Man, herding cats is right. I tried color-coded clipboards once—thought it’d be foolproof. Turns out, the only thing I accomplished was buying a bunch of clipboards that never left my truck. Now I just tell folks, “Email or text me by Thursday night, or your stuff waits.” Some grumble, but they get it done. If I start chasing them, I’ll never get anything else finished... gotta pick your battles, I guess.
If I start chasing them, I’ll never get anything else finished... gotta pick your battles, I guess.
That’s the truth. I tried detailed schedules taped to every wall—looked organized, but nobody read them. These days, I just set a hard deadline and let the chips fall. If someone misses it, their project gets bumped. It’s not perfect, but at least I’m not babysitting grown adults.
These days, I just set a hard deadline and let the chips fall. If someone misses it, their project gets bumped.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve had mixed luck with the “let the chips fall” approach. Last year, I had a framing crew that missed their window by three days, and it threw off the whole HVAC install—ended up costing me a week and a half because the next sub had already booked another job. Sometimes I wonder if I’m being too rigid with the schedule, but every time I try to loosen up, something slips through the cracks.
Ever tried using those project management apps? I’ve been experimenting with Buildertrend, but half the subs still just want a phone call or a text. It’s like herding cats. Curious if anyone’s found a way to actually get buy-in from the trades, or is it just a constant battle of reminders and crossed fingers?
I’ve run into the same issue with project management apps—some subs just won’t touch them, no matter how much you push. I’ve found that a hybrid approach works best: keep everything documented in Buildertrend for your own records, but still send out texts or make calls for the folks who prefer it old-school. It’s not perfect, but at least you’ve got a paper trail if things go sideways. Honestly, I don’t think there’s a magic bullet for buy-in. Some trades just want to do things their way, and you end up juggling communication styles whether you like it or not.
Honestly, I don’t think there’s a magic bullet for buy-in. Some trades just want to do things their way, and you end up juggling communication styles whether you like it or not.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually stopped bending over backwards for the subs who refuse tech. If they want the work, they follow my process—period. It took a few headaches and losing a couple guys, but now everyone’s on the same page and project chaos is way down. Sometimes you gotta draw a line.