Mistakes Were Made
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
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As a retired physics teacher, you should have seen the smile on my face when you started talking about real life application. All that part was extremely well presented and interesting. However, the last several minutes where you were talking the first employee through, and then explain to him, the cost of operating a business, and his salary was excellent and far better than any economics class I’ve ever taken because it was real.
Thank you, I really appreciate that!
To be fair - that lesson at the end was business/finance, not economics.
Same! Fs = umg cosine theta! 😂
You use way too many commas.
@@SpruceOaksit's economics in it's social function. People complain about the gap between take home pay and what the company gets for labor a lot. Like capitalism is going out of style a lot. This real world application of business presents a different perspective than is usually in mind when people conplain.
Reminds me of a story I read once about a lab tech that accidentally destroyed a very expensive piece of lab equipment. When he asked his boss if he was fired the boss just looked at him and said "Why would I fire you after I just spent all that money teaching you what not to do?"
Similar story in IBM lore from the '70's and '80's.. The result being "why would we fire you? We've just done a large investment in your education...". It's nice to hear the story happening at James' company. 👍
You need to find a cheaper tire supplier
Great comment
It was a mess up like that created PVC insulation
@@madbrad7274Tires aren’t t cheap anywhere my friend. I had to replace my tires at the end of 2022 and for 2 sets of 18 inch tires, TPMS relearn and alignment/balance or a 2018 Kia Sorento cost me $880.00 out the door. So replacing dually at $3,000 a piece that’s steal because he is running brand tires and not the tire store brand probably for reliability and DOT regulations.
As a tow truck operator, I am the guy who shows up and says "stop, hold up, let's come up with a plan". Doing recoveries is all about the applied physics.
For everyone who ever complained "I don't need to learn all this! I'll never use it in the real world! I'm just going to trade school anyway." Tow truck drivers and plumbers absolutely need it, among others.
Usually I'm the guy that's stuck. I tell the boss I'm going to be stuck. He says we'll try anyway. Resulting in a 58k lbs truck sunk to the frame
Mr Butler after 50 years on this rock, I can count on one hand the number of employers I have run across that are down to earth like you. Keep the positive work environment going. 👍
In my 60s years I barely need both hands to count the number of bosses and supervisors that were as aware as Mr Butler. So many educated individuals with the common sense of a turkey or the morals of a dog.
@@kevinsullivan3448 @a-k-jun-1 I never thought I'd be interested in working at a Septic & Well drilling company though my field of expertise doesn't align.
Truth.alot of people who r The boss don't have any common sense,people skills,or worse think they've got enough education that god himself couldn't run things as good as they have,and James butler is so smart he knows we never know everything or if we stop learning from others we might as well be face first up against a wall 🧱 cuz that's as far as we're going without opening up our mindset and accepting new ideas
When you job is really shitty, if you don't have a positive work environment you don't have employees.
Two phrases are etched in my mind that I received from old timers throughout the years. "If you work smart, you don't have to work hard." and "If you're gonna be dumb, You gotta be tough." Getting in a hurry and not thinking about what you are doing will actually end up costing more time or worse getting someone hurt. James handled this perfectly. Getting mad or frustrated can make you dumb really quick.
Perfectly? I would have called it a day and got the trucks tomorrow after the rain stopped and everyone had time to think about it. Sleep is important.
You can work hard and smart, but it only pays off if the gains are exponential or at least on the exp part of a sigmoid. You must always work smart when working for yourself. For others, you can work hard. It's because smarts = surprise = knowledge + wisdom is what gets you ahead.
Slower is faster
@davidbeppler3032 that is certainly an option. Getting the trucks the next day means two days that two trucks and crews are not making money.
@@jessicahajek7804OK Ricky Bobby.. got it.
My dad used to tell us constantly that "panic kills everyone involved, every time". When you make a bad decision and put yourself in a dilemma, it can be easy to give into the panic reflex for sure. Just step back, breathe, assess the situation and execute a plan. Observe, orient, decide, act.
Your dad was a wise man thank you for information I am going to use it from now
Corollary to panic kills everyone is going fast to do something takes longer. Having raised 3 sons and continuing to grow, I encourage embracing the maxim" Fast is slow, slow is smooth, smooth is quick"
@@jpjonesmd that's another gem- definitely a good one for young men. That took me till damn near thirty to understand
I love how you brought the OODA loop in. If there is not a life at stake, break that loop and slow down!
Watched a man get stuck, get out, sigh, assess the situation, then rig some weird wooden path/contraption and unstick himself in 10 minutes where most people would take well, an entire day
Can we get some "anger makes you stupid" shirts?
It's probably the most important thing I've learned from your videos. Although, admittedly, I have learned A LOT from your videos.
Man, I wish you were my boss.
I want one of those shirts too.
Life
Great Idea, not only for James Co., but just in general. KUDOS to you for coming up with this! 😊
James is a *damn* smart man.
How about that on the front and on the back "tell me if I'm being stupid" since you don't have be angry to be stupid.
"...and I think to myself, 'Surely not.'" The words that hold hold both a portent of tragedy and comedic greatness.
My fiancé was amused that I subscribe to a septic company owner's YT channel.
I had to explain that you are so much more than that.
I explained that you are a kind, funny, intelligent, a good story teller and common sense person. All of these attributes are rare to be found in one individual. Im also impressed with people who, like you, are open to education and learning.
Your videos teach thoughtfulness, business knowledge and life lessons.
You should (and probably one day will) have a few million subscribers.
Thank you for your videos.
thank you soooo much.
If I didn't know any better, I would have thought you were simping for this guy. But wince I do, I can attest for you. This guy is awesome, and as a new small business owner, I strive to be like him.
Also,septics are super interesting, lol. Customers are just amazed at what's going on in their own backyards, until we destroy their yards!
My husband: "You watch a septic guy?" Yeah! Totally. It's fascinating, and he seems like an amazing, smart, caring person. As a retired staff scientist, he did love the physics reference. 😂
This man is an incredible story teller. I could picture every single detail of what he was telling us.
James a good story teller but what makes him exceptionally good is he is also wise and caring.
Me, too, and I have zero experience with ANYTHING he was saying. 😀❤️
He has more detail than a chick 😂
Many years ago, when I was taking flying lessons, my flight instructors drilled into our heads that every accident starts about 15 minutes before the actual accident. Normally they are a string of bad decisions that individually don't amount to much, but together finds you, at best in a field making a tough phone call, and at worst well on your way to being 6 feet under. Great video!
Unless you're Sully.
@m2hmghb delete the word "bad" and I will 100% agree.
Some disasters are unavoidable which is why luck favors the prepared.
@@sw7366 Take note of the word "normally" at the beginning of the sentence. Your average accident isn't fluke bad luck so the word "bad" is appropriate when trying to teach a lesson about vigilance.
@@sw7366 I had an AFJROTC instructor who impressed on our class that an Air Force study showed that it takes at a minimum 7 bad actions to cause an aircraft accident.
@@rodshoaf Like James says, once the first bad decision is made, more will follow.
I am curious as to why it takes a minimum of seven bad actions to cause an accident. That seems an awful lot. Do you remember any of the bad decision list?
I used to be the transport manager for a grain and animal feed company. I used to love the phone calls that started "hey boss, I've got a little problem". Which meant anything from a blown light bulb to they turned a 44 tonne truck over.
I would like to see a book you write that maps out how you should run any business. That would be worth its weight in gold. Thanks James.
Have you read The Art of War, the book is by Sun Tzu? Google it, the book is a short read, and is free! If you have the time, look into the history of the author, and what happen to him! Your job is to find ways where you can fit what he said into your life! You start with what is art, and what is war? There are many answers, the best answers will help you answer other questions to come after reading this book! Good luck!
I’m writing it
@@JamesButlerWellAndSepticLife I'm buying it.
I want to buy it, too
@@JamesButlerWellAndSepticLife You can call it "The Art of Business".
You got me! I was a family doctor and owned a small business for 44 years, but I wish that I had had someone leading and teaching ME what you have learned in this video. Well done. Well thought out. And you made a very bad day into a very impressive teaching moment that no one involved will ever forget. Nor will those of us who watched til the end ever forget what you have learned and taught in this video. I have passed it on to some younger men I respect. They will benefit. And the world will be a nicer place even on those days when life goes south on us. Ha! Thank you.
Ten thousand dollar employee training exercise, also creates an opportunity to create new SOP to avoid this exact situation. Always good to go through SOP to add what makes sense and clear what is no longer necessary.
Edit: Forgot to say thank you for sharing these stories with us. I like hearing about workplaces that don't follow the "Does that make sense? Well then we can't do it that way" approach.
It will also most likely become a shop story that will get retold multiple times and probably with some embellishments as a cautionary tale to others so the teaching moment continues.
@@SelenaFire Which is more effective then any SOP. No one wants to be the talk of the shop after having been told what can happen.
When your the cause of the safety meeting
I'm not terribly spiritual but this is a great example of "when the universe speaks, listen." About to fall asleep and the universe wakes you up with lightning that close, then thinking about if the supervisor can handle it, BOOM major rainfall. You listened, and were atleast mentally prepared for the shit to hit the fan
This incredible James. I will share this with everyone I know. Such valuable words. I can wholeheartedly agree that anger makes us stupid.
This is a wonderful learning bite. James, you could keynote some conferences on this topic alone. Don't stop this magic. Also, at that eye-flash to the sky. I hear ya.
I'm usually the "call an audible" guy as well. A five-minute break can often be the difference between life and death.
Also, possibly those trucks may have driven themselves out the next dry morning. Rope off to a tree, and come back later sometimes is worth it.
I actually want to do public speaking.
@@JamesButlerWellAndSepticLife As someone who's done a fair amount of public speaking, I can say with confidence that you'd be good at it. You are able to make your videos interesting, well laid out (a clear start, middle, and end), suspenseful (to keep the audience interested) and humourous, whilst still delivering a message. If you're able to do that in a "one take" format, you'll be able to complete the transfer to public speaking seemlessly.
Definitely give it a go. Good luck! 👍
@@JamesButlerWellAndSepticLife you are publicly speaking. At least for those of us who follow.
@JamesButlerWellAndSepticLife and thats probably how you can have even bigger impact. how can we help? any event you'll be speaking at that we can share?
My last bad decision landed me in the ER and hospital for a day. I learned not to do that again. He’s totally right.
I appreciate your insight. Mistakes happen - with employees, with family. Being able to step back, assess, come up with a plan and *then* take action is difficult, but important. From watching your videos, I think you're a great boss. A family member of mine recently had an accident while pulling into our driveway that damaged 2 of our cars and our house. This person was quite upset and expected that I would be too. Obviously I wasn't happy - the insurance deductibles alone would cost me $2500. I knew that my reaction would be remembered by my family forever - would I blow my top and yell and get upset? The damage was done. The only thing I could control was my reaction to the situation. I gave the family member a hug, laughed it off and said mistakes happen, we'll get it fixed. THAT is what I want my wife and kids to remember about the situation. I don't want to be the husband and father that explodes in anger, and I appreciate that you, as a boss, react the same way - even when it's completely against human nature. Kudos for handling the situation the way you did.
Clearly $2500 is not going to take you 6 months or longer to pay off. Having the resources to deal with a problem makes life much easier. If you were living paycheck to paycheck and could not afford insurance and that accident totaled the families only car and you did not have enough to replace it.. A different response would have happened. Nobody is calm when their family is going to starve because someone made a mistake.
My 5yo niece was trying to hang up a towel and pulled the old-school ceramic-tile towel bar right off the wall. At home she'd have gotten screamed at, probably with a good dose of "wouldn't have happened if you weren't FUCKIN' AROUND!". I told her I was proud of her for telling me right away, and asked how it happened; she explained; I said "ok, thank you for telling me, I'll fix it later." Fifty cents worth of construction adhesive and six miles of blue tape later, good as new, with no new scars on the poor kid's soul.
My son was about 5 years old and decided that the drapes on the sliding glass door to the back yard would make a good swing. Needless to say that he pulled the entire rod down. When I found out about it, I told him to get a broom and clean up the mess and we would go to the store to get new bolts to re-install it (The rod was not damaged very much, just pulled the sheet rock screws out). I made him pay for it with his allowance (well about 10% of it anyway). He then had to help me put it all back up and clean up. When we were all done, I asked him if he learned anything and he said that yes he had and explained it all to me. He is 17 now and we talk about it often. What could have been an incident that scarred him was turned into a lesson that he still remembers and applies to life today.
Good for you, OP! I think the first reply on here missed your point. It has nothing to do with the money or affordability, it's far more than that. Your children will now come to you when they have a problem because they know that, no matter how bad it is or how badly it affects the family, you won't blow you top and will, instead, handle it with love and kindness. Your wife also knows that she has a solid and reliable partner who will not blow apart the family over money, but will instead work with her to find solutions. You did exactly the right thing.
There are always ways around things - whether that's setting up payment plans, borrowing money, etc. You can get someone to pay for their mistake without losing your rag with them and ruining the relationship. It is a cop out to state that controlling your anger and showing kindness in the face of adversity is a privilege afforded only to those with money. That skill is *actually* afforded to those intelligent enough to see what truly matters and act accordingly.
I say that because I've been hit with a bill, caused by a relative, at time when we had no money. If I'd yelled and screamed, they wouldn't have paid for it! I would have had the same problem *plus* a dysfunctional family. Instead, I just said "these things happen, it was a mistake, it's all good. Let's have a cuppa, then figure out how we're going to fix this". We're still close with the relative and we figured out a solution. Job done.
Anger is a momentary release, with effects that can last a lifetime. It's not worth it.
@@richardl4556Well played! It sounds like your son learned a great life lesson about fixing his mistakes and taking accountability for his actions, in a really constructive and positive way. Excellent parenting! 😎👍
Whenever I have an issue at work I always stop and reset and come up with a plan. That reset is the most important part.
Being a 20+ year electrician with as many years being the lead on jobs you stories resonate so perfectly with my years in the field. Bravo on the solutions you achieve.
As a former business owner when you have managers/leads that have the acumen you describe in yourself they are the most precious of employees since they operate as extensions of the business’s leadership team and should be compensated accordingly. I often saw them go out on their own as entrepreneurs because that’s what they were.
I like that you represent the viewpoint of a business owner in your videos. So much content on RUclips about work is so anti-owner and pro-employee that I think a lot of people don’t realize the struggles and stress of the owner to keep everything up and running. Both sides need each other, both sides succeed when the other succeed, and it’s kind of a breath of fresh air to hear a relatively fair company owner explain his point of view on things.
This was an extremely well put together explanation and extremely reasonable response. It shows just how in tune he is with his company and how he is proactive and not reactive. Being only reactive is a huge problem and causes a never ending series of problems.
I take the Vanilla Ice management school of thought
1: Stop
2: Collaborate
3: Listen
Anger, is one letter short of Danger. The angry man that goes into the "fight" goes in blind.
You handled this, very well James. More should aspire to be like yourself.
when guys are riding around on fun equipment ie bobcats, it costs less.
I have heard a similar story involving a forlift operator dropping a $10,000 transformer and destroying it. When he asked if he should pack his stuff, his manager replied "Fired? I just spent $10,000 training you!"
That kind of attitude really resonanted with me, and still does!
Somewhere along the line someone at Harvard or MIT is going to find your videos and create the best business practices Class just from what they learn from your video Essays. You are a genius at fair business.
I wouldn't expect that from Harvard. They seem far too gone in certain types of happy rainbow thinking to be in the real world.
Instead of AI it's A1 shit.
James could do it himself and upload his videos to Coursera or Masterclass. Ordinary people need him, not the out of touch pampered people at Ivy League schools who wouldn't understand his value.
@@SpidermanandJenyyeah they would utilize his videos for opposite reasons. The business majors i swear are being taught that they will fail if they treat employees like human beings. Its getting worse and worse in every single corporate environment so much so a pattern is emerging and i do wonder if there will be investigations into business classes at some point requested by shareholders when people eventually tell upper managers to get fucked and the profit starts dropping by leaps and bounds due to massive loss in productivity
One of the many things I learned from my dad over the years was the value of a tactical coffee break. He was a truck mechanic by profession, but he was also an all-around handyman, tinkerer, and DIY-er. He could do or fix just about anything, if he put his mind to it.
If he ran into a problem that he couldn't solve, or had something that just wasn't going the way he intended, he wouldn't keep working on it or try to force it.
He'd walk away, get a cup of coffee, or a sandwich, and sit down and have a think. He didn't even necessarily have to be thinking about the thing he was working on.
Frequently, after a break, he'd go back to work with a fresh mind, and immediately notice the detail he'd been missing.
I have been all three, the clueless careless employee, the midlevel manager and the boss. Now I am the old guy about to retire. Congradulations James on using this situation as a teaching moment. I can tell you that when I was younger, I did lots of dumb stuff; when I got into management, I did dumb things on a different level, but I was fortunate enough to have mentors that helped me understand how to do better. When I was the boss, I took every opportunity, to do the same. After years of being the boss, I stepped back and now I can see all of the three people I was; you pretty much encapsulated my 37 years with one company.
Im a small business owner & love to hear your videos. Very informative on a business side & on a personal side. I agree 110% with everything you’ve said! Im told all the time I’m to soft as a business owner, but I understand no one is perfect & everyone makes mistakes! I treat my workers as family.
Glad to have found your channel!
I will never be a business owner but I still enjoy your stories James. Gives me hope that I'll be a steller employee by comparison
Never say never. Starting your own business is hard, but not as hard as most people think. Find a problem you think you can solve, and monetize the solution.
I have been a business owner. But even after I wasn’t and worked for somebody else I applied the same disciplines as described here in my personal family life including our finances. Make allowances for when things you can’t control go wrong. By all means feel your emotions (suppressing them is counter productive) but never act while you’re emotional. I equate these things with becoming a mature adult.
It all fairness an F550 can’t get out of a mud puddle. I’ve never driven a worst truck in the mud. I had a tree truck with chip box that couldn’t get out of its own way in the slightest amount of wet dirt. I’m just curious how you burned up a set of tires.
@@endlessmountainoutdoors They are highway trucks, not meant for offroad. Too heavy with tires too narrow for soft ground. And inexperienced drivers who are stuck tend to spin the tires way more than necessary. If there is a firm layer under the mud, itll burn em up
@@estamnar6092ahhh…that makes sense. For some reason I assume they have all terrain thinking they drive through yards. Thinking more about that, they use sections of hose to avoid that most of the time.
I didn’t realize I posted this under a comment and the channel…Smh
What an absolutely invaluable lesson. Every single business owner and CEO should be mandated to watch this video. Bravo sir!!
A fresh set of eyes will almost always have the solution to any problem you can't seem to figure out.
Sometimes you have to walk away for a few minutes to become those "fresh set of eyes".
James, I applaud you for the way you handle your employees, and your everyday situations. 👏🏼
As an electrician, I've done this exact thing. Sometimes you gotta walk away, go grab a drink or a snack, maybe take your lunch break. Then come back and BAM. It's done in moments. It's interesting how that all works
It's not so much anger that makes me stupid, but ANXIETY.
I started my career a couple of years ago, and have been promoted since, but finding my sea legs with these new responsibilities is so much harder when the fear of making a mistake clouds my ability to think clearly.
I always come to your channel for advice, you really are one of the best bosses out there no matter what trade you or anyone else is in. ❤
Man! I wish I had a fatherly figure in my life like you. A huge Thank You for sharing your wisdom, keeping it raw and real.
I appreciate that
This is an EPIC story, and should be part of every management class. Kudos to you in how you handled this situation from minute one.
There is one thing that was overlooked - dude-ism, gravitas, ego, whatever you want to call it.
You see, guy #1 gets stuck. Guy #2 goes to "how did that idiot manage to get stuck down there?" and proceeds to go down the hill with thoughts of bragging rights, grandeur, etc. A "not looking before leaping" scenario. Once guy #2 is stuck, the realization of an environmental issue vs a lack of driving skills becomes apparent.
You being guy #3, you have the advantage of assessing (this is where wisdom comes in to play) that if guys #1 and #2 got stuck, perhaps I should take my cup of coffee and go for a walk.
I worked in tech support for 15 years. I found that the fresh perspective of not being in the middle of the problem is often the key. When you are in the middle of the problem, you are are often so caught up in the process that it is difficult to extract yourself and take another look with a fresh perspective. The best chance for that seems to be when you reach a point that you have to stop for some reason.
Being tired and worn out complicates your ability to pull back and reexamine the situation. That analytical, problem solving person stepping in from outside can be wonderfully helpful. The person who is in the middle of the situation being able to stop, pull back and reassessing the problem anew is impressive.
James did you try putting chains on your tires? I drive semi trucks and we go off road all the time. If it's not muddy fields during harvest then its loging trails.
When you are off road in the forest you are chaining the truck every single time you leave the road. if it's not snow and ice then it's rain and mud. Tire chains make a big difference. If you don't chain, a log skidder will be towing you when you get stuck.
Here are some recommendations so you can avoid a tow bill in the future.
1. Get some studded tire chains, you can't use them on road but they are amazing off road. See an old school truck driver like myself to learn how to put chains on a wheel when you are stuck and can't roll onto them.
2. Get some truck claws. Truck Claws are a recovery device that you can strap to the tire. They make them for pickup trucks and semi trucks. They work on ice and in the mud on fully loaded semi trucks.
3. If you have any tandem axel pump trucks get some tracks from "Right Track". It's a Canadian company that makes a set of tracks like tank tracks that slip on over the drive axles. Google their web page, those tracks are awesome.
I learned quite young that not only does anger make you stupid, but fear/desperation (which often goes hand in hand with anger) can finish you and any rational thought process. Taking that step back, some deep breaths and that break you spoke of can work wonders.
Most places, if you are on a mapped paved road, you can get a tow. Once you get off on the dirt, that's a $alvage recovery.
I sure hope your friend gave you a break!
Great way you handled it with the new driver.
I'm enjoying your videos.
I am a newly retired Physics teacher who went back to school at age 56 to get my certificate.
I also worked in pest control as a fumigator for a number of years, so your experiences with working guys resonates.
Keep studying Physics and you'll keep seeing how the principals relate to real work conditions.
And keep sharing what you learn. It's exciting to see that when I pass on I can know that there are people who are continuing the story.
You have got to be one of the best storie tellers I've ever had the pleasure of listening to, thanks for the good information.
You covered parts one and two: stop, make a plan.
Part three is realizing if you don't fire employees who have made mistakes, most of them will learn not to make mistakes, and will therefore cost you less in the long run than replacing them with someone who has to start up the same learning curve.
James, we need more like you!
Brilliant story. And brilliantly handled.
In my company, we are pre-planning communal water and sewer projects: My team leader is the one to do a stop and reset like you. So am I. Also in private.
Little Story: SiL (elementary and Piano Teacher at that time) living upstairs, calls me up at 2300 in the middle of all of us preparing some catering for a Lions Club do at the Uni for Arts around the Corner.
She had difficulties at cutting her filo-dough triangles into 3 and filling them with spinach-creamcheese and frying them and she was in a fumble. Experienced cook though...
I took hubby, we went upstairs and found her kitchen in a mess. I called a stop...despite her protest and assessed the situation,.because if any of us wanted to have any sleep at all, this had to change.
First: cutting equilateral dough triangles into equal 3 is BS. 4 is the charm.... geometry wise...
Then pipe the filling on from a bag, don't spoon sticky stuff.
Filling gets stuck, because of onion pieces? Take the Hand-Blender to the pot. Then make a proper assembly line: me cutting and piping, hubs rolling, Sil on the fryer....400 pieces and in bed at 2...
I love problem solving😂
I don't know how or why your videos began popping up in my feed, but I needed you. This video and all the rest are incredible and powerful. Your employees are blessed to have you and your insights in person.
Being able to stop, step back, and assess the situation is a critical thinking skill. You cannot adequacy see a situation when you are in the middle of it. Great story and outcome analysis. (I’m a nurse, so this is right in my wheelhouse for skills.)
As a programmer, when I get stuck coding, I have sometimes talked someone else through what I am trying to do. This has helped me see my problem so much easier than trying to think my way through.
I do that a lot. Hey come in here let me show you what I'm up against. Even if I know that person will have zero idea how to fix the problem. Fortunately there are a few of us that do that with each other so we all know what's going on when we do that. And it almost always helps me see something I've missed
I found a similar technique, I'd write documentation in the code describing the changes I'm about to make.
Yup this is why paired programming is so useful.
Hell sometime I tell my roommate (who doesn't code) what I'm stuck on and in the process of explaining it I realize what my problem is.
In my compsci education we called this the rubber ducky method. Just talk it out to a rubber duck on your desk and you'll figure it out in the process
That's my excuse for talking to myself when I'm on a job.
That southern rain is crazy
You're the kind of boss every place of business needs.
25 years as a cook in the Coast Guard. I’ve been on both ends of that spectrum. I quickly began studying what the leaders were doing incorrectly in my mind. I knew I didn’t need those skills. At the end of my career my junior cooks would say I was a great chief/chef/mench.
The world needs more managers like you.
You have got to be the best boss on the planet! The logic reasoning and control you exhibit is amazing. I really wish there were more people in the world like you
When I don’t get my 8-9 hours of sleep, I am not capable of thinking rationally. I also get a massive headache. Kudos to you for your handling of that situation under those conditions. You deserve all the 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆.
Dude, as I was watching and listening, I said "coefficient of friction" in unison with you. I'm also a former tow truck driver for AAA, and the off-road (and only slightly off-road) stories are always the best. You are the patron saint of baffled workers who want to do only good. Keep up the great cross-topical content!
I love how you discuss emotional regulation, and coming back to focus. I love how you lay out the accounting for your employees!
Great "learning experience " for all...
As an old, fat & slow tin knocker ( in NYC) I welded the last 15 years of my career. I followed the young superstars that welded hundreds of feet of 10 gauge black iron for kitchen exhaust in skyscrapers... completing the build at the kitchen hood or roof penetration to a fan. At these points the blueprint was just a suggestion, the "run & gun kids" would smile as I showed up one morning at the shanty ( having trained most of them). I wasn't the best, that would be YODA, a slightly built guy with hands of platinum, but I would figure out solutions that stumped many others.
Like the tortoise in the race, slow and steady WINS.
LOVE YOUR WORK PRACTICE AND METHODS. STAFF TRAINING & MANAGEMENT IS PRICELESS.
Bronx Love guyz 😎
James, you are an amazing person. Your employees are very blessed to have you for their boss. You showed grace, mercy, strength and wisdom to employees who caused you grief and totally did not mean to. Bad decisions were made by imperfect people and you showed incredible grace. I’m sure your guys learned several lessons from this. I am curious about your background and how you became the great example that you are. I hope you’ll do a video on your background?? Keep on being a great boss. You’re in a class of your own.
Epiphany time! :) I'm starting to parent differently with my own kids.. just last night my oldest son comes in apologizing that he hadn't washed the dishes by hand (our dishwasher broke, push a button to start it, just doesn't ever start). I said " I'm not getting mad over this, I refuse to let it make me angry. You're not in trouble, just wash the dishes" and through the next hour or so, he did the dishes just fine. He did them, they got clean, crisis averted.
You sir, are helping me model a pattern of behavior in myself that, I'd like to keep as a mantra. And I think part of that mantra is "Anger makes us stupid"
I made a poor decision once that cost the company around $4k. I felt pretty bad about it... until I remembered that my boss made a poor decision once that cost the company $90k.
A few years ago, when I was more or less a brand new nurse, I had come on for my shift and I see two nurses walking out of a residents room looking very frustrated. Now these were two long term nurses, we are talking twenty years or more in the field, one being a RN and the other a fellow LPN.
So being curious about what has them looking perplexed they explained that they were trying to get a catherter in thud gentleman that was having retention issues. I said "walk me through what youve done so far."
And they run through the list.
Now I didnt work that unit often and barely know the resident, so I check his chart.
"Did any of you look to see if he had BPH (Benign prostatic hyperplasia, so in short a swollen prostate)?"
"Ah no."
So you probably didn't try a coudé?" (coudé catheter has a specially curved tip to get around a inflammed prostate)
Both looked at me like I had grown two heads, and you could see the moment both had that realization, they had gotten so frustrated, about the situation neither one could see what should have been the obvious and simple answer. About ten minutes later I had the cath in place and both were looking kind of sheepish. Sometimes it takes someone with fresh eyes to see the problem and it's easiest answer.
At my company, I can confidently say I've been both. When I was newer to the company I was definitely the person that just kept going and digging that hole deeper for myself. After working for the company for several years, I'm the one that comes in and says stop. More often than not I've fixed the problems they are struggling with at some point in the past or at the very least something similar so I can help them work out a plan.
We have a policy where you should spend no longer than 30 mins on a job by yourself if you don't know what you're doing, that way people are allowed that freedom to experiment and try to resolve the issue themselves but don't spend half a day fixing a problem that someone else could have resolved in 5 minutes.
Our current team seems to be taking this to heart fairly well which is good to see.
Kudos to you for keeping a level head even afterwards while running on very little sleep. Not only did you reinforce to both employees that you value them but you also made it clear there would be punishments in the future if they make the same mistakes. At the end of the day, we are all human and all of us make mistakes from time to time and we need to be allowed to learn from those mistakes without being dragged across the coles. But we also can't keep causing mistakes like this one that causes the company significant losses.
In all likelihood, you earned the respect of the new guy by not only explaining that to him calmly but also by not exploding at him for an honest mistake.
For me, it was the part you said "if you are angry you make stupid mistakes " . At my job I am angry with my boss, so I don't think straight. I am trying very hard not to be angry (she doesn't help). Thank you for reminding me not to make decisions when angry.
My first boss in college used to say "making mistakes is normal, it's how you learn, just make sure you don't make the same one more than once."
Excellent talk on employee wages versus business expenses. It's what most businesses struggle with until the employees understand the truth and realise the actual scene is not what the victim inclined promote.
I was literally just explaining this to one of my guys that I supervise at work the other day. I've been both the one stressed to the max dealing with time constraints and dozens of other employees waiting on me to get things running and the guy coming from outside of the situation that has a plan to fix the situation. It is so much easier to fix things when you're not the one balls deep in the sh*t. When you are or have to be the one balls deep in the sh*t it's always better to take that minute or 2 to take a step back and regroup before you lose your mind, your job, or worse. I still have to constantly remind myself of this.
As the owner of a small electrical contracting business, this totally resonated with me. You are absolutely right in saying that stopping is the first step, and that usually people in the situation won't be the ones to figure it out. Great way to handle things and a good example for other business owners.
I really like listening to your stories. Your approach to the situation, and common sense reactions are refreshing. The human species isn't doomed yet, we've got you. Thank you.
👵☮️🖖
This is so damn accurate. I work with my father in a small welding biz he started in around 92 and I joined around 2003 after college... The funny part is, I am the calm one who can always say where the tool is, find the tool, but it usually takes both of us to figure out how to fix the issue. Dad doesn't have his genius moments as often anymore as he is in his 70s and cranky, but I still rely on him when I fuckup and often vice versa. I like how you handled it, an employee should have the chance to learn, but I would be shocked if you really burned up 6k in tires. But I wasn't there and you guys might not think like I do, so it is always possible. I hope it doesn't hurt too much to cover the cost, it would nearly sink us at this point in the welding biz. 15yrs ago we had a biz go bankrupt on us for 25k and then we were sued with a preference letter that was clearly not applicable for another 15k. Damn that hurt to defend... We were told no one wins against the bankruptcy court after they ignored our response to the lawsuit, settled for $1500, but still had to swallow the $25k loss... Numbers might be a bit off, been too many years, best that I can remember... We were building a theme park, well supplying the materials placed in concrete for the rides to be mounted on and the handrails... Wild West World.....
I appreciate you so much. These are important lessons and stories you have to tell. I cost my company a few grand in damages and my boss laughed it off. I was a rookie at the time and it was a senior who held the responsibility. But, thats basically what we got. A conversation about what happened and a rather hefty lesson in securing freight properly.
I've been very critical of the "takes" this dude has on his channel at times...he sometimes appears to inflate himself to be high up on some "food chain" of humanity. He's a small business owner...it's a business that provides a service the ppl want/need and that's cool.
I do think he is a good "manager"...maybe even a good leader for the folks who work inside his small business enterprise. I appreciate this story especially in that vein...it's a decent model for how other small biz owners can achieve success by simply being a better manager...or leader...by being 1000% solution oriented, reeling back on placing blame, having some intuition that your team isn't working against you...and offering teams the opportunity to fail at something & learn moving forward.
That style builds good teams in the long run...even if the failure hurts in the moment.
"Anger makes you dumb." I love your resistance to giving in to ineffective behavior. You're The Anti-Karen and my hero!!! (Suddenly I need to order a custom tee shirt....)
You are an excellent storyteller and present several excellent lessons in a form so people might actually listen and learn from them! Thank you!
Actually, I'm a female and have worked in several industries and nobody listens to us. I'll admit, because of inexperience I won't always have the best solutions, but I have been relegated to sitting back and watching the "fun". But since I am generally unable to voice an "I told you so", I just privately smirk.
Keep up the good work!🎉
The more I listen to you, the more I like you. I really appreciate your videos. They are always funny and usually teach me something I can use day to day. Please keep making them!
You Rock Mr. Butler
After nearly 39 years of operating heavy trucks, repairing and maintaining heavy equipment as well as towing and recovering heavy equipment trucks and general dumb assery
Your attitude is excellent compared to my previous experience
James, thank you for being a stellar business owner. You give me hope for the future on how you handle problems, and I truly admire your approach.
One of the best professional compliments ever …
.. was getting a call to fix a problem that had nothing to do with my profession. Somebody I work with told this person to call me because, “he can fix any problem” …
As a retired concrete truck driver I learned the laws of physics early on and I'm a problem solver. I've seen more than my share of stupidity and bad decisions based on trying to save a buck especially by the customers and non experienced drivers. Think mud bogging with 73000 lbs total vehicle weight and not turning the truck over
You are a good boss. I did worked in business here in Brazil where the owner paid us a flat monthly salary and made us - the employed sellers - pay for any product that was stolen at full final selling price.
During Christmas, the store was often overwhelmed with 5-8 kids and their parents. It was impossible to keep track of everything. I even questioned the business owner that we needed help during Christmas and I even displayed Camera footage of me and the other seller getting overwhelmed with one operating as cashier and the other picking up and packing products, both non-stop and with clients complaining about the delay.
So... I changed strategy. I began just monitoring the store and let the other seller pack the products and do the cashier stuff. I held a lot of kid that were trying to get out of the store with unpaid products. The boss saw that on his remote access in the cameras and complained that the cashier got slower and I should helped the other employee. I made a deal: "either I stay here preventing products from being stolen and not being deducted from my salary or you do not deduct the full price of stolen products from the employees salaries - we need to solve this problem". The boss such the phone on my face without an answer. I kept doing what I was doing.
And do keep in my, a each stolen product was anything between ⅒ and ⅙ of my salary.
Obviously that... Being my first job, I didn't knew any better and how petty was this businesses owner. Eventually I quit that job to be able to study, since there was not breaks, but nowadays... I do take my time to see if it worthy to work with some people to even accept a certain service, because it saves me a lot of time and sometimes... Even money.
Working with some people or doing certain services are pretty much like trying to getting that truck unstuck from the mud alone.
there really needs to be more bosses like you in this world
Outstanding Sir. Enjoying the channel. Tks for sharing.
found you a couple months ago and i always watched your youtube shorts when i was scrolling, never noticed you uploaded longer videos. always great advice and excellent role model.
i am now going to heed your adivce and take a step back from what I'm doing (playing video games at midnight) and assess the situation and formulate a plan (go to sleep).
😂😂😂😂❤
Something related (I first heard on MedLifeCrisis youtube channel) that really relates:
DON'T JUST DO SOMETHING, STAND THERE!
There are so many situations where the wrong action is a lot worse than delayed action.
Understanding what exactly is going on and why it's like that is step one and often missed.
Anger makes you stupid, but so does frustration, fear, and desperation. Mix them together and you have a bitter tasting cake. Again, thanks for the life lesson.
This is pretty much what we did when I did pond and lake treatments for 10 years. We didn't get boat ramps, we had 2x12's to make our own ramps if the shelf was too steep but things happen and our trucks got stuck. One of us would respond, detatch our boat on the street but stay on the street and use straps and clevis hardware to keep one truck on traction and let the other stuck 4x4 slowly use their vehicle to just get out.
Afterwards, it was stomping down ruts, placing grass seed, addressing the customer and 9 times out of 10 that was good. We would teach better approaches to off roading to get in and out of a body of water and not make a big deal about it. There were a few occasions when an actual tow company had to be called because if I sipped one more time, the truck would be in the pond. Crap happens and as long as you learn from it, that makes you better at your job or skill.
Great video! You seem like an awesome person to work for.
(This is John not Irma, I'm on her account. I should have said this a long time ago) Jim in so many ways, you and I fall into the same mind set, it's frightening. As an industrial mechanic, who ran a crew of mechanics (they made me wear a tie) I've fallen into the same situation more times then I liked. You handled the situation better then I did sometimes, I wish you were around 20 years ago.
A long time ago, I worked for a telco company driving their truck and servicing outdoor boxes and wiring. One day I pulled off the highway, and my truck *sank* hard on the passenger side, I honestly thought it was going to tip over (it was a tall van with ladders and tubing on the roof) it was so far tilted. I stopped, called my dispatch, and they sent a tow truck to assist based on my verbal description. The tow truck guy shows up, jumps in my cab, and guns the throttle and gets it back on the road without so much as hooking anything up to it. I felt horrible, but I never heard two words about it from my supervisor, dispatch, or anyone else. I had that truck stuck a few more times in my career and never got in trouble for utilizing the tow truck service.
I learned that first day as you mentioned to step back and let someone else have a look -- and chastising the employee for reaching out for help will only make him/her hide the problems. The supervisor on the other hand may need a talking to -- tow truck should have been called before the problem got worse -- but ultimately it's an honest mistake that just needs guidance.
My experiences are different as I work in the eye care field. The great thing is it's a group practice and we all know we can grab another person to get a second opinion if we are at all unsure. Very good working and ( more importantly) learning environment.
handled that like a champ.
Sacrificing your generals, every time there is a failure, just means your new generals need to learn from second hand information, anecdotes are never as efficient as emotionally connected memories.
You really are a great boss to work for.
Great call to stop and think and an even better call to help people to do better in the future.
Traveled to a job site after our morning meeting where we discussed shutting down early due to rain. The work truck in front of me drove down a hill because it was closer to the work site. I parked at the top of the hill and told my coworkers, rain is coming, don’t want to get stuck.
Union labor was sent home at 11:00 ( equipment operators ). We continued our job until 2pm when it began to rain. The truck at the bottom of the hill could not get out. Told them to walk uphill and a dozer can pull them out tomorrow.
Always assess a situation and make the best decisions possible with the information given to you.
PS I did tell the other truck it wasn’t smart to park at the bottom of the hill.
Lmao I love how all the little tiny things come together in a single day to help you solve a math problem you had in school 😂😂😂
“So are you the guy that labors away, or the guy that says we need to stop and think of a better way”
I needed to hear that. Thank you and stay blessed my friend.
I’m truly a fan of your videos!💜 always great!!
I feel you. I am a business owner also. No matter what industry, people and problem solving are the number one quality an owner has to have, and the second realizing that certain problems need a person in that specialty. Cause no one knows everything.
Wooo more septic life
This channel ends up being some of the best Dad Advice on the internet. Don't lose you cool, use your head. Make good choices, learn from the bad ones. Educate yourself and educate others. Bravo sir, thank you for this content.
I wanted to add more things, Be prepared for the worst, hope for the best. Know who to trust when you need help. Establish good relationships with those around you. I think I could go on for days.
you are a compassionate employer and a good leader, sorry for the cutsomer but sometimes u gotta say no
I Wish all Bosses were as self reflected, people reading and guiding and disciplined as you! That is true Boss capabilities.
As a forklift operator, I’ve made my fair share of mistakes, spilled pallets, got my forks stuck in the racks, to name a few. But I always learned from them and didn’t get angry when they happened, I was frustrated because something bad just happened and was always paranoid that I was gonna have negative action taken against me for my mistake. But it was always my honesty and my willingness to take the negative action and roll with it that helped me stay with the company and not get a warning or a write up. Here’s a good example. I was transporting a double-stacked display pallet outside and it was pretty rough terrain and I just watched it tip and I was just thinking to myself “I can’t believe I just did that, I probably just costed my company over $300 for breaking all those ceramics.” Of course I had help with getting them upright and back into the building, and I told my managers what happened and I said “If you or management want to send me home for today, I’ll go.” And my main manager said “Don’t worry about it, I got you.” That’s when I realized that I was in a company that truly cares about it’s employees and wants to see them succeed.
I tell my staff, it is the cost of doing business. This is way more relatable way to explain. I am going to quote this. Thank you.