7
I finally told my best painter he needs to run his own crew or leave
He's been with me for eight years in Austin but kept turning down lead roles, then last Tuesday he complained about his pay again. I laid it out straight: you either step up to manage the new guys on the big Hill Country project next month, or you're capping your income here forever. How do you handle someone who's great at the work but scared to lead?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
elliot_patel10d ago
Yeah, the "step up or cap your income" line is the only move. Had a framer just like that, fantastic hands but would rather chew nails than tell someone what to do.
2
tara_patel10d ago
That framer might have the right idea though. Forcing a great worker to manage people can ruin the thing they're actually good at. Some folks just want to do their craft well and go home, and that's a valid choice. Pushing them into a boss role they hate could mean you lose their skills completely. The system that says you must lead to earn more is pretty broken when you think about it.
3
shanelee10d agoTop Commenter
That's a really good point about losing their skills... but sometimes the money talk changes things. The framer I knew ended up taking a foreman spot because the pay jump was just too big to say no to, even if he hated the meetings.
0