# Mean boss-or nice boss



## genecarp (Mar 16, 2008)

A couple of threads got me curious, it seems like alot of guys here are hard asses when it comes to managing there employees. how would you best describe your management style

1- A RAVING LUNATIC THAT SCREAMS AT THERE EMPLOYEES ON A REGULAR BASIS

2- A WELL BALANCED PACKAGE THAT OCCASIONALLY SCREAMS

3- A QUIET TYPE THAT MOTIVATES AND LEADS BY CAREFULLY CHOSEN NON EMOTIONAL COMMUNICATION. 

:thumbsup: G


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## George Z (Dec 23, 2004)

4- a quiet type that motivates and leads by carefully chosen emotional communication.


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

I'm definitely #2. I'm generally calm, but occasionally go totally off the deep end. Usually after that happens, everyone is real quiet the rest of the day. :laughing:


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## AintNoFun (Mar 13, 2006)

i dont think you can win either way... your nice people walk over you, your nasty theyre unproductive and find ways to screw you..


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

AintNoFun said:


> i dont think you can win either way... your nice people walk over you, your nasty theyre unproductive and find ways to screw you..


That's why I'm generally nice, and only occasionally fly off the handle to keep anyone from getting any funny ideas. :thumbsup:


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## SethHoldren (Feb 13, 2008)

I am not a quiet type, but I don't yell. In fact, in my experience a point can be driven home more powerfully if you don't blow your wad yelling all the time. 

But then, I know there are people out there who don't respond to anything but yelling. I just don't hire those people. :thumbsup:

Here are the rules of thumb I live by: Mean what you say. Prove it often. Make eye contact. Don't hire people who you can't communicate with.


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

SethHoldren said:


> Don't hire people who you can't communicate with.


... and if you do accidentally, humiliate them on a regular basis until they quit.


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## SethHoldren (Feb 13, 2008)

mdshunk said:


> ... and if you do accidentally, humiliate them on a regular basis until they quit.



:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## daystoshort (Oct 2, 2008)

id go with 5 fair but firm i verry seldom freek out its about respect if you respect them they respect you.


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## Chris Johnson (Apr 19, 2007)

I'll take #2, I only scream if I have had to tell you the same thing over and over again, then I demote you to moving and bending/cutting rebar by yourself for the entire day...that job sucks and is dirty, after 8 hours of the same thing by yourself you learn to listen really quick.


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## PA woodbutcher (Mar 29, 2007)

genecarp said:


> A couple of threads got me curious, it seems like alot of guys here are hard asses when it comes to managing there employees. how would you best describe your management style
> 
> 1- A RAVING LUNATIC THAT SCREAMS AT THERE EMPLOYEES ON A REGULAR BASIS
> 
> ...


Probably somewhere between a 2 and 3. Occasionally would mean, like twice in the last 2 years. I had a 1st Sergeant tell me in the Army that when you lose your temper you lose respect. I have been known to send people home for the rest of the day or week depending on the infraction. Sent all 3 of them home once. I don't mess with them and I don't expect them to mess with me.


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

George Z said:


> 4- a quiet type that motivates and leads by carefully chosen emotional communication.


Ditto. 

If your employees aren't sure that you care, you can be sure they could careless about you, the company and the work they are doing.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

my actions vary in regards to the employee, if the worker doesnt listen, lazy and makes mistake constantly i yell till my voice is gone

if its a good worker and they made a small mistake just by having a brain fart, ill tease em a couple times or use "you remember that time we were installing siding and i said i needed 3 pieces 82" between the windows and you cut me 3 pieces 28" cuz you read your tape backwards":jester:

if their new at the trade and just starting out, im nice to them, explain where they made their mistake, or tell them were on a timeline for this job,whatever. so lets work a little faster,or you know where you went wrong for the next time


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## thom (Nov 3, 2006)

How would one know if you were the yelling type. You must yell just to be heard on a construction site. If you have a quiet voice, no one would know you were talking. 

As for type, direct, honest, to the point. If a guy screws up, point it out, every time. If you don't, anger will build up inside you till you burst, probably at the wrong thing or the wrong guy. 

If your guys can't take being told they screwed up, let them leave. There's no time or patience to be your employees shrink or friend, JUST BE HIS BOSS.


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## Remodel Bud (Aug 13, 2008)

........


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## ChrWright (Jul 17, 2007)

I don't like the "non-emotional" element--and I don't consider "screaming" well balanced. 

I strive to be more of a Leader than a Boss where my expectations are clear, employees are respected and correction is progressive vs. bi polar.

I am passionate about having high standards, for both myself and for those who work for me. "Lead by example" is a cliche, but true nonetheless. 

Bottom line: employees will bend over backwards to please you if they respect you and if you inspire them to be part of something greater--something special. When it comes to front-line, in-the-field leadership: Respect is earned by setting a consistent level of expectations and being just as hard on yourself in meeting them as you are on them.

Does that mean hand-holding? Defnintely not. I don't subscribe to the "every snowflake is special" school of teaching/leading. I will teach you the way I want things done, be patient as you learn and grow--but when you screw up you're going to hear about it.


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## Remodel Bud (Aug 13, 2008)

...................


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## genecarp (Mar 16, 2008)

I probably fall somewhere between 2 and 3, for me, i takes to much effort to yell. as much as i believe it is not good for the morale of the men, more importantly yelling is not good for me. i very clearly lay out what is expected, i am a friend, a therapist, a babysitter, and a couple of other things. but rest assured everyone knows if they become more of a liability than an asset, they are gone. ( nothing personal ).


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## rbsremodeling (Nov 12, 2007)

I will probably get banged up for this but

I am the clown on the job site. I talk trash with my guys all day long. My guys know I enjoy what I do. I do not want then to look at me as a boss but a friend and I have not gotten burnt with this philosophy in 15 years.

When I announce I am going out to the field to work everyone wants me on their project. I make working enjoyable. I pick the hardest tasks or even the clean up role to do while I am in the field.

My guys respect me and it is not a problem for me. To have them see me doing small task that a laborer would do.

I can also get my guys to do anything, anytime I ask because they know I will come in the trenches with them if required.

Some guys will disagree and say you have to have a boss mentality or stay in charge but my method has worked for me and my co workers/employees are loyal to no end.

They do not exploit my kindness and I have not raised my voice to anyone in over 15 years. If somethings broke we broke it and we will fix it. They do not neglect my tools, trucks or job sites so if anything goes wrong its on us/me


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## Meetre (Nov 2, 2007)

genecarp said:


> but rest assured everyone knows if they become more of a liability than an asset, they are gone. ( nothing personal ).


nuff said. let them know what is expected and what they can expect. stick to it. Yelling makes me mad, I won't do it to someone else.


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## Remodel Bud (Aug 13, 2008)

.................


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## genecarp (Mar 16, 2008)

rbsremodeling said:


> I will probably get banged up for this but
> 
> I am the clown on the job site. I talk trash with my guys all day long. My guys know I enjoy what I do. I do not want then to look at me as a boss but a friend and I have not gotten burnt with this philosophy in 15 years.
> 
> ...


 
EXACTLY, I COULD NOT AGREE MORE:thumbsup:


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## ChrWright (Jul 17, 2007)

A happy jobsite, with people who enjoy what they do and have fun working together is one of the best experiences you can give to your clients.


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## eekie34 (Jun 14, 2008)

I'm with rbs. and if they  with me, I punched them in the stomach, and make them throw up.


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## rbsremodeling (Nov 12, 2007)

eekie34 said:


> I'm with rbs. and if they  with me, I punched them in the stomach, and make them throw up.


10 years ago we had the sand mound. If anyone had a problem with me we'd go out back and wrestle. If the crowd decided I lost I would do that person's job for the day. I only lost 3 times or so in 10 years. 

Lets just say I should have lost 100's of times but the crowd was always on my side:whistling

and no I don't wrestle any more I am the owner of a high profile company now lol


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## Kaiser (Jan 22, 2008)

#2 for me. As I said in a previous post I'm a Caring Hardass. 

It's a balance of Honey and Vinegar you need to know when to apply one or the other.


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## SethHoldren (Feb 13, 2008)

rbsremodeling said:


> 10 years ago we had the sand mound. If anyone had a problem with me we'd go out back and wrestle. If the crowd decided I lost I would do that person's job for the day.


That's got to be one of the funniest things I've heard all month! :laughing: I imagine it going like this:

Employee - "Um, excuse me, rbs? I was wondering... I've been working with you now for, what, 5 years this month? Yeah, and, the other day remember when you said I'm not nearly as big of a bonehead as I was a few years back. Remember? Well, I was just thinking...do you think I could have a little bit of a raise? Because, I really have been improvin---"

*"LET'S WRESTLE."* -rbs, rising from his chair and marching back to the sand pile.

:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## Cdat (Apr 18, 2007)

Calm and fair. I get people to *want *to do what I need done. If for whatever reason, I lose it and boil over, no one says anything for days and I do mean days. People say I'm intimidating but I just think I'm a 250 lb 6 foot 4 teddy bear.:jester:

Oh, when I boil over, I cuss, throw things, act like a five year old not getting their way. This has happened twice in my life. I usually have to leave the job site, go home, get a weapon and destroy things. It's a great way to relieve stress.


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## AtlanticWBConst (Mar 29, 2006)

genecarp said:


> A couple of threads got me curious, it seems like alot of guys here are hard asses when it comes to managing there employees. how would you best describe your management style
> 
> 1- A RAVING LUNATIC THAT SCREAMS AT THERE EMPLOYEES ON A REGULAR BASIS
> 
> ...



I'd say that I am closest to no. 2. The only yelling I do is the rare occasion of: observed, blatant, inexcusable, stupidity.

I believe in running a tight ship with good planning, well thought out execution, and delivering high quality. It's hard to control all that, if you are too lenient, and all about "good times" on the jobs. It's like raising kids, there should be a balance.

On the other hand, I don't believe in micro-managing. There are some workers that need a little of it, some that need a lot of it, and some that don't need it at all.

IMHO - The workers should always feel comfortable around you, but understand what you want, and have an unspoken respect for you. That comes especially from understanding them, helping them, and being fair to them at all times.

There are high pressure jobs, there are close-budget jobs, there are mistakes that happen on every large job. It is good to be fair, communicate, and be understanding, when situations call for it. If I make a mistake on a job, I'll admit it. I expect them to do the same, not make excuses.

The only time I loose it on a job, is when I see incompetence. It burns my britches to no end. :furious:

When you go over a facet, or design, give them several reminders, and they know from repetative procedures how things should be done, and they make a more serious mistake because they didn't think, use common sense, and follow specific instructions = ARRGHHH + $%^*#!!!!!! :wallbash: :cursing:


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

well, i had one guy get upset because i was yelling at him, i had to it was a framing job and no one could hear anyone else between the compressors, framing guns and saws going. 

as for pranks, im usually the guy pulling that stuff, had a 2nd year giving me grief who was already on the crew i had just started with, so i started hiding his ****. the end of it came when i hid his lunch box in a bin inside the truck and we told him we threw it in the woods, he spent the whole lunch break wondering around the trees trying to find it, when lunch was over i lifted it up so he could see it, then we went back to work, he missed his lunch.


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## Zendik (Sep 18, 2005)

Construction companies' most valuable resource is its workers. Like it or not Construction is a people orientated industry. Materials don't just jump up and place themselves. 

Small companies have been always hard to work for because of the lack of education. Folks seem to think that once they have a license they are leaders and motivators while they actually have no clue. These companies get stuck in a rut without even knowing it. They are satisfied with their profits without realizing that these profits could be increased greatly IF management were to be educated in leadership.

Leadership is not something that people are born with. Military leaders are taught as with leaders of large construction companies with multi million dollar a week payrolls. 

Small companies and their owners will always stay away from large jobs because they really don't have the leadership capabilities it takes to be successful at this capacity. Their Crews are blamed instead of themselves. The buck stops at the top, always.

Once a perceived "Leader" yells at their crew most if not all respect is lost at that moment. Production will fall and will never be what it could be. New people will hear about the hotheaded boss, foreman or owner and believe it or not they will not produce out of fear. Yell at me or my crew and you'll be stuck with a project and no one to work it.

One would think that an owner or foreman would be as interested in learning their "Leadership" Trade as much as they needed to learn their own trade but they just continue to carry on bad habits from the leaders before them. This is why small companies stay small and wonder why and how large companies survive. 

If you or your foremen are yelling at your crew do yourselves and your crew a favor and attend a Leadership and Motivation class at your community collage. You will be amazed at what you and your crew can accomplish if motivated correctly. You profits WILL increase if your Crew is treated right and Teams are built correctly.


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## Floordude (Aug 30, 2007)

I'm a GD push over when it comes to employees or help. I make sure they are paid well and let them slide more than I really should

Maybe that is why I work solo all the time.


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## Zendik (Sep 18, 2005)

Floordude said:


> I'm a GD push over when it comes to employees or help. I make sure they are paid well and let them slide more than I really should
> 
> Maybe that is why I work solo all the time.


See my post above yours if you haven't.

So many problems that I have seen on the job can and have been cured by a simple 40 hour Leadership and Motivation class. I suggest the Associated General Contractors of America's Supervisory Training Program (STP)
http://www.agc.org/cs/career_development/supervisory/course_content

Team building is a science that needs to be learned in order for construction companies to thrive. Identifying personality types of your crew is essential in building teams that are self motivating and productive...


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## AtlanticWBConst (Mar 29, 2006)

Zendik said:


> See my post above yours if you haven't.
> 
> So many problems that I have seen on the job can and have been cured by a simple 40 hour Leadership and Motivation class. I suggest the Associated General Contractors of America's Supervisory Training Program (STP)
> http://www.agc.org/cs/career_development/supervisory/course_content
> ...



I agree, when you get into larger scaled projects (State, Civil, Industrial, Health, commercial, etc), it is a different atmosphere, but it is also a different kind of work force. Higher paid, more serious, more professional. 

The point being, that work ettiquete is relative to the work force/the work situation/the work project/the people involved on every level. 

Be Mr. nice guy 100% of the time on a small residential job, with a small crew, and be prepared to get walked on...infact, be prepared to get walked all over.

I am not saying that you have to be an A-hole. I am saying that, sometimes, it's like the military. No Crapola Allowed...period.

There are some sad individuals, that just don't get it, and, cannot get it, even when you sit them down and talk to them like a professional artisan. Their gears just don't seem to operate that way.

On a large scale project with a large body of individuals and a different caliber of workers...when there is a problem, you bring them "out back" and have a very civil, professional, but firm talk, in private.
1.) You build them up.
2.) You give them a sense of self worth, value as a team member, and a personl belief in them & their abilites.
3.) You give them areas that they need to work on (improve on), with goals to reach.
4.) If it's really bad, you tell them how they have dissappointed you, and the "team".

....Unfortunately, that doesn't work with everyone, on every job.
Example: That same technique, may not work on your 3 man residential suburbian roofing crew.

If you think it does, then you don't have very much experience in life, nor in the vast areas and levels of the construction work field, and the people that are employed in it, or even the ones that simply ...."exist" in it.

Again, how you manage your work force is relative to the scope of work, the environment, and the work force itself. 

There are those that appreciate fairness and professionalism. However, there are those that view such as, weakness, and seek to manipulate.

What works for one, WILL NOT work for all....It's a fact.


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## Zendik (Sep 18, 2005)

Large jobs are completed by groups of small teams. Conflicting personalities in teams will break production regardless of size. 
I've worked from Honolulu to NYC and everywhere between. From small companies with four man crews to large companies of several hundred for the last 25 years. The Mr. Nice Guy/ Mr Bad Guy approach is directly related to the lack of education in management. It's about team building and personality types. 

Some peole are not cut out to work in this industry and to try and make them something they are not is a big mistake. You have to know your crew and their capibilities and place them accordingly into teams. If someone is not performing as well as you company needs then they need to be let go. 

It is so very true that lage companies and projects attract better skilled workers but these workers will have no problem working for a small company IF they had proper leadership. It is the companys responsibility to provide proper leadership and when it fails to do so highly skilled workers walk to a place that does.


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## AtlanticWBConst (Mar 29, 2006)

Zendik said:


> Large jobs are completed by groups of small teams. Conflicting personalities in teams will break production regardless of size.
> I've worked from Honolulu to NYC and everywhere between. From small companies with four man crews to large companies of several hundred for the last 25 years. The Mr. Nice Guy/ Mr Bad Guy approach is directly related to the lack of education in management. It's about team building and personality types.
> 
> Some peole are not cut out to work in this industry and to try and make them something they are not is a big mistake. You have to know your crew and their capibilities and place them accordingly into teams. If someone is not performing as well as you company needs then they need to be let go.
> ...


Again, you are still limited to a specific sector of the construction field.

Proper leadership is a must. However, as previously stated, try and bring what works on a corporate level, commercial environment, or text book application into a small residential work situation, and you will "sometimes", be as a sheep being fed to the wolves....


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## Zendik (Sep 18, 2005)

AtlanticWBConst said:


> Again, you are still limited to a specific sector of the construction field.
> 
> Proper leadership is a must. However, as previously stated, try and bring what works on a corporate level, commercial environment, or text book application into a small residential work situation, and you will "sometimes", be as a sheep being fed to the wolves....


Ahhh..

We both have different experiences as I have done exacty what you describe and it has worked on my end without problems. 
Instead of pushing my experiences onto you I can just agree to accept your facts as Your facts and My facts as mine. Everyone is different and capable in areas other are not. 
I agree to disagree with you..


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## AtlanticWBConst (Mar 29, 2006)

Zendik said:


> Ahhh..
> 
> We both have different experiences as I have done exacty what you describe and it has worked on my end without problems.
> Instead of pushing my experiences onto you I can just agree to accept your facts as Your facts and My facts as mine. Everyone is different and capable in areas other are not.
> I agree to disagree with you..


Resolution agreed.


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## BigDa (Dec 29, 2007)

I have in 15 years or so been known to yell, but very seldom. If another man besides my Dad gets in my face yelling (even if I screwed up) I will RELAX him. So I have always expected another man to be the same and if I treat him that way I am prepared for the worse. Treat your guys with respect, if they are a constant problem, get rid of them. Know the difference between real problems and just your pet peeves. I have seen guys treated like crud because of an anal boss. One of my own pet peeves is complaining. I could fire someone over complaining faster than for screw ups, but that is just the way some guys are and I am learning to deal with it. I have been known to tell them this: While raising 5 kids I have learned that when a baby cries he is either hungry or crapped himself, so eat, wipe yourself and shut-up!


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## AtlanticWBConst (Mar 29, 2006)

A chronic "complainer" is like gangrene...


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