@williwaw back in the day, when I was still sort of a green horn, my father in law had a chat when I was in a rough spot with my career.?ÿ He ran a production plant for Firestone Tires.?ÿ He told me that for atleast 10 years, I should never stay in one place, he said I should make a move every two or three years to learn different things and be exposed to different management models while also learning how to do the same things differently.?ÿ I took his advice and did just that and it has worked well for me.
When it comes to management and employess relations, I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly.?ÿ The same with field proceedures, methods and standards of care.?ÿ These were all great?ÿ experiences to have had under my belt when I moved into project management and upper management.
In the words of Kenney Rogers, "You gotta know when to hold up, know when to fold, know when to walk away and know when to run".?ÿ If you are stressed, feeling stagnant and not being taught the things you feel that you need to know, it's time to make a move.
I've worked in a variety of firms, both large and small and have even run my own business with no administrative help.?ÿ I know what it's like to feel burned out and I know what it's like to work in a fast paced but easy going family environment.?ÿ Having all those experiences have provided balance for me and I've learned new things from each experience as well as being able to understand what works and what doesn't.
I was sought out 7 years ago to start a Survey department for a mom & pop Engineering company.?ÿ I started with myself, subbed field work out to friends that I trusted to get it done quickly and accurately and I had a lady with title company experience as my administrator.?ÿ I have spent all of that 7 years mentoring people, growing staff and creating an environment where people don't dread going to work.?ÿ It has served me well, I have developed a staff of devoted employees who are eager to learn, listen to suggestions and answer questions all day long.?ÿ Regardless of the backlog or number of jobs in the que, nobody works more than 40 hours unless they ask to, that's not about the budget, it's about providing a sense of balance when employees can spent time with their families.
I am training a Survey Tech right now who is extremely thirsty for knowledge.?ÿ He is progressing well and is either in my office or calling me every day and has started working towards a degree in Surveying.?ÿ That experience is rewarding to him and me as well.?ÿ I want to be the guy to advance the next guy or girl who will sit in my chair when I either retire or die.?ÿ I'm 57 years old, have worked hard to get to where I am and have overcome allot of obstacles to get to where I am.
My best advice to you is to make a move and try a different firm.?ÿ Stick it out there for a few years and if it's not a fit, make another move after a few more years.?ÿ Sooner or later you will find your sweet spot but don't abandon a rewarding career just because of your current situation and always keep in mind that that greener grass on the other side of the fence can turn to weeds with a change in management or ownership.?ÿ
@alyosha?ÿ
Sounds to me it's time to look for a new job.?ÿ Only you know if you're cut out for it.?ÿ The fact that you asked the question does make me wonder.?ÿ Getting a new job will answer that question for you.
Sounds like a really bad surveying company without management and mentorship. Instead of questioning yourself, why not look for another company? You're describing exactly how I felt at a construction staking company I previously worked at. And then boom I discovered a good company, doing mostly boundary surveys with good crew chiefs that were trained by RPLs, good mentorship and slow paced. Places like this still exists, just go out there and look for them.
There's not much worse than dreading work every day. Sometimes the lessons about what not to do are just as valuable as those about what to do. The length of time you've been there says you're not one to give up easily. That's not a bad quality to have, hang on to it. Just from what you've written here, I don't think you'll have trouble finding employment.
Sounds like a poor employer more than anything.?ÿ If you suspect they do sloppy work sometimes then I would maybe move to either a government agency, or one of the larger design firms that works on the bigger public works projects.?ÿ Those places will do jobs the right way, should have some sort of training budget, and might be a good fit for someone with a detail orientated personality like you seem to have.
@alyosha There are as many models out there as there are firms. I've run 13 crews where I did 40 hour weeks and two where there weren't enough hours in the day. They all had some elements of what you describe. I believe that is a function of business ignorance in general rather than our profession.?ÿ
The most concerning statement you made is the apparent disconnect between the LS and field crew. That is a recipe for disaster for all involved. Take mental note never to emulate that style of mismanagement.?ÿ
The lack of mentoring is another serious problem. Are they at least supporting your education? You cannot learn boundary law through repetition without some combination of mentoring, education, and self-study. If you remove any of those from the equation you'll probably end up really good at doing things the wrong way. We all need differing amounts of these but zero in any category shows up sooner or later in your work.
This conversation needs to happen with your supervisor/LS. It doesn't need to be a negative experience but it has to happen. Approach it as 'I can be more efficient with help on a few things' or some such..
Best of luck..
