When I first entered the industry, I quickly realized that everyone spoke about snow differently—what constituted a major storm, what was the best way to respond, and so forth. With all this variation in direction, how can you expect a team to respond appropriately? What happens when teams have different expectations of snow operations?

Possible repercussions

• The team’s response can be delayed, causing clients to have complications on their sites and increasing liabilities.
• Not fully understanding what is expected, teams might over-service, which overuses time and material.
• Confusion about scheduling needs leads team members to question their employment, which can lead to increased turnover.
• Frustration of not knowing expectations, increasing poor planning and decreasing team morale.
• A team becomes cautious to make decisions.

Snow is one of those things that can be widely objective, especially when it comes to response and needs. If you set the tone of what is a minor storm versus a major storm, all the while providing expectations and needs, you will drive your team to success.

Speaking the lingo

One of the first obstacles to overcome with teams is getting them to all be on the same page. One of the main solutions I have found is to get everyone to speak the same snow lingo. That lingo starts and ends with consistently built processes that are repeatedly trained and measured.

Event classification

How do you create a snow lingo? Start with classification. There are classifications for hurricanes and tornadoes—why not snow? Introducing these classifications within your company will allow you to break down each level of service that you encounter as a snow professional, allowing you to define different expectations and provide training around them. From there, measure each level on the expectations you set.

Label your service area from level 1 (your lowest response level) to 4 (extreme events). For us in the Buffalo region, level 1 would be a deicing event; our extreme level 4 is a blizzard. Separate each level by the significance of impact to your operations. In each of these sections, you will want to list the weather expectations for each level, amount of snow, event duration and advisories that would follow.

Team needs

Once you have your levels laid out, break down what your team and clients need in each level. Really think about what each level would look like for your company. Who needs to come in and for how long? What does each individual on my team need to know in each level? How do we communicate for each level? Do operations change during the different levels, and if so, how?

Staffing. First to address is staffing. What type of staffing would you require for a level 1 event versus a level 4 event? For us, a level 1 storm might require only a deicing team to service a 4-hour event; but a level 3 event lasting 8 to 12 hours would require the full staff, possible second shift teams and the understanding that they will likely have to return to the site for post-storm work.

This provides the team with your company’s response expectations for each event. There are no questions surrounding why someone wasn’t called in or how long they are working. The team knows an expected return time or to communicate with their management prior to shutting down.

This communication should begin at the hiring stage.

If someone is not a lead operator (e.g., second shift only, backup etc.), then discuss what they should expect with regards to being called in to decrease confusion.

Preparation. Next you want the team to prepare themselves for each level. Review what they need to do prior to each level and what complications they may encounter. This could include what to pack (e.g., food, water, clothing, phone chargers), expected event timing, hazards they may face, etc.

This part of the training is essential for all team members. It shows what each level requires for a successful event. It provides a checklist for the team veterans and offers realities to new snow employees. For example, on a level 4 event, the team should be prepared if they become stranded on or near a site. If they care for others at home, this could pose an issue and should be communicated to management prior to the storm. For someone new to snow they may not even consider this aspect of the work.

Communications. Review how you want to lay out communication to your team for each event. When should they expect to hear from you? What information will they receive?

What information do they need to provide, and by when?

As an example, we send a basic message to the team that snow is coming and has the potential of a level 3 storm. At this time the team provides any schedule conflicts or issues that would prevent them from working. Within 48 hours of anticipated arrival times, teams and needs are communicated and we require a "yes" response. In the final 24 hours we communicate updates, activate our communication tree, and reiterate anticipated arrival times, again confirming they are reporting with a "yes" response.

Not all storms allow for this level of communication; sometimes a storm shifts without warning, which should be trained to employees as well. It is a best practice to send a warning message to the team with the slightest mention of snow in the forecast.

This type of communication training allows you to keep connected with the team as the season progresses, helping to prepare them for weather events and allowing them to understand communication expectations. For example, if they were warned of a level 3 and only heard from their manager once, the team member would know to contact them immediately in case they are not receiving important information.

Client expectations. Finally, you will want to review the client’s level of service expectations and scope of work to be performed on each event level. Each site’s specific needs can differ. You can generalize the training information in larger groups, but priority areas should be identified on site visits and on maps. This part of the training helps empower your team to make real-time decisions during events so that owners or managers don’t need to be boots on the ground for every decision. This also provides guidance during smaller events such as salting, which may reduce overuse of materials.

For example, only deicing teams are responding to a level 1 event. Deicing vehicles can reach areas that normally a flow would not be able to service. This should be trained to sidewalk teams and the truck drivers to ensure service is performed but not duplicated. In contrast, for a level 3 or 4 storm with snowfall rates of inches per hour, the team would reduce to Priority 1. This is typically main drive lanes, fire lanes, main doors, etc., as dictated by the client and for code enforcement. The team would resume normal operations once snow is at a manageable level or visibility has increased. This increases production on important portions of each site, ensuring critical areas are serviced during the event.

Creating event levels will provide you and your team with well-defined, organized classifications of snow in manageable divisions. This guidance will provide your team with expectations on what it means to be a snow removal professional. It will allow you to provide what you expect within each level, as well as what the client expects, all while providing a path for an empowered team. Once in place, this process can allow for consistent job performance measurement, increased efficiency and decision-making, and decreased use of material and labor. Overall, this process will ease stress and frustration on the team and yourself because everyone will be speaking the same snow lingo.

Getting teams prepped

Introducing event classifications (first table) allows you to break down each level of service that you encounter as a snow professional, so you can define different expectations and train around them. Once your levels are set, outline and communicate what your team should prepare for (second table), including shift length, weather conditions, site, hazards, etc.

Operations changes

Outlining expectations for each storm will make it easier for teams to transition from level to level without waiting for a supervisor to tell them what to do. This empowers realtime decision-making and increases productivity.
 

Site specifics

Provide maps that show priority areas in the event of a higher level event. These areas typically are main drive lanes, fire lanes, main doors, etc., as dictated by the client and for code enforcement.

Jenny Girard, ASM, is an area manager for New York-based RM Landscapes. Contact her at jgirard@rmlandscape.com.