PLANNING PERSONNEL WORK ASSIGNMENTS

While planning for a small or large project, you must consider the abilities of your crew. Use PROP data, which will be discussed later in the chapter. Next, consider any special tools and equipment you will need and arrange to have them at the jobsite when the work is started. Determine who will use these tools, and ensure the crew members assigned know how to use them Properly and safely.

To assure that the project is done properly and on time, you should consider the method of accomplishment as well as the skill level (PROP level) of your crew. When there is more than one way of constructing a particular project, you must analyze the methods and choose the one best suited to the project conditions and the skill levels of your crew. Listen to suggestions from others. If you can simplify a method and save time and effort, by all means do it.

As the petty officer in charge of a crew, you are responsible for crew member time management as well as your own. You must plan constructive work for your crew. Always remember to PLAN AHEAD! A sure sign of poor planning is that of crew members standing idle each morning while you plan the events for the day. At the close of each day, you should confirm the plans for the next workday. In doing so, you will need answers on the availability y and use of manpower, equipment, and supplies. Keep the following questions in mind:

1. Manpower. Who is to do what? How is it to be done? When is it to be finished? Since idleness will breed discontent, have you arranged for another job to start as soon as the first one is finished? Is every crew member fully used?

2. Equipment. Are all necessary tools and equipment on hand to do the job? Is safety equipment on hand?

3. Supplies. Are all necessary supplies on hand to start the job? If not, who should take action? What supply delivery schedules must you work around?

Have a definite work schedule and inspection plan. Set up realistic daily goals or quotas. Personally plan to check the work being done at intervals and the progress toward meeting the goals. Spot-check for accuracy, for workmanship, and the need for training.

Organizing

As a crew leader or supervisor, you must be able to ORGANIZE. This means that you must analyze the requirements of a job and structure the sequence of events that will bring about the desired results.

You must develop the ability to look at a job and estimate how many man-hours are required for completion. You will probably be given a completion deadline along with the job requirements. Next (or perhaps even before making your estimate of man-hours), plan the job sequences. Make sure that you know the answers to questions such as the following:

What is the size of the job?

Are the materials on hand?

What tools are available, and what is their condition?

Is anyone scheduled for leave?

Will you need to request outside support?

After getting answers to these questions, you should be able to assign your crews and set up tentative schedules. If work shifts are necessary, arrange for the smooth transition from one shift to another with a minimum of work interruption. How well you do is directly related to your ability to organize. Delegating

In addition to organizing, you must know how to DELEGATE. This is one of the most important characteristics of a good supervisor. Failure to delegate is a common failing of a new supervisor. It is natural to want to carry out the details of a job yourself, particularly when you know that you can do it better than any of your subordinates. Trying to do too much, however, is one of the quickest ways to get bogged down in details and to slow down a large operation. On some projects, you will have crews working in several different places. Obviously, you cannot be in two places at the same time. There will be many occasions when a crew member needs assistance or instruction on some problem that arises. If he or she has to wait until you are available, then valuable time will be lost. Therefore, it is extremely important for you to delegate authority to one or more of your experienced crew members to make decisions in certain matters. However, you must remember that when you delegate authority, you are still responsible for the job. Therefore, it is very important that you select a highly qualified individual when you delegate authority.

Coordinating

A supervisor must be able to COORDINATE. When several jobs are in progress, you need to coordinate completion times so one can follow another without delay. Possessing coordinating skill is also very helpful when working closely with your sister companies or shops. Coordination is not limited to projects only. You would not want to approve a leave chit for a crew member and then remember a school during the same time period. Nor would you want to schedule a crew member for the rifle range only to find the range coaches unavailable at that time. Production

The primary responsibility of every supervisor is PRODUCTION. You and your crew can attain your best by doing the following:

Plan, organize, and coordinate the work to get maximum production with minimum effort and confusion.

Delegate as much authority as possible, but remain responsible for the final product.

Continuously supervise and control to make sure the work is done properly.

Be patient ("Seabees are flexible and resourceful").

Supervising/Leading Work Teams

Before starting the project, you should make sure your crew understands what is expected of them. Give your crew instructions, and urge them to ask questions. Be honest in your answers. If you do not know, say so; then find the correct answers and inform your crew. Establish goals for each workday and encourage your crew members to work together as a team while accomplishing these goals. Goals should be set that will keep your crew busy but also ensure these goals are realistic. Do not overload your crew or undertask them. During an emergency, most crew members will make an all-out effort to meet the deadline. But people are not machines, and when there is no emergency, they cannot be expected to work at an excessively high rate continuously.

While the job is underway, check from time to time to ensure that the work is progressing satisfactorily. Determine if the proper methods, the materials, the tools, and the equipment are being used. If crew members are doing the job incorrectly, stop them, and point out what is being done unsatisfactorily. Then explain the correct procedure and check to see that it is followed.

NOTE: When you check the work of your crew members, do it in such a way that they will feel that the purpose of checking is to teach, guide, or direct, rather than to criticize or find fault.

Make sure your crew members take all applicable safety precautions and wear/use safety apparel/ equipment that is required. Also, watch for hazardous conditions, improper use of tools and equipment, and unsafe work practices that could cause mishaps and possibly result in injury to personnel. Many young personnel ignore danger or think a particular safety practice is unnecessary. This can normally be corrected by proper instruction and training. Safety awareness is paramount, and it must be a state of mind and enforced daily until the crew understands its importance. When this occurs, you MUST NOT allow the crew to become complacent in safety matters. Constant training and awareness is the key; therefore, conduct safety lectures daily!

When time permits, rotate crew members on various jobs within the project. Rotation gives them varied experience. It also helps you, as a crew leader, to get the job done when a crew member is out for any length of time.

As a crew leader, you should be able to get others to work together in getting the job accomplished. Maintain an approachable attitude toward your crew so that each crew member will feel free to seek your advice when in doubt about any phase of the work. Emotional balance is especially important; you must not panic before your crew, nor be unsure of yourself in the face of conflict.

Be tactful and courteous in dealing with your crew. Never show partiality to certain members of the crew. Keep your crew members informed on matters that affect them personally or concern their work. Also, seek to maintain a high level of morale because low morale can have a detrimental effect on safety awareness and the quality and quantity of the work your crew performs.

As you advance in rate, more and more of your time will be spent in supervising others. Therefore, learn as much as you can about the subject of supervision. Study books on supervision as well as leadership. Also, watch how other supervisors operate and do not be afraid to ASK QUESTIONS.

TOOL KITS AND REQUISITIONS

Tool kits contain all of the craft hand tools required by one four-member construction crew of a given rating to pursue their trade. The kits kits can be augmented with additional tools to complete a specific job requirement. However, kits must not be reduced in any type of item and must be maintained at 100 percent of the kit allowance.

As a crew leader, you are authorized to draw the tools required by the crew. In so doing, you are responsible for the following:

Maintaining complete tool kits at all times Assigning tools within the crew

Ensuring proper use and care of assigned tools by the crew

Preserving tools not in use Securing assigned tools

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