The other day I watched my mom make her famous bread. I’m sure she’s made it over a thousand times. I was surprised to see the recipe sitting on the counter. I said, “Mom, surely you trust yourself enough to make this without using a recipe!” She said, “Oh yes. I could make it in my sleep, but I’d rather take a few seconds and double-check what I know than end up with a ruined loaf.” Trust but verify
Moms are so wise. 💡
“Trust but Verify” my Mom always said! She trusted that she remembered the recipe correctly but recognized she was human and could still mess up.
Why take a chance and waste your time, effort, and money when it only takes a few seconds to verify what you know is true? In the end, you’ll be confident that your result is exactly what you thought it would be.
How does a loaf of bread apply to your construction business? Often we are told, “Trust your employees!”, “Trust your numbers!”, “Trust the Plan!”.
But does simply trusting make it true?
No.
Trust between management and employees is a hot-button topic right now, and it’s not without merit.
We all want to work in an environment that has trust between managers and employees! It’s the ultimate business goal, whether we’re a boss, a client, or part of a crew.
But like my mom, we all realize that even though we trust ourselves and trust our co-workers, it’s always wise to verify what is happening. The right GPS time tracking system can be an essential ingredient as you continue to create a company built on trust.
If trust is such an essential part of your business, does using a GPS time tracking system mean you trust your employees, clients, and data less?
Absolutely not!
On the contrary, it means you care about creating a work environment that is happy, independent, and productive for everyone. Under these conditions, trust will grow.
There isn’t a single blueprint for building trust with all your employees. It must be done individually.
GPS time tracking software will build trust with members of your crew and each client because it will appeal to their unique strengths and personalities. You might be surprised to learn that busybusy not only helps to build trust but it also serves as a conflict resolution tool for you, your clients, and your employees.
Here are a few examples we see all the time: 👀
- The Guy who needs data and logic – GPS Tracking Software will build trust because he will be given precise, factual results. This is your numbers guy. The right GPS software will provide accurate numbers, whether with timecard calculations, overtime tracking, or time code analysis.
- The Guy who loves structure and process – GPS builds trust by giving him reliable reminders to clock in/clock out. He will love seeing bids created with precision and projects finished as promised through accurate labor cost tracking.
- The Guy who approaches work via relationships – A GPS time tracking software program with Daily Reports will appeal to this guy. Daily reports will build trust by cultivating a collaborative spirit and a transparent work environment. A recent client described one of his employee’s Daily Reports as “a work of art to him, something he takes a lot of pride in.”
- The Guy who gravitates to big-picture and visionary work – To build trust with this guy, they need to understand that by using GPS software, the company overall will function more efficiently and profitably in a broader sense. No more arguing with your GC about how many guys were on the job site and for how many days. The big picture guy loves this.
When everybody understands the benefit of good GPS time tracking software, employees will trust that the business has their best intentions in mind.
Trust Leads to Happier Employees.
You want happy employees!!
Besides building trust, what else ensures happy employees?
According to the Self Determination Theory, the first component of happiness is autonomy.
At first glance, GPS software can seem restrictive and overbearing, the opposite of autonomy.
But in reality, GPS time tracking will give your employees the ability to oversee their hours/ pay and take ownership in jobsite progress! Jobsite Autonomy will increase!
Individual work is verified, and communication with management is improved – leading to meaningful independence.
Meaningful independence will cultivate happiness, contentment, and trust. It’s all connected.
Too Much of a Good Thing?
If independence equals a happy employee, does that mean every workday should be the 4th of July? “Give me Freedom or Give me Death!”
Um no. Settle down, Braveheart!
Studies show that too much trust and not enough monitoring in the workplace can lead to poor productivity. [Langfred]
It’s a bad idea for a manager to adopt a 100% ‘hands-off approach’, all in the name of trust, and expect everything will work perfectly. A wise carpenter will measure twice and cut once and like Peter Drucker said, “you can’t improve what you don’t measure.”
Oversight is needed to ensure productivity, accurate recordkeeping, and safety measures are kept to a high standard. The right time tracking software can provide you with the discreet tools needed to oversee your projects.
It’s important to trust but verify!
Daily analysis reports created by the right GPS software will provide you with a quick overview of what’s getting done on your job sites, and you’ll receive alerts if there are issues you need to know about. It’s a quick glance at the recipe, if you will, to make sure what’s actually happening matches up with what you think is happening.
You’ll be able to see clock-ins/outs, work accomplished, equipment location, injury reports, jobsite photo progress, and more. These valuable reports will allow you to micromanage the process and not your people. You’ll no longer be bugging your crews for timecards, jobsite time codes, what they got done that day and daily progress updates. This data will be provided to your phone and computer in real-time, leaving you with more time to solve problems and have meaningful interactions with your employees and clients. Everyone is going to feel more independent, happy, and most importantly, trust each other more.
Verify the Process-Trust the Results!
If something increases your workers’ productivity, happiness, and independence, then it’s a good thing!
Maybe you’ve been thinking about upgrading your outdated time tracking system for a while, but unfounded doubts have stopped you. Stop overthinking! You’re only creating problems that aren’t there. Give yourself the tools to take your business to the next level!
Bottom line: If trusting but verifying is good enough for our moms, it’s good enough for us.
Busybusy is a GPS-based time tracking system designed specifically for construction-based businesses. They’ll walk you through the set-up process step-by-step, making sure you’re confident and informed about your new software. Busybusy is so confident in their service and their software that they don’t require contracts. Oh, and did I mention they also give you a 90-day, 100% moneyback guarantee? They trust their product because thousands of happy customers have verified how amazing it is. You can be confident that their GPS timekeeping software will revolutionize your data collection and analysis, build trust, and improve your business. It’s time to start trusting but verifying with busybusy today.
