Report Cards for Carpenters

The company that I work for has faced many challenges during its transition from a small remodeling firm to a large-volume custom builder. As its work force grew from a few employees to 20 or 25 field personnel, the owners began relying on foremen and site supervisors to tell them who had earned a pat on the back and who needed a kick in the pants. The day before an employee’s review, one of the owners would call the site and ask how the employee was doing. Unfortunately, this didn’t work very well. Given a typical day on a building project — with delivery trucks coming and going, subs asking questions, and the phone ringing off its cradle — the tendency,