Being a leader in these strange times can be overwhelming. With all of the resources, advertisements, and studies about workplace productivity and time management, the idea of holding meetings in the year 2020 is sited as being potentially detrimental to progress. As a paving contractor, our schedule and goals can change over the course of the day, but starting the day in our remodeled crew-quarters going over pictures and potential hangups for the day’s jobs has improved results from paving a parking lot to neighborhood streets and subdivisions alike. Holding these morning meetings has several advantages. So, I thought I would share them with you if you are looking to possibly refine your processes.
Being on Time:
Running an asphalt paving company is like leading many other businesses and teams. Every worker has a responsibility for the job and day, and if a person is missing, the rest of the group spreads thin and has to fill the gap. Having a morning meeting sets the precedence for what is acceptable for being considered “on-time.” It is easy for everyone to see who is there and ready to go.
Highlight leadership:
These meetings are a great way for the team to communicate in an organized setting before getting tired for the day. Though some of the time might fall under the time-wasting category, this is a much better place for workers to vent, learn new things about techniques, and to show leadership. Though it takes years for people to learn foremen responsibilities, many workers have earned chances to step up by being fully respectful and present in these meetings.
Quality on the front end:
We have worked to improve all aspects of our company. Better preparation and information from our sales team to our paving crew has been a large piece of the puzzle. Our estimators are now responsible for not only giving accurate proposals, but providing our foremen and team with any potential problem areas before we get on site. The daily morning meeting allows all of our crew to see the day’s work and prepare as a single unit.
Many positions and working relationships do not need a daily update, and there are several reasons I would advise against daily meetings. But, with each new paving job comes unique challenges and every job is different. We aim to customize a smooth experience for both clients and crew members. Meeting to review weather, changes, potential problem areas and special requests from clients has proven useful for performance, morale and the emergence of leaders within ADC Paving. We hope everything we do translates to a quality paving job for each and every client.
Take care and keep moving forward,
-ADC Paving
