NCCER Crew Leadership cheat sheet

Span of control: a first-line crew leader typically supervises 5–12 craft workers; beyond that, split the crew or add a lead worker.

Authority types: line authority flows down the chain of command; staff authority advises; the crew leader holds line authority over assigned craft.

Delegation rule: assign the task, grant the needed authority, set the deadline, and confirm the worker has the skill and tools before release.

Progressive discipline sequence: verbal coaching, written warning, suspension, termination; document each step with date, behavior, and corrective action.

Maslow order for motivation: physiological, safety, social, esteem, self-actualization; safety needs dominate on a jobsite and must be met first.

Situational leadership: directing (low skill, low will), coaching (low skill, high will), supporting (high skill, low will), delegating (high skill, high will).

Constructive feedback formula: describe the observed behavior, state its impact, agree on the specific change, and set a follow-up date.

Grievance handling: hear the complaint, verify facts against the contract or policy, respond within the time limit in the agreement, and record the outcome.

Hierarchy of controls, most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, PPE.

Incident rate formula: (number of recordable cases × 200,000) ÷ total hours worked; 200,000 equals 100 workers × 40 hours × 50 weeks.

Fall protection trigger for general construction: 6 ft; scaffolds 10 ft; ladders 24 ft; steel erection 15 ft (per OSHA 1926 subparts).

Competent person: capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards and authorized to take prompt corrective action to eliminate them.

Excavation rules: spoil and equipment at least 2 ft from the edge; a competent person inspects daily and after rain; trench access within 25 ft of lateral travel.

Hazard communication: every container labeled, safety data sheet on site for each hazardous chemical, and worker training before exposure.

Lockout/tagout: isolate the energy source, apply the lock and tag, verify zero energy, and only the person who applied the lock removes it.

Permit-required confined space: test atmosphere before entry and continuously, attendant outside at all times, rescue plan in place before entry.

Near-miss reporting is leading-indicator data; track and investigate near misses before they become recordable injuries.

Look-ahead schedule: a 3-week rolling plan; week 1 is committed, weeks 2–3 are planned; update weekly to expose constraints early.

Constraint removal: identify material, labor, equipment, and information constraints during the look-ahead and assign an owner and due date for each.

Critical path: the longest duration path through the network; any delay on it delays project completion; float equals late start minus early start.

Percent complete by cost: earned value ÷ budget at completion; earned value = percent complete × budget.

Crew balance: match crew size to the limiting resource (equipment, space, or material delivery); adding workers past that point adds no output.

Material staging rule: stage only what the next work period consumes; excess on site increases handling, damage, and housekeeping cost.

Daily report content: date, weather, crew and hours, work performed by location, equipment on site, deliveries, visitors, delays, and safety events.

Change order flow: written request, cost and schedule impact priced, owner approval, then work proceeds; no verbal direction authorizes extra work.

Quality control: first-work inspection, then periodic checks; hold points require sign-off before the next trade covers the work.

Communication model: sender encodes, message travels a channel, receiver decodes, feedback confirms; noise in any stage causes distortion.

Documentation rule: if it is not written down, it did not happen; record verbal directions in a confirming memo the same day.

RFI content: drawing or spec reference, the question stated precisely, proposed solution, and schedule impact; log and track the response date.

Meeting minutes: date, attendees, decisions made, action items with owner and due date; distribute within 24–48 hours.

Client satisfaction drivers: on-time completion, cleanliness, minimal disruption to ongoing operations, responsiveness to concerns, and punch-list closure.

Punch list: walk with the owner, list deficiencies by location, assign a responsible trade and date, and re-inspect before sign-off.

Conflict resolution: separate the people from the problem, focus on interests not positions, generate options, and agree on objective criteria.

Three-part message for direction: what is to be done, by whom and when, and how completion will be verified.