You’ve Got to Start Meeting Like This
It takes more than a production meeting to keep business running smoothly. Here are a few other team huddles worth holding:
Meeting: “The Pre-Con”
Players: Salesman, production manager, lead carpenter, customer.
What it is: A time to review the sales contract and policies and to set expectations before the work begins.
“During a pre-con we’ll hit on everything from making sure the customer understands what a 10-by-10-foot deck looks like to discussing where we’ll put the dumpster,” Fannin Remodeling’s Brad Geer says.
What’s on his printed agenda: Work hours, smoking policy, bathroom use, clean-up, food and beverages on the job, dumpster placement, storage of materials, jobsite safety, change order procedure, yard sign, key box, daily communication, payment schedule, and project schedule.
How it helps: It keeps the lead carpenter from landing in the awkward position of explaining something to a customer once the job starts. It also saves everyone time by discussing potential problems up front.
Meeting: “The Closeout”
Players: Salesman, production manager, lead carpenter, customer.
What it is: One final chance to walk through a finished job and review the work; make sure it meets expectations; and collect the last payment.
How it helps: It can shine a spotlight on problems that might plague multiple jobsites. For example, Geer says, if you can’t collect a $10,000 final payment because cabinet handles haven’t been tightened up properly, you’re going to make sure you get that right next time.
Meeting: “The All-Staff”
Players: Field carpenters, office staff.
What it is: A monthly gathering for sharing company news, reviewing any insurance changes, and celebrating birthdays and new babies.
How it helps: Everyone reconnects. “This is always an issue,” Feinmann Remodeling’s Tammy Russo says, “because the office is separate from the field. And the leads don’t always see the projects they’re not working on.”
Handy tip from Russo: Use a PowerPoint presentation at monthly meetings to show off photos of a project from start to finish. The team will feel unified and proud.
Meeting: “The On-Site”
Players: Lead carpenter, production manager, client.
What it is: A regular meeting at the jobsite to run through a project plan or list things you don’t want to forget to do.
How it helps: A regularly scheduled time to communicate frees all parties from interruptions between meetings.