any tips to avoid burnout???

Andy,

I have been dealing with this for a few years now.

I have been in the business for 35 years and had my own for 16 years.

I have no answers for you other than to just keep on going.

If I can just keep this up for maybe 6 or 7 years, I will hang up the boots and never look back.

I have a son that will be taking things over by then.

One thing I have done is cut out the crap work and try to take on projects that I like doing.

But the bills need to be paid, so I give in on occasion.

Good luck,

Randy

Good thread. I am curious to hear the replies.

For me vacation works. Turn off the phone unplug the email and do something not business related for as long as you can. Seven to ten days recharge my battery. Don't cheat - nothing work related or the mojo don't work.

Do what you love and love what you're doing.

Every job in the world has certain functions that become disagreeable over time. Consider your options. Could you pay someone else to handle much of that part of the job for you? Allow yourself to focus on the best parts.

When I get to feeling overworked or burned out I pull out my quarterly IRA and savings accounts statements. That, a hug from my wife and a cold Fat Tire makes it all better-better.

Remember..It is a business.

Andy, great question

I almost posted the other day under the thread "how hard is it"
stating that maybe the problem with crews not getting enough shots or the proper shots as that the problem being the owner - not the crew (but I thought that would have been rude)

If you have instructed your employees to preform tasks and they continue to not do so.
The problem is not with the employee, the problem is that you continue to let it happen.

Employees that continue to conduct substandard work or that they do not complete the tasks as instructed, is more a problem with the supervisor than it is with the employee. And more likely than not the employee either don't care or that they do nor respect the boss.

I have no field crew other than me. I do all the field work and all the drafting.

Being alone may be the problem, but having 57000 co-workers, 50% which are incompetent and the remainder only care if your 100% billable, can also be a problem. Be thankful you are in charge and can fix the problem.

> I feel like I'm spinning my wheels these days. Lucky enough to have work coming in but I can't seem to crank through it like I used to.

The first step, on the road to any solution; is recognizing the problem and it looks like you are half way there.

My problem is lack of good orginization. I have become complacent with my stack and pile filing, but it would be a nightmare for anyone else and lately it's become a little to much, even for me....:-$

So my solution is to clean it up!

The last few years we have been in a Depression; I call it a depression because I was depressed. I could've been a little more proactive and some days were better than others, but frankly, I didn't feel like it...

I have no excuses now, work is coming in and I'm having a hard time keeping up. I will be a lot more efficient if I'm better orginized and there's no time like the present to get started.

Radar

exactly, Radar. in the same boat. Always think there's going to be a better time to get really organized. yeah, not!

So, I'm trying to imaging myself as the guy dropping and reviewing everything. It's actually kind of fun.

I take...

As much time office from work as I possible can. During the winter I'll go see my sister in Naples, summer is made for the beach.

When I do go away sometimes I'm available by cell phone/email, sometimes not.

I'm heading to the beach in a month and I won't answer my phone (for work related calls). I might answer a few emails.

I love surveying, but, for me, it can get to the point were it consumes me. So I take a step back, concentrate on what is really important, faith (it works for me), family and friends.

Seems to me the problem with surveying is its either, go full throttle or you sit and look at the ceiling tiles. There seems to be no in between.

I'm also in the same boat as far as being organized. I have such a talent for misplacing things I just had in my hand 2 seconds ago...ugh!

I take...

Good points, Joe. And you better get out to Sanibel next time you're down, or I'll never hire ya!! 😛

Bob Port,

I agree with that statement somewhat, the part about the supervisors being the problem. But I highly disagree with you about the part where you say the employees mostly don't respect the supervisor or care, that is partly true but as a surveyor for the past 12 years I have been at too many places who are concerned with speed and not quality. They tell you that they want you to get out there and get it done fast but they want good work done. I understand being competitive with bidding but when you do it on the backs of the worker ants and then expect them to do perfect work then that's where the problem lies, you expect them to bust their humps when you just treat them like another number or profit margin! I understand it's a business and money has to be made but the problem is that you need to develop relationships with your "underlings", hire people who fit in to your company culture. You'd be amazed at how much employees will do for someone who treats them with respect and like a human being. I will work much harder for someone who can carry on a conversation about my family or anything else personal with me than someone who just gives me a folder and tells me to get it done. If your supervisors or surveyors aren't personable then maybe you should look at releasing them. I think your issue lies with the hiring manager, too worried about production and money than attitude or commitment. Sorry to go off but I found it offensive that you blame all bad work on employees who don't respect you or your managers when the problem may just be based upon lack of respect FOR your employees.

I take...

I just closed down for a week, but my wife & I took the kids to Disneyworld, so R&R didn't really fit into the equation. We did 5 parks open-close, so I came back worse off then when I left.

I find that if I need to re-charge or clear my head then doing something that I really enjoy, even for a few hours helps. I'm lucky enough to live in a river town that has some decent smallmouth fishing, so I've been known to sneak out at daybreak, wade the river and try to catch bronzebacks for a few hours before going out to do fieldwork. Once the seasons open, bagging a couple of pheasants or ducks for dinner does the trick for me. Amazing what a 20+" smallie on light tackle or a limit of ducks that you called in does for the psyche. Hitting the shooting range, even for a couple of hours seems to put my mind straight too. I used to golf, but that takes too much time.

Bottom line, chase one of your passions, even if for a couple of hours. It gives you a break from deadlines, billing/collections, insurance, vehicle maintenance, software,computers, equipment, shopping for office/field supplies, etc.

Whatever you choose to do, it may not last that long but that gives you an excuse to go do it again so that you can get your head straight.

> Maybe especially from the solo or micro sized firms... Not sure if it's just the typical Florida summer heat or what, but I feel like I'm spinning my wheels these days. Lucky enough to have work coming in but I can't seem to crank through it like I used to.

Andy, in my opinion the key is to have interesting work to do that pays a good fee. Doing routine work that ten other surveyors could do and for unexciting fees is an invitation to getting burned out. The general trend seems to be that if ten other surveyors can provide a particular service, those who are least qualified to do it will be bidding against each other to see who can make the least money at it. It all goes downhill from there.

It's important to feel that what you do is worthwhile and to find clients whose checkbooks agree.

You've gotten some good suggestions here.

One possibility: you seem like a personable guy from previous posts. Have you thought about partnering up with another local surveyor? Some jobs just go better with two people. You can also play off of each others' strengths. And sometimes that chore you have been dreading magically gets done by the other guy. It might also make the opportunities for stepping away from treadmill for a break a little more likely.

Good luck,
Dave.

> Bob Port,
>
> I agree with that statement somewhat, the part about the supervisors being the problem. But I highly disagree with you about the part where you say the employees mostly don't respect the supervisor or care, that is partly true but as a surveyor for the past 12 years I have been at too many places who are concerned with speed and not quality. They tell you that they want you to get out there and get it done fast but they want good work done. I understand being competitive with bidding but when you do it on the backs of the worker ants and then expect them to do perfect work then that's where the problem lies, you expect them to bust their humps when you just treat them like another number or profit margin! I understand it's a business and money has to be made but the problem is that you need to develop relationships with your "underlings", hire people who fit in to your company culture. You'd be amazed at how much employees will do for someone who treats them with respect and like a human being. I will work much harder for someone who can carry on a conversation about my family or anything else personal with me than someone who just gives me a folder and tells me to get it done. If your supervisors or surveyors aren't personable then maybe you should look at releasing them. I think your issue lies with the hiring manager, too worried about production and money than attitude or commitment. Sorry to go off but I found it offensive that you blame all bad work on employees who don't respect you or your managers when the problem may just be based upon lack of respect FOR your employees.

This is why I didn't post this the other day under "How hard is it"

If you tell your crew to get toc shots or drop inlets, or whatever, and they don't. Esp after you have instructed them to do so half a dozen times. Then, yes I believe the problem is not the employee, because it's that that hard. The problem therefor lies somewhere else.

When I was working long hours (before the Great Recession hit), every few months I would find myself staring at the computer screen. Not working, just staring, unable to even think. That's when my wife would drag us off for a nice vacation, always involving sitting quietly, watching the world go by, and great restaurants. Durango, Orcas island, Kauai, Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, anywhere I could sit quietly on a balcony and relax.

Although nice, taking the day off tomorrow and having dinner at Olive Garden won't do it. It's called a getaway because you need to get away.

I can really agree with that. Except, unlike Bruce, who needs to get away from Tucson, I go there every January! I think the point is that you need to get far enough away that you can disconnect from work. For me it has always taken at least three days away to quit thinking about work. The more days beyond that, the better. You will really be in a far better frame of mind to deal with work after that.

As Bruce points out, a night at the Olive Garden might work for the missus, but it doesn't address burnout.

Being solo causes some wear and tear which is just going to sneak up on you. You are devoid of the social interaction which comes with having co-workers. If you are a member of your local state society, you probably know some of your colleagues in the area. It might be good to have lunch with them once in a while.

I run a very small survey company.

What I'd suggest

Employ a second surveyor. This makes things a lot more flexible. You can go on holidays, pick up major projects, etc without leaving your existing clients in the lurch.
Identify everything that's annoying - slow drafting practises, job management, etc, and developed software solutions, databases, etc to make life a lot simpler and more efficient.
Use technology to make life simpler. eg: a cloud based server - so that all your work is available all the time.
Keep out of the admin/invoicing side of the business - That's where my better half steps in and she (and our accountants) manage that aspect of the business.
Avoid skimping on surveying purchases. Work is a lot more fun when there's no equipment issues, when you've always got the right tools for the job. We may be somewhat over equipped but that works well for us.
Push your limits. We are always trying to find better ways of doing things and new technologies that interest us.
Establish yourself in a position to pick and choose the work you like.