Crossroads - My rant (long)

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celtic said:
If they wanted to take a print home, fine....but their time is their time...I don't want them yapping to their girlfriends, boyfriends, or wives on my time...and I don't want them working on their time on my project.
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After Shocked's comment about repairing the temp on his own time (which I disagreed with, but didn't comment on due to my already long post), I figured he'd be more comfortable looking over the job on his own time.

The thing is, during business hours, he likely won't get a quiet moment to simply look at the building itself and assess it's current state - if a task can be completed elsewhere, for sure, I'm all over going to the park. I've had an intricate custom home (and paperwork) or two that I simply took home and worked on after hours, where I could sit down, type it out and organize it for my benefit and my employer's. The free hour or two of work on my part (which was never asked for) was more for my own piece of mind than anything else.

But if you have to look at the building itself to get your bearings, after shift is my preferred time. :)
 
Note to self: Stop trying to work and manage at the same time.

Thanks for the advice. I can't tell you how many times I've been so stressed-out from doing this. I just always figured that that's what it's like to be the eldctrician in-charge on the job. I always feel this guilt that I haven't accomplished enough in one day.

Shocked277 might be the author of this post, but we've all been there, I'm sure.
 
I remember my father telling me about waking me up on the couch and telling me to get to bed and me telling him ok but I have to get another 150' of pipe up first. the next job I snapped at some guys that came up to help me out for the day and 1 of them telling me he was going to continue to do his best because of all the help I was on his last job. I didn't run any more jobs for a while and told owners of companies I worked for I didn't like myself when I ran work, but liked being a working second in charge and was very comfortable taking care of the public areas and fire alarm stuff and would pretty much be right in the middle of everything and could give guidence and answer questions and push the labor and let who they wanted to run the job handle coordination meetings and coordination with the office and I'd help with making sure we had materials on the job. I enjoyed that role for years, but now own the company and work through challenges.
 
Running work isn't for everyone (for whatever reason) - but you will NEVER know unless you try.

An old timer once told me:
I don't regret the things I have done, I regret the things I have not done.

So now you got your feet wet in a "baptism by fire" ....once you grow accustomed to the level of stress it will seem to dissipate (experience I think it's called ;) ). The next job - should you decide to indulge - may have a lower stress level (better plans, co-ordination, manpower, etc) and this will all be a fond memory :D ...if the stress level is equal, you'll already be mal-adjusted enough to handle it.
 
The hardest think to do is delegate out the work and trust your workers. I realized along time ago that you are always behind. I have made sure that I take my personal time. It is what keeps you sane. My self I go out ice-fishing right now, and it gives me a quiet place to think out what I need to do and prioratize everything in general. My old man always told me that when you quit one job due to ***holes you only get a different one at the new place and they might be worse. At least you know what you have now.
 
First: One little favor: compare your lighting layout to Loew's shelving/aisle layout. The luminaires should be centered over the aisles of course but I've seen it happen elsewise.

As for the dirt floor-- this happened on the second Loew's that I built. The GC looked at the floorplan and didn't see any notation that there was supposed to be a concrete floor so he didn't put one in.
Out solution was to rent a squadron of butane powered scissor lifts. These were crummy. If you tried to drive them in the elevated position, when you stopped, the wheels would stop dead but you, on top, would be subjected to a Richter scale 7.3 jolt.
This no pavement idea is a severe blunder on the part of Mr. Loew.

I really think you are undermanned for this size of job. We had about 10 or 15 people. A two hour drive is too much to expect. What city is this new blue box? Post a help wanted ad in the local daily Sudoku fix and hire local talent for the duration.

~Peter
 
I always say, " If you ain't gonna drive the train then get the heck outta the seat" I liked the post a while back that used the words, "planning, planning, planning". Man, I cannot express how much better projects go when we have a good solid plan. They run so easy it feels like you are stealing the money instead of earning it.
 
been there

been there

hey shockedby277,
after lurking here for too long, your post about your (big box store) job caused me to go ahead and introduce myself to the group and then reply to you.

Man I have been there; behind schedule, undermanned and unprepared. Trust me it will all be okay. I have had to deal with those jobs before and they have all sorts of goofy specs and tight schedules. In the end, it's just another job.

Just a word of warning, pay attention to the specs on isolated grounds and the generator / UPS circuits. After I was there til' 2 am fixing other guys screw-ups I realized that they mean business on that. They have a spec sheet that details the testing they will do on your IG circuits, make sure you can pass it before they come test you on it. It's not that hard if you know that you have to do it right but it sucks when someone else blows it off and you have to fix it. Ask your super or your boss about it before you have a problem. If an informal question doesn't get it send an RFI up the chain of command and get some answers.
Furthermore I can see the logic behind the whole "pour the slab last" type of construction, but man I hate to work in those conditions. Somehow it doesn't seem right that you need a 4 wheel drive scissor lift when you are "Inside" a building.
Oh, and not to rag on you because I do feel your pain, but man I have run pipe out of snorkel lifts (with tiny baskets clearly not intended for bending pipe in) 50' off of the ground for days and had crews doing it for weeks. Efficient? NO! Sometimes the only way to get it done? YES!
Hang in there and you got it.
By the way, I've found that a lot of superintendents go after the new/young/inexperienced foreman so they can make a show of "running their job" to the other crews/foremen. I'm not insulting you, just don't let them get you down.
Ten years from now you'll be saying "when I started running jobs" etc, etc.

Good luck and hang in there.
 
I too am going to say wholeheartedly that I feel your pain... Well, I felt your pain, I have been in roughly the same type of situation before.

Big job - no people... If it works out they buy you lunch, if it don't it's your fault type crap doesn't cut it IMO

If your employer or management threw you at this green, then everybody under you is green too. And that's the management of your companies fault. (Keep that under your hat though ;) I'll explain more on that in a minute.)

Now having that off my chest, I'll say that georgestolz has given some great advise here... As all others have!

First I'll also repeat that you need to remain sane. Considering your experience, you may have been chosen for this due to other factors like, someone feels that you have some leadership ability. That said, you need to exhibit some. Part of that is never letting 'em see you sweat. (Figuratively.) You have a number of eyes on you from a number of directions. From above (Employer), below (Employees) and across. (GC, Super's, Other Trades, Arch's etc) And believe it or not IMO it is the last two that really count. Your employer is in the same boat with you, and it may be high time to let them know that. Subtly! As the job is probably under some sort of contract compliance to maintain a schedule. (There could be penalties in that...) If you're stressed, people below see that, and some of them might question things, and that slows things down more. If they don't have the right information, youu'll be going in reverse... If they don't see the light at the end of the tunnel - sometimes the same thing... You need to be the subtle squeaky wheel with your boat mate and demand more help on site. Let them be totally aware of your deadlines and that resources may be needed to brought to bear. Be it every last man for a while, or even out-sourced labor. Trust me that is often cheaper early in the job as it might be in the end... But you will also be managing a larger crew... You should also know that across from you... All is transparent!!! Your employer should know that already, but if you recognize, know, and meet your deadlines you are golden in thier eyes, so long as you exhibit confidence at every turn. Yep, it's an image thing...

Now how to meet those deadlines... You need to be organized...
  1. Set yourself up an area for an office and planning area. Even if it's the side door of your van. Fax/printer, laptop, and ream or two of paper.
  2. You're the GOTO guy for information - have all of it well ahead of time, and plan weeks ahead.
  3. Get yourself an old tool bag, and throw a few spare tape measures, a calculator, legal pads, a box of markers, marking paint of a few colors, lasers, chaulk-lines and all the stuff you need to lay people out with...
  4. Print this: (And feel free to use it...) http://www.markhellerelectric.com/linediagram.pdf
  5. Get a copy of your E sets in pdf, or CAD (if you have and know how to use it). That way you can print up small 8X11's portions for guys to take with and finish... Manage changes, etc.
Plan your day with some goals and try to meet them:

  • Start with a little site meeting with task assignment.
  • While everyone else is working Layout their next tasks.
  • Follow up on your mountain of paperwork
  • Take breaks with your guys and turn the job off...
  • Modivate on your way back to work...
  • Do some work yourself...
  • Review finished work.
  • Plan the next day for your guys
  • Plan your next week for yourself.
  • Double check the details.
  • Smile and meet everyone with a glad hand... ;)
I really hope it all works out for you.... Keep us posted.
 
hardworkingstiff said:
77,

How are you doing these days? Let us know.
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Thnx again for the advice all.

When I first posted I was having a real real bad day. Since I started this job those days have been coming and going. I couldn't quit my job, I would hate for someone to go through my work. My one Journeyman on the job took the print home this past weekend. (On his own, I wouldn't ask) This has helped greatly, since we started doing underground. Actually, I even lost a guy. I asked for another, nothing more I can do about it. The 2 guys with the long drive drive are off my site now. 1 moved to another job and the other has been let go. They were replaced with a greenie. He's a horse, shovels like he's looking for gold.

BTW, It isn't big orange or blue heh it's the big M
 
Shockedby277v said:
..Actually, I even lost a guy. I asked for another, nothing more I can do about it. The 2 guys with the long drive are off my site now. 1 moved to another job and the other has been let go. They were replaced with a greenie. He's a horse, shovels like he's looking for gold.
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He's not looking for gold, he just doesn't want to get canned right away.

High turnover seems common among Electrical contractors (EC) in construction, especially if the General contractor (GC) and the plumbers are helping out, being more familiar with the job than your own shop.

I would try to learn as much as possible if the GC or other trades offer help. They can clarify incomplete or changing prints & specs, often better than the EC shop. This education may be the only thing you keep and the leverage that makes you the most qualified people your shop has for that job.
 
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