educating & training survey technicians · evaluate using swot analysis strengths weaknesses...

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NEW YORK STATE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYORS

presents

A SEMINAR BYBILL BEARDSLEE, P.L.S., P.E., P.P.

Educating & Training Survey Technicians

Educating and Training Survey Technicians

Why do we need to educate and train our staff?

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Primarily to maintain and stabilize your staff.

§ Turnover is costly and sometimes dangerous

§ The younger staff are generally seeking to move on in 2-4 years.§ The days of the “gold watch” are over.§ New employees are hard to find


What are “Educating”

and “Training”?

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Webster says educating is:

the action or process of teaching someone especially in a school,

college, or university


Webster says training is:

activity leading to skilled behavior

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For the purposes of this session:

Educating is telling

Training is showing


How many of you have active, structured education or training

programs in your firm?

Not like previous generationsNo more apprenticeships

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Starting at 8AM, data collecting or completing drawings at 8:30 is

NOTa program for employee satisfaction or

long term stability.


There must be some “break in time” for each new employee.

The length of this time is the “learning curve”

Not the same for everyone

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This time must be mentored by someone with complete knowledge of

the topic and the ability to answer questions accurately and clearly.

Avoid unclear or incomplete directions or answers.


Internal communication is critical.

Directions FromClient

Project ManagerParty Chief & CAD operator

Crew members

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Results FromCrew members

Party Chief & CAD operatorProject Manager

Client


Technological Isolation

Digital Casket

Client Communicationscopyright 2012 by William E. Beardslee, P.L.S., P.E., P.P.

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Educating and training new employees is costly.

Not doing so is more costly.

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Client Communications©copyright 2011 by William E. Beardslee, P.L.S., P.E., P.P.


Non- Technical Risk Drivers2001

Negotiations and Contracts 13%

Client Selection 16%

Project Team Capabilities 24%

Communication 27%


The educating and training should be a

PROGRAMNot an

EVENT

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One time isn’t enough and

one size doesn’t fit all.


• Set a time and place for your program.

• One element for new hires.

• One element for Continuing Education

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Start a documented program of how you will pass knowledge on to the

staff.Ask ALL the stakeholders what THEY

feel should be in the programThey have some idea what they need

or want to learn

Educating and Training Survey TechniciansListening

Listening is the ability to accurately receivemessages in the communication process.

Listening is not the same as hearing.

Adults spend 70% of time communicating45% Listening30% Speaking16% Reading9% Writing

Skills You Needcopyright 2012 by William E. Beardslee, P.L.S., P.E., P.P. IPS/Internet

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Educating and Training Survey TechniciansListening

Listening to the client makes them part of the process and gives them a sense of power.*

Clients who feel helpless are not willing to pay a premium for top class service.*

Forget what you want to say and listen to their needs.*

*Larry Phillips, PLS; POB, August 2012

**copyright 2012 by William E. Beardslee, P.L.S., P.E., P.P.


“If we were supposed to talk more than we listen, we would have two

tongues and one ear.” - Mark Twain

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Listening10 Principles of Listening

Stop Talking Prepare to Listen

Put Speaker at Ease Remove Distractions

Empathize Be Patient

Avoid Personal Prejudice Listen to the Tone

Listen for Ideas – Not Just Words Watch for Non-Verbal

copyright 2012 by William E. Beardslee, P.L.S., P.E., P.P.

© copyright 2011 by William E. Beardslee, P.L.S., P.E., P.P.


Evaluate using SWOT Analysis

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

OBJECTIVES THREATS

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§ Not all field personnel will become party chiefs§ Not all party chiefs will become

analysists or survey managers§ Not all PLS’s will become department

heads.


Start with Basics.

Observe what the retention rate is.

See who has the interest in advancingVersus who is just putting in time

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A career path:

Certification is a short term attainable goal.


New York has the

10th

highest number of Certified Survey Technicians in the country

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Goals of the Certification Program

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Recognize the important contribution that technicians provide to the surveying and mapping profession.

Provide credentials to technicians.

Goals of the Certification Program

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Identify those technicians who have achieved specific technical competencies.

Provide a career ladder for technicians.

Provide employers with a way to evaluate applicants and an opportunity to promote the quality of their technical staff.

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Who Uses the Program

Public Entities:• Virginia State Board of Registration - FS exam• Maryland Society of Surveyors• Washington DC Metropolitan Area Transit Authority• Arizona and Minnesota DOTs• Michigan Society of Professional Surveyors

Survey Technician Council• Texas Society of Professional Surveyors• New Hampshire Land Surveyors Association

(pays 1/2 cost of exam if employer matches)• District of Columbia Association of Land Surveyors

(1 yr of Associate Membership to those who pass)

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Who Uses the ProgramPrivate Entities:

• Dewberry, LLC, Fairfax, VA• McKim & Creed, Wilmington, NC• Tri-State Engineering, Joplin, MO• Clark Construction Company, Bethesda, MD• Vincennes University, Vincennes, IN• Doucette Survey, Newmarket, N.H.• Charles P. Johnson & Associates, Inc., Silver Spring, MD• Stantec North America

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Benefits for Technicians

• Recognition by Peers and Employers • Personal Pride - Achieving Certification• Pay – CST’s make about 10% more• Better qualified peers makes your job easier • Career and Employment opportunities improve -• CST Program compliments training • Skills will improve – making advancement

possible• Certification improves image of survey

technicians within the profession

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Benefits and Uses for Company• Sets a standard for your technical staff• Can be used as a hiring requirement• Can be used as a marketing tool - incorporated

in your QA/QC Program• Can be used as a career ladder which creates a

promotional tool within your firm or agency • Better qualified staff – more production - more

profit – you can pay your staff more – you can attract better staff – your job becomes easier

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All the CST Program data is available on the NSPS website under the

heading “PROGRAMS”

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Keep in find that the great goals ofOpportunity and Advancement

Don’t work well without Accountability and Consequences

Checks and balances

.


Seminars and in-house staff instruction available through

The Beardslee GroupWilliam E. Beardslee, PLS, PE, PP

Communication & Management Consultant

837 Seven Lakes North, West End, North Carolina 27376910-673-2196 Email – [email protected]

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