Team motivation ; working with the same guys and keeping motivated.

[truestory]

Hi everybody, this thread is about keeping team moral up. There is plenty of talk on this forum about trees, and how to care for them, but what about the people getting dirty doing the work? To tell you about myself, Im on my 5th year in the buisness. Im a lead climber for a 4 man 1 crew company, so small operation but we deliver quality. I am currently working on my ISA credential and doing the best I can to keep up to date and motivated. So I've been working with the same guys for 3 years , 5 days a week, 9 months a year... cause we have winter here in Québec. After a while conversation gets limited, topics come back and you can only discuss TNA for so long. So How do you keep troop moral up and productive? Well, its an open question for discussion. I think bringing new stories to the table is a must, which means always keeping your own life exciting in order to have something to share. Discussing up to date topics on tree care as well, in condition that the people you are working with are there because they enjoy arboriculture and not just their paycheck..... besides if you are only interested in a paycheck, there are plenty of much less demanding ways of earning one. So that's all I have for now, please give me your imput, everybody will benefit from it!

 

[treeclimber101]

Fire a guy on Xmas eve .... That always gets the others " happier"

 

[rtsims]

Usually were too busy and/or its too loud to carry out full conversations. Its normally limited to **** talking of some sorts, or the task at hand. Now on the truck ride home we discuss whats for dinner, where were gonna grab a beer, gripe about our women, brag about our kids.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Hi everybody, this thread is about keeping team moral up. There is plenty of talk on this forum about trees, and how to care for them, but what about the people getting dirty doing the work? To tell you about myself, Im on my 5th year in the buisness. So that's all I have for now, please give me your imput, everybody will benefit from it!

How many beer's have you had, Kinda cocky for a newb with 5 years on your belt,, you join 3 months ago and tell us tree guys about what we talk about?
We are the people doing the dirty work, or maybe you don't know what dirty work is. I got 15 guy's,, I know about team moral,, dont jump in here and preach before you know who you are preaching to. Now suck it up and be friendly.
Jeff

BTW,,input

 

[KenJax Tree]

I do the dirty work and make peanuts doing it.


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[gorman]

At this point I'll trade dealing with people for the "dirty work" any day.

 

[rtsims]

At this point I'll trade dealing with people for the "dirty work" any day.

I could not agree more!

 

[sgreanbeans]

Not sure why a crew would have so much time to **** chat. If your standing around BSing, than it better be after your off the clock. No matter what, there is always something that needs to be done. When I would get a guy that likes to talk instead of work, I give would give him the boot and then he has all the time in the world.

The beating's will continue until morale improves.

 

[treevet]

At this point I'll trade dealing with people for the "dirty work" any day.

when you start "dealing with people instead of doing the dirty work" you have then become an "administrator" and not a treeman. You may USED to have been a treeman or are GOING TO BE a treeman...but you ain't no treeman anymore. If I had my druthers...someone else would sell the work (good sales), fix the fkn equipment, deal with the books and bills...and I'd get my ass as dirty as I could ALL day and ALL year and make a tractor trailer load of money and laugh at all the prissy well dressed CLEAN staff, all the way to the bank likely making twice as much as any one of them on the face of this earth. opcorn: errr woof!

 

[Pelorus]

Am not much of a conversationalist. Usually listen to a news / current affairs program on the radio heading to or from a job.
I work as hard or harder than any of the guys, which in itself better be an incentive for someone to give their all.
Will buy 'em coffee & donut if passing a coffee shop on way to a job. I dunno if it motivates them as much as me.
Getting paid at the end of a job, and thanked by an appreciative client is always nice. So are tips / bonuses, and definitely hugs from ladies. A hug (nb. from a lady) can be such a motivator. Who knew?

 

[CR888]

The op has been cooked! Burnt to a crisp! l think you stiffs need to get laid more or something. Very tough crowd round here. lol

 

[treevet]

Gettin laid on the job might be a morale killer (for the non laid parties). Just sayin.

 

[treeclimber101]

I sing and talk to myself a lot ! Most of the time the conversation I have in my head and the occasional guy talking some **** or seeing someone **** up and I can laugh , that seems to be all the morale I need .... I enjoy the "work" aspect more then walking around ol Man Jenkins back yard then putting a price together so he can **** around with that then end my day with more stress of organizing paperwork schedules and payments and receiving ! Being in a tree on a nice day .... That's what I'm here for

 

[treevet]

I was flyin around way up in a gorgeous oak doing some pruning yesterday (sunny and warm) in a perpetual love affair with my wraptor then my old school zigzag and my ms150, with NO employees to boost morale for as the 4th one no showed and I think he is in jail. The previous 3 over last winter I fired em all and got a new one coming in tomorrow for a try out. Nice doing a day by yourself sometimes when no clean up is nec. I keep getting their names confused. Will get a steady in the next couple weeks. Always do. I treat em good and pay em good and quit daily at 8 hours. They just have to work their balls off. No compromise there or in quality of work. I am right there with them tho, extreme hot or cold.

 

[treeclimber101]

I laugh at it now .... I feel like I've seen most scenarios and I just take it all with a grain of salt . The morale comes from enjoying the job enough that it isn't so much as a task more of a personal mission to prove to myself that I can conquer that days task . And that doesn't just apply to trees . I also apply it to personal life as well .

 

[treeclimber101]

I also let the guy helping me that tomorrow will either be really good like a easy peasy pole clipping day or a ****ed up white pine 300 yards from the chipper , surprising guys only works when the days gonna e butter , starting a hard day unprepared cab completely **** your mind which makes your ****ed a well LOL

 

[treevet]

true

 

[tree MDS]

It's funny, the older I get, the more I realize how extraordinary the job we do (as owners) is. I sometimes wonder wtf I was ever thinking as a young man. That said I enjoy it for the most part. Another thing I notice more these days, is it really is hard for me to come down at the end of the day. I guess I could blame the work for my thirsty nature, but I think its more just being the sort of person that can handle the job/business that makes me more prone to substance abuse. I've met quite a few treeguys (good ones) that don't drink over the years. I still wonder how they do it. My hat is sincerely off to them. Maybe that's it, being a good treeman is as much of a curse as it is a gift? Just some random thoughts on the job.

 

[tree MDS]

So I guess what I'm saying is beer thirty is a big motivator for me. Lol

 

[treeclimber101]

It's funny, the older I get, the more I realize how extraordinary the job we do (as owners) is. I sometimes wonder wtf I was ever thinking as a young man. That said I enjoy it for the most part. Another thing I notice more these days, is it really is hard for me to come down at the end of the day. I guess I could blame the work for my thirsty nature, but I think its more just being the sort of person that can handle the job/business that makes me more prone to substance abuse. I've met quite a few treeguys (good ones) that don't drink over the years. I still wonder how they do it. My hat is sincerely off to them. Maybe that's it, being a good treeman is as much of a curse as it is a gift? Just some random thoughts on the job.

That is a very good post .. I could only like it once but I woulda gave it 2 if I could