Letting Go.

I have been struggling for some time to make the decision on whether to hire right now or not. It has been a real roller coaster of thoughts. Sometimes I am ready to, and then the feeling fades. It usually fades when we start to get on top of our jobs. Right now, the roller coaster is climbing again. We are looking at booking work now through Christmas. …

It’s a hard time of year to be thinking about taking on the responsibility of keeping another person busy heading into another Minnesota winter. I have a deep sense of commitment when I hire. Right now it's as if I am reading tea leaves. Circumstances are continually changing and I really need to have a firm handle on my decisions. There would be nothing worse for a new crew member to come on, fit in well, stay busy for awhile, then have the work drop off.

We have several projects that need to be completed before the next new project starts. The month of November is already gone on my calendar and its only the 5th. We are siding, building and installing vanities, replacing decking, making counter tops, and replacing windows. One thing we can never say… our work is boring.

The toughest part of being an "always available for every job contractor" is the time it takes. I do have a very hard time delegating. It drives the Artist nuts sometimes, but I just can’t seem to let go of things. BUT.. I need to have my crew always experiencing new project challenges and new skills, and that has to be accomplished by being hands on, always learning for them.

I am however giving opportunities for the crew to be alone more. To be responsible for getting the job done without my constant on-site presence. They are on one job currently and I am on another and these projects are at opposite ends of the Twin Cities. Not ideal for me. I can’t be in total control, but it forces us all to grow and forces me to do what I have talked a lot about in the past; it forces me to let go.

~The Carpenter