What is your productivity expectation

[JamesMay82]

I’m in the UK on a one off build for our new work premises. The tradesman we have onsite are driving me crazy with being on their phones or making drinks etc.. they are on day rate which I know will make them take their time. But I just wondered how much productivity would you expect out of an 8 hour day including their lunch? 80%?

Im not sure if I’m being to harsh and some days they do work hard but other days they seem to be coasting.

when ever I walk in the room they are just stood about chatting. I find to get the most out of them I just need to be stood in the room constantly.

 

[glindon]

Are you the person footing the bill?
Have you ever run a job site?

There's a lot going on behind the scenes that you never see. Waiting on parts to be delivered. Waiting on other tradesman to finish their work before other tradesman can begin theirs. Building plans need changed? Waiting on the engineer for updated plans. City inspector need to approve the work? Waiting on him before working further. Lots of bureaucracy on a job site, lol.

 

[eyoungren]

I’m in the UK on a one off build for our new work premises. The tradesman we have onsite are driving me crazy with being on their phones or making drinks etc.. they are on day rate which I know will make them take their time. But I just wondered how much productivity would you expect out of an 8 hour day including their lunch? 80%?

Im not sure if I’m being to harsh and some days they do work hard but other days they seem to be coasting.

when ever I walk in the room they are just stood about chatting. I find to get the most out of them I just need to be stood in the room constantly.

Perhaps budgeting and locale (rules, manpower, etc)?

Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) takes a quarter of the time to do what AZDOT (Arizona Department of Transportation) does. Restaurants are built and open within a month in California. It takes six or more months for that in Arizona.

But Arizona has less population than California and less of a budget. Whereas California is able and willing to spend the money to make things happen overnight that does not seem to happen here.

 

[AJK13K]

I’m in the UK on a one off build for our new work premises. The tradesman we have onsite are driving me crazy with being on their phones or making drinks etc.. they are on day rate which I know will make them take their time. But I just wondered how much productivity would you expect out of an 8 hour day including their lunch? 80%?

Im not sure if I’m being to harsh and some days they do work hard but other days they seem to be coasting.

when ever I walk in the room they are just stood about chatting. I find to get the most out of them I just need to be stood in the room constantly.

When you start the day with a contractor’s tea and a full English, you might be slow at starting your work. A few pints for lunch does make the day go faster but the job….

 

[Mousse]

I’m in the UK on a one off build for our new work premises. The tradesman we have onsite are driving me crazy with being on their phones or making drinks etc.. they are on day rate which I know will make them take their time. But I just wondered how much productivity would you expect out of an 8 hour day including their lunch? 80%?

Im not sure if I’m being to harsh and some days they do work hard but other days they seem to be coasting.

when ever I walk in the room they are just stood about chatting. I find to get the most out of them I just need to be stood in the room constantly.

Micromanaging is a surefire demotivator. Try it and watch 'em give minimum effort required to get you off their ass. Give 'em a task and trust 'em to complete the task on time and they'd do a job they can be proud of. Craftsman pride themselves on their workmanship. Ride their asses and pride as craftsman goes out the door. You'll get shoddy work that barely passes muster, but will be within tolerance...barely.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I’m in the UK on a one off build for our new work premises. The tradesman we have onsite are driving me crazy with being on their phones or making drinks etc.. they are on day rate which I know will make them take their time. But I just wondered how much productivity would you expect out of an 8 hour day including their lunch? 80%?

Im not sure if I’m being to harsh and some days they do work hard but other days they seem to be coasting.

when ever I walk in the room they are just stood about chatting. I find to get the most out of them I just need to be stood in the room constantly.

I'm completely in agreement with what @Mousse (quoted below) has written.

Are you a tradesman, or an expert, a qualified expert, in the trade in question?

If not, leave it to them, and to their judgment of how best (and when best, and in what order) to carry out the work in question.

In other words, simply give them the task, the preferred date of completion of this task (the "deadline"), and ensure they have adequate rescources to complete the task.

Then, let them do it. Respect their skill, and integrity; let them own their work, take pride in it, and that also means allowing them the time (without breathing down their necks) to do just that, and, in practice, this means letting them own their time, letting them have autonomy over their time. They are tradesmen, not factory workers.

Try not to interfere, or stand over them, they are the qualified experts in this, not you; besides, nobody loves a micromanager, - I, personally, loathe them.

And, as @Mousse has pointed out, if they are craftsmen, they will take pride in their work.

Micromanaging is a surefire demotivator. Try it and watch 'em give minimum effort required to get you off their ass. Give 'em a task and trust 'em to complete the task on time and they'd do a job they can be proud of. Craftsman pride themselves on their workmanship. Ride their asses and pride as craftsman goes out the door. You'll get shoddy work that barely passes muster, but will be within tolerance...barely.

Well said.