18
THE DAVEY BULLETIN
|
March/April 2019
Davey added a line clearance coach to its DTE Energy account to
improve employee performance and, ultimately, the client experience.
Tim Roberts and Josh Perro served as line clearance coaches.
LINE CLEARANCE COACH
IMPROVES CLIENT SERVICE
FOR DTE ENERGY
"Our employees in the field are hungry for more training,"
said John Tokarczyk, operations manager, Eastern
Utility services.
"But it has to be more than just a tailgate meeting or a
Learning Management System class they take on a laptop,"
he said. "They want hands-on, in-the-tree training with
somebody who's going to teach them something."
That thirst for knowledge speaks to the heart of how Davey
partnered with our client, DTE Energy, to improve the
comprehension and skillsets of Davey employees managing
line clearance responsibilities for the Michigan electric utility.
Though a longtime client, the partnership that led to
improvements in training, equipment and other elements
dates to 2014, when DTE Energy officials asked for Davey's
safety action plan for the next year.
"Honestly, we kind of scratched our heads and had to ask
ourselves, 'What are we going to do differently next year
to improve?'" Tokarczyk said.
So, at the suggestion of our client, Davey participated in a
50-question survey. Each of Davey's 125 local employees
working on DTE Energy properties answered the questions.
The survey sought information about operations ranging
from safety to efficiency, equipment condition and more.
The results determined employees wanted more
interaction with a safety representative or a technical trainer.
Additional feedback addressed equipment and other issues.
But desire for more safety and training proved the most
valuable feedback, Tokarczyk said. Before, Davey had a
single line clearance coach on the DTE Energy account.
Because of the survey, management added a second line
clearance coach.
"A line clearance coach tries to get the best out of each
person they work with," Tokarczyk said. "Coaches work
with the crews directly in the field, whether climbing trees
or dragging brush. While working alongside the crews the
coaches teach them proper techniques on everything from
knot-tying to pruning, proper job site setup and more."
The coaches spend one week at one of the seven yards
Davey operates out of for DTE Energy. Now, a line clearance
coach visits every yard every seven weeks. Additionally,
the coaches organize group training sessions for first-aid,
CPR, defensive driving, HAZ-mat response, aerial rescue
training – all events now organized into a precise calendar
for 2019.
"That's been our greatest step with the most impact,"
Tokarczyk said. "Because they see everybody. Those
line clearance coaches have a connection with everyone
in the field."
MISSION
