Field Supervisor Daily Check List

It is a well-known fact that a Crew Leader is only as successful as his crew. In many ways, a supervisor’s role is a mirror image, only on a bigger scale. As a manager running multiple crew leaders you will often find yourself being pulled in many directions. Often what will happen is, instead of the supervisor managing his /her day, the Crew Leaders and their crews determine how the Supervisor schedules his day.  The tail wags the dog!

It is very important that everyone from the Supervisor down knows and understands their job description. What is expected of me at work? Do I have the right tools to do my job?  One of the most successful tools that we all have at our disposal is a checklist.  Pilots use them at the airport.  They have a series of switches and a checklist that must be performed before takeoff! As you well know, if the pilot has an error in his checklist there could be a lot of casualties.

Checklists have become the safety net that keeps us out of failure and makes sure that we are always on the road to success.  Our checklists come in many forms.  The one most familiar to us all is our daily/weekly planner.  Daily, it keeps us focused on the moment.  Weekly, it allows us to switch on our internal radar screen and see what is ahead or coming at us. Make no mistake about it, we will often find ourselves being drawn away from our daily checklist.  In these cases, qualify the reason and try to stay as disciplined as possible. If it’s something that needs attention, do it.  Otherwise, stick to your plan! Your day’s success and the job’s success can be measured by how well you stuck to your checklist.

Here’s a Checklist for an Effective Field Supervisor:

1. Gimp – can you recognize gimp when you arrive at the job site?
2. Sign on the lawn?
3. Job set up- is the job set up like a professional company? Clean, neat, and all safety regulations should be in place
4. If the job is pre-78, are all lead procedures in place?
5. Employees- clean and neat appearance?
6. Clean truck?
7. The Contract and scope- is it clear and do all employees understand the contract?
8. Have all employees been introduced to the customer?
9. Review the contract with the Crew leader to look for AWO opportunities
10. Hours up/ hours remaining- was there a daily huddle?
11. Completion of the job- when does the Crew leader think he/she will be finished with the job?
12. Review the colors
13. Check all work for quality
14. Application –shall we spray or shall we roll?
15. Is there proper equipment on the job for maximum productivity?
16. A supervisor should always check with the customer to make sure they are happy
17. If the Crew leader is running multiple jobs, ask can you deliver materials or check in on other jobs on your daily route?

All the Best!
– Conal