Training

[Scott]

How long do you give a new guy to catch on? Let's just talk on the mowing side of the house.

[Sammy]

For a 21" pusher ?

30 -45 minutes tops.

[MASTERMOWER]

My opinion doesn't matter to a stud like you, butt................

Well considering it takes some of y'all years to catch on, I'd like to think you would allow a No-Mow sufficient time to transform into a Mow-Jock. One week would be hopeful, one-week to half-year would be more like it IMO. If they're worth a damn, they're worth the wait. Eh?

[Scaper-S2k]

Scott, I suppose it depends on the employee. If I think the guy has potential, I will give them much longer, even if they aren't getting it at first. I don't think you can put a time frame on it, I think it will vary by employee.

Basically if you're getting really pissed, his time is probably up. I say that because you probably won't get too aggrivated at the guy that is really trying to be a great employee, but it's still taking him longer to grasp the concept of certain things.

In cases like that, you need to have him do the thing he is best at, then when time allows, he can work on the other stuff.


I've had guys that don't get it after a few weeks, and I simply know they aren't going to get it, and aren't trying either. They need to go. But I also had a guy that really wanted to learn how to be a top notch trimmer. And I recall he asked to stay after work a few times to practice some more. He also statyed after work to mow the shop lawn a few times as well, simply to learn. It took quite some time to train him, but he has been working with me for about 8 or 9 yrs and I'm glad I took the time. He's not my longest running employee, but he does do pretty good work.

[Scott]

Scott, I suppose it depends on the employee. If I think the guy has potential, I will give them much longer, even if they aren't getting it at first. I don't think you can put a time frame on it, I think it will vary by employee.

Basically if you're getting really pissed, his time is probably up. I say that because you probably won't get too aggrivated at the guy that is really trying to be a great employee, but it's still taking him longer to grasp the concept of certain things.

In cases like that, you need to have him do the thing he is best at, then when time allows, he can work on the other stuff.


I've had guys that don't get it after a few weeks, and I simply know they aren't going to get it, and aren't trying either. They need to go. But I also had a guy that really wanted to learn how to be a top notch trimmer. And I recall he asked to stay after work a few times to practice some more. He also statyed after work to mow the shop lawn a few times as well, simply to learn. It took quite some time to train him, but he has been working with me for about 8 or 9 yrs and I'm glad I took the time. He's not my longest running employee, but he does do pretty good work.

I think I'm a fairly patient man and if I see a positive attitude, I can work with that, to a point.
I'm looking for an average amount of time before a guy should be self-sufficient;

• knows the ins/outs of trimming (not scalping the turf)
• knows how to edge a bed
• can change his own line/edger blades,
• knows how to make mixed fuel,
• remembers that if he takes the last of the mixed fuel that he's to make more,
• can use the mower w/o burning turf,
• knows how to load the trailer
• use a blower w/o sending mulch all over
• understands my truck is not his garbage can
• knows that a smoke break is not when everybody else is working or when you arrive at a jobsite
• and learn all my other quirks

[MASTERMOWER]

• knows the ins/outs of trimming (not scalping the turf)
• knows how to edge a bed
• can change his own line/edger blades,
• knows how to make mixed fuel,
• remembers that if he takes the last of the mixed fuel that he's to make more,
• can use the mower w/o burning turf,
• knows how to load the trailer
• use a blower w/o sending mulch all over
• understands my truck is not his garbage can (ain't that a bi+ch??)
• knows that a smoke break is not when everybody else is working or when you arrive at a jobsite
• and learn all my other quirks

I can do all that, + more. When can I start?

[clclawn]

For your list i would say a week-10 days, but to mow a straight line after 2-3 weeks he better be on his way or we gonna have a nice sit down.

[TRANSMAN]

So basically you need somebody with ?????

I think I'm a fairly patient man and if I see a positive attitude, I can work with that, to a point.
I'm looking for an average amount of time before a guy should be self-sufficient;

• knows the ins/outs of trimming (not scalping the turf)
• knows how to edge a bed
• can change his own line/edger blades,
• knows how to make mixed fuel,
• remembers that if he takes the last of the mixed fuel that he's to make more,
• can use the mower w/o burning turf,
• knows how to load the trailer
• use a blower w/o sending mulch all over
• understands my truck is not his garbage can
• knows that a smoke break is not when everybody else is working or when you arrive at a jobsite
• and learn all my other quirks

The above requirements add up to anyone 8 years or older with a I.Q of 50 or slightly higher !!!!!!!!

I must admit iv seen total and literal handicapped individuals that had actual brain damage and basically couldn't speak and others that had suffered severe strokes then fought to come back the best they could and mowing the grass was nothing they couldn't deal with easily......

So i would say they should basically know instantly !!!!!

Kinda like how long should a doctor expect the newborn baby to waite and to decide he`s finally out of the mommas womb , and when should it start taking breaths of air for itself ??????:laughing:

Are You hiring vegetables , reptiles or humanoid type beings hijacked by Bush as slave labor from another alien planet that's 1 billion years behind us on the evolutionary ladder ?????:laughing:

Scoutmaster baby ,it sounds like that , or you are possibly hiring people just off the boat that were conceived in areas of the soviet block like Chernobyl and birthed threw interbreeding brother and sister marriages , where the close blood inbreeding combined with the high radiation and polluted water radiation caused the children now applying to work for ya to have 3 living brain cells , because even the 10 year olds ( i seem to know) still can figure out all the simpleminded stuff you listed above......:laughing:

Hey you sure you ain't delasgh / steeveepoo -poo ,because i think you slipped on this question and let the cat out of the bag that you are actually thinking like delasgh , because this sounds like somthing my esteemed buddy would ask in his silliness after a day sucking down many - many brewskeez ?????:laughing:

Do the employees also ask why you need blades on mowers , nylon / plastic string on string trimmers , and oil in engines , and when you just answer that's the way it needs to operate they then ask what happens if you dont even though you just tell them "said stuff must be used period " !!!!!! FORGET WHY it just must be " , then they follow up with "well what about just useing half a blade ,cloth based string instead of plastic cutting line , and why cant they mix the fuel oil at ratios of 1 million parts gas to 1 part oil " and silly silly questions 1 after the other over and over again even though you just made it simple and said "do it my way"?????

Scott i gots a bit of a silly steevee-poo question for ya ?????.....

*You dont tolerate (any employees) insisting the pressure washer will work better , and last longer with no water because their a little slow thinking air is the better cleaning agent (versus water) do you??????

Ahhh ,,,,, anyway :

Tanky.......... Ohhh , for tossing (some humor) around to the guys ..........:laughing:

TANKY AGAIN !!!!!!!

T-magic

[Scaper-S2k]

I think I'm a fairly patient man and if I see a positive attitude, I can work with that, to a point.
I'm looking for an average amount of time before a guy should be self-sufficient;

• knows the ins/outs of trimming (not scalping the turf)
• knows how to edge a bed
• can change his own line/edger blades,
• knows how to make mixed fuel,
• remembers that if he takes the last of the mixed fuel that he's to make more,
• can use the mower w/o burning turf,
• knows how to load the trailer
• use a blower w/o sending mulch all over
• understands my truck is not his garbage can
• knows that a smoke break is not when everybody else is working or when you arrive at a jobsite
• and learn all my other quirks

Okay Scott, well some of those things don't really take much "training".

But some of those smaller things make me wonder if you are being strict enough or whether you are really putting forward just how important something might be.

I would say the first 3 items and the 6th could be learning curve material.


But the rest falls under biz "policies" so to speak. Policies don't have learning curves that should last more than a couple mistakes on the same item.


"Now let me show you again how to hold the trimmer when you trim around this stuff."

That's different than....

"John, how many times will I need to tell you to stop leaving your trash in the truck?"

That's a person that is simply not listening at all.



2 ways to deal with this. Look him directly in the eye, make sure nothing has his attention but you, and tell him about what policy he messed up on. "This is just unexceptable, you have to remember this."


I have a guy like that, good worker, bad listener. Real bad listener. He simply can't pay attention. Elwood on this board has met this guy before. I used to go so far as to tell him something, then immideiately after I would tell him the same thing....word for word. He would ask me why I did it, and I said "so you don't forget". Then we would both kind of laugh a bit until he finally got it. PAY ATTENTION!!! Or as he said "I gotta slow my roll down and listen dawg."



Just remember, not all of these guys are like the boss. If they were, they wouldn't be your employee. <-----I'm giving that quote of the month!



Now I've had some guys that actually get kicks out of breaking small rules just to see someone get mad. That doesn't get tolerated for 1 minute. I absolutely positively hate antagonistic people. (if you didn't know that by now) I take those actions personally because they are being done to personally make me mad. I won't go into more details. I realize there are times when those things are done for jokes, we joke around at the shop alot. But it's pretty obvious when they're done just to irritate.