Crew Visits

            In your role as a foreman you have the pleasure of having your supervisor visit your crew. Most likely you want the visit to conclude quickly so that you can move on with your work. Why is that? It’s because most of the time you and the crew don’t see the value in having the supervisor on-site, or you’re not following all of the rules and the supervisor shows up to point out that the work signs aren’t out, or someone isn’t wearing their vest, etc. Issues that appear trivial in the grand scheme of things, which is getting the work done.  

            So now you’re the supervisor and you’re required/mandated to perform crew visits. How are you going to make a quality visit? One in which the foreman feels that you bring value to his crew in the way of Safety, Quality and Production. First thing to do is have a meeting with all of the foremen who report directly to you and explain to them the reason for the crew visits. I know in some utility’s the supervisors are mandated to perform the visits as part of their performance bonuses, in some organizations they have a “quota” for the supervisor to meet. Those types of business drivers are crap.

            During your meeting with the foremen explain to them that you will be performing both announced and unannounced visits, that you are not trying to catch them in a compromised situation but there are rules and regulations for a reason and you are responsible for ensuring, along with the foremen, that those standards are adhered to. Having the supervisor on-site provides the foreman with another set of eyes and a person with experience to bounce ideas off of and to discuss challenges in the field. A supervisor who doesn’t perform regular crew visits with the intent of assisting the foreman and the crew should be terminated.

            How do you perform a crew visit? Let’s start with the announced visit; you tell several foremen that today you will be making a crew visit and that you want to arrive when they are going to be providing their tailboard at the job site. The foreman should inform the crew that the supervisor will be showing up and attending the tailboard. At the tailboard the foreman should introduce the supervisor in case some of the younger or newer workers haven’t met the supervisor. The supervisor at this point should sit in the background and listen to the tailboard and just make some mental notes for future discussion. Never forget the crew belongs to the foreman, show him/her the respect they deserve in front of the crew. It’s been my experience that after the tailboard the foreman has looked over at me to see if I wanted to say anything. I took the opportunity to thank the crew for their dedication and hard work, I emphasized that the real goal of our jobs is to complete the mission; leave and return home safe and sound after a productive day at work.

            If there are things you believe should be discussed with the foreman pull him aside and discuss in private, provide feedback and ask him/her for their feedback about how they perceive you, the supervisor, during the crew visit. If you take this approach you will soon find your foremen looking forward to seeing you and seeking your advice. Remember, as the supervisor you are a servant-leader, do everything in your power to optimize the working conditions of those who report to you. It is a team effort.

T&D World Leadership – Ask Max –  Crew Visits