Are You a Buddy or a Boss?

Promoting a crewmember into a supervisory role creates a variety of challenges that may make the job too difficult to handle. That was the case for Andrew Hannan, production manager at Mark IV Builders in Bethesda, Md. The problems became so insurmountable that Hannan gave up his supervisory role and went back to fieldwork, at which he excelled. One year later, however, he agreed to try it again. This time, he used what he’d learned to make a successful transition.

“There are a lot of concerns about moving from the field to the office,” Hannan says. “I went from managing one job to managing projects and people on four or five jobs. Outside, everything is hands-on and tactical; inside, it’s more strategic and focused on developing a mindset and core values that the crews can use.”

One of his biggest concerns was the “us vs. them” mentality that often exists between field and office personnel. “The first time, I was definitely an employees’ manager, defending them and looking after their interests,” Hannan says. “I thought it would make me a better manager, but it actually hurt me.” The key problem was that the field perspective wasn’t always accurate, he admits. “I didn’t always have the company’s best interests in mind when I made decisions, and that hurt me,” he says.

Ultimately, Hannan returned to the field—and was even better at his work. “Being in the office gave me a better understanding of why things are done the way they are and the importance of things like gross profit and margin,” he says.

He intended to remain in the field, but he was offered the manager’s job when it came open again. This time, he learned from his mistakes. “I realized I had to change and become a manager for the entire company and not just represent the field perspective,” he says.

The following are key attributes Hannan says he learned in his transition:

More employee involvement. Realizing that seeing the company’s perspective had made him a better carpenter, he shared more numbers with the field staff, so they’d understand how much profit came from the job cost and how expenses ate into profits. “They started to understand why we do things the way we do,” he says.

Better communication. “The biggest part of any manager’s role, at any level, is communicating well with employees,” he says. He also learned that each employee receives information differently based on his or her personality. The company uses the DISC personality profiling tests, which helps quantify each employee’s approach to receiving information. (For more on this test, see Delegate Work Effectively) “When they didn’t hear information that matched their communication style, they’d fill in the gaps on their own, and it created confusion and misunderstanding,” he says. “As a manager, it’s my job to communicate effectively.”

The first time, he conveyed information as he wanted to distribute it, he realized. Now, he presents it to the employee in a manner that he or she will best understand. “I ask, ‘How can I convey this to him so he understands that it’s a problem we need to fix?’”

Greater flexibility. That adaptability extends to processes. “The first time, I created my own systems, but I’ve learned that doesn’t work with today’s younger generation,” Hannan says. Now, he creates goals and lets the job supervisors meet them in their own way. “I get daily logs in three formats, because each supervisor has his own way of visually interpreting it,” he says. “But I don’t care, as long as I get three daily logs with the required information.”

More peer pressure. He also has turned much of the policing over to peers. “The team has more power than any one person, and no one wants to let down their teammates,” Hannan says. Schedules with target dates for completion for each job are posted publicly in the office, and each carries a photo of the job supervisor. If one falls behind, “he gets a lot of ribbing.” But the others also offer aid to help bring the project back on time, as they know that each lapse reflects on the company and, ultimately, them.

“Posting the schedules was one of the best things we’ve ever done,” he says. It also allows the supervisors to compare notes on efficient ways to complete each portion of the job and ask for tips.

More consensus building. Hannan shifted from creating procedures to asking for solutions. “I present the problem we’re having, and they suggest ways to solve it,” Hannan says. An example came in the growing punch lists, which could reach three pages. The solution: When the list was more than one page (18 items), that supervisor had to buy lunch for the other supervisors. That incentive led the supervisors to talk earlier with customers about any missed details and encourage that informal feedback. “They’ve all had to buy lunch,” he reports. “But only once.”

Focusing on how each person affects the team and encouraging more involvement has allowed Hannan to shift successfully from being one of the boys to being the boss. He won’t be returning to the field this time.