setting down the tools

Randy Tibbits

I've been in business for over fifteen years. Tha past few years I've come to realize it's time to set down the tools and become a manager. I've tried this several times and end back in the field. Usually put in 6-7 hours in the field and 3-4 in the office. There is a huge sense of accomplishment in the field, a fellow can see what he's done. Some how I must get this sense of accomplishment from management. I feel this is holding my company back however I'm reluctant to make the leap. Any words of wisdom, a prod in the right direction? Thank You

Wayco Wayne

Sorry

I suffer from the same situation. If I had a solution I'd create a traveling show seminar and set things right for everybody. (for a nominal fee of course) I have considered hiring someone to help with the managing. I'm a born technician and not a natural manager. I'd be interested to see what oothers have to say. WW

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Dave Yates (PAH)

Working the business side of the business

It's really tough to let go and become management, but that's required for growth. The hardest part, for me, was accepting the fact that no one else would ever do the work quite the same way.

Like you, I derived greater satisfaction from the actual work in the field (still do, truth be told). I thought the obvious answer was having a partner who handled the bookwork side, while I did the estimating and dispatching while continuing to handle some of the service calls myself. Long story short, that didn't work and I found myself faced with the task of running the business side of the business too!

It took me years to learn the ins and outs, but as time passed by, I came to really appreciate the value of working the business side of the business. Ellen Rohr has written several books (you can get them here!) that speak volumes about running the business side of the business and do so in layman's terms even I can understand without an accountant's assistance. The books become easier to manage once we computerized and set up the chart of accounts. But, having done them by hand for years gave me a deeper appreciation of how that works.

For keping my hands on the tools, I take weeknight calls while the mechanics rotate through the weekends and holidays. As a result, they each are on call just one weekend every three months.

Somehow the days remain 12+ hours long(G). Like Dad says, being self employeed means you can work as often and long as you'd like!

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Al Letellier

hanging them up

You're not alone. I, too, am getting set up to put them down for the last time. I've been in business for 10 years and on call 24/7/365 for all of those years. We just made the decision to concentrate on consulting work, education and insurance work to keep us busy and fed. After some 45 years of working with the tools, something I too get great satisfaction from, I need a rest.
And I find no greater stisfaction than to see that" Oh' now I get it" expression on the face of a young technician that asks how-to or why questions....brings back memories that will never be forgotten.
Go with your heart and do what you really want to do..there's no better choice!

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Mark Eatherton1

Attitude...

is 98% of the task. You must keep a positive attitude towards whatever end of the business you're doing.

I and my partner have been trading hats off and on for 5 or 6 years now. When we first started, he wore the management hat, and I wore the installation hat. We both wore the service call hat...

After my 3 month stint in the hills last year, my partner decided i had overdone it for my body (he was right), and we agreed that I'd stay inside while he went outside.

I'm not really an indoor dog, but I gave it 110%. After 10 months, my partner came to me and told me that he was not an outdoor dog, and asked if I was ready to switch hats again. I agreed. He was extremely frustrated with the wearing of 6 hats and not being able to feel the goal of completion.

Part of the frustration of being in either place is the number of hats you're required to wear at any given time. Right before he came back in from the cold, he was wearing a supervisors hat, a parts procuremnt hat, a service hat, a salespersons hat, a troubleshooters hat and he's a father to boot. He realized that the problem was overwhelming, not just for him, but for anyone trying to run the outside of hte business. We agreed to hire on additional help to allow the field manager the time necessary to do his job correctly. Even with these changes, I still find myself wearing at least 5 or 6 hats at the same time. I think delegation of duties, and management of people holds the key to comfortable growth and job expectations. As soon as I discover the key to employee management, I will write a book and retire!

But as I first stated, attitude is 98 % of the job. Regardless of what your position is, give it 110%, and the 98% is a wash. Everything else will fall into place.

Hang on to your tools, though, you never know when you may have to fix your own equipment.

ME

hr

A tough choice

I keep setting a timeline for getting out of the trenches also. They come and go! I'm still on hands and knees doing the do.

Dave has a good compromise, spend a day or so every week or two in the field. It keeps you in touch with the crew, helps with that tool addiction, and keeps your hands from getting soft and cut prone

With all the gadgets available for the office and business end of the company, it could be a fun switch. Computers, software, communciation devices, scanners, faxes, digital goodies, etc. With the proper cell phones, cameras and coumpter setup in the trucks you could still see what the guys are working on right from your office!

I'd make sure you get an office assistant for the simple tasks like data input, letter typing, phone answering, parts chaseing, etc. That's the stuff that drives me nuts, and it not the best use of your time or experience. It may make the difference between hateing an inside position or thriving inside.

Look for the challange and fun aspect of moving inside and go for it. What's the worse that could happen?

hot rod

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Jack, CVMS

Shifting gears...

is what it's all about. ME gave some very good advice.
You're never managing the business completely, oft times the business is managing you. And it becomes like pulling a trailer down a steep hill - you always have to be the one in control, you can never let the trailer push you, or it will take control, and that's when you have a wreck.
If you have any employees, managing a business really becomes a matter of managing people (your employees), and your employees then take care of the business. The way you handle your employees is the way they will handle the customers, so your interpersonal relationships with your employees becomes the focus of your attention. When all is well with your employees, and they are doing the same quality work that you yourself would be doing, and your customers are equally satisfied, the business takes care of itself, and the rest is just taking care of the bookwork (and the ordering, and the inventory, and the taxes, and...). Ahh, but it's never a dull life, is it?

Randy Tibbits

thank you

Thanks for all the input. There is a lot of info here to chew on. Afer we get over this busy period I'm going to just do it. I must get the same sense of accomplishment in managing as field work. I know I can do it but working in the field is fun. It's a lego or erector set for adults.