money, how did you get the job, how much $ on the job etc .... seen it too many times.

joesawer · Jul 19, 2007

It is very difficult to work friends and family. The employee/employer relationship often offends friends. If you want to keep this guy as a mate, you probably shouldn't work with him.
As Ekka said, Don't ever discuss finances with your help. If they think you are making money they want more, and if they think you are loosing money they will be looking for another job. Any one who is not this way is very rare.

woodchux · Jul 20, 2007

Just tell him about arboristsite .com.

He'll find your post and get the message.

TreeStyle · Jul 21, 2007

yeah, i've told him about Arbsite.com. But i think he only likes the photos and videos!

TaoTreeClimber · Jul 26, 2007

You cant control what other people are going to do with thier own lives. I dont know how many newbies I have taught only to have them head on down the road for one reason or other. The important thing is that you opened someones eyes to a certain degree and that is comendable. Who knows what tomorrow may bring. He could come back and be an asset, or he could become a liability to some one else. You have planted the seed, what grows out of that is out of your hands. All things will unfold the way the are supposed to unfold. They are not always the way we want them to unfold, but they will unfold none the less. This is the way of the Tao.