The Expectations Of A Tradesman
There seems to be an assumption by Supervisors/ Managers that the tradesmen/apprentices know what you want onsite; they have an expectation of what they can do. This assumption can cause issues and unnecessary arguments. A person’s attitude and becoming flexible to ideas is essential to the jobs success and also the fulfillment that the work will be done well.
I have seen so many apprentices and carpenters not even interested in what you have to say or teach them. I get days when a carpenter or an apprentice challenge the way I am doing something. I can always shrug them off or listen to their opinion. Maybe I am wrong? Or I’m busy seeing things one way and can’t see the alternatives. I take on their concerns or advice and start to question what my thought process is.
Either I explain to them what my thoughts are, and how I came about the process, or I acknowledge their input and take on what they have to say. It’s not about who is right and wrong and come from ego. It’s about working as a team to get the job done.
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Work Ethics
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A good tradesman will ask how the person running the job wants the doors hung. Hanging a door you ask? Yes: what margin, the gap left under the door to accommodate the floor finishes, height of the handle, paint finish, etc.
A carpenter/apprentice is the sum of all the other Building sites and experiences he/she has worked on. Think about it! Who knows who has trained these people before they meet you for the first time? As an apprentice/carpenter you have no idea what the person in charge knows or doesn’t know either.
I have had tradespeople challenge me on how I do framing. I really don’t like hearing lately; “We smashed it today!” This must be the latest thing people talk about. My reply to all this is: Great! You smashed it!………But!!
It took you and extra two days to straighten the walls, pull out studs that were in the wrong spot, forgot to position the windows. So what did you smash?
It would have been beneficial to work out all of the openings and all the positions of everything on the frame, even if it took you a half a day to do so. The next stage is purely framing and placing all of the members in the correct position.
Unfortunately tradesmen are on such tight margins they have to come in and “smash it “to get some sort of good pay. Tradesmen are forced to do this because people demand low prices and quick turnaround. It saddens me that we are teaching apprentices the wrong way. It’s all to do with price and volume.
The worst part is; apprentices/tradesmen who are unsure of themselves find it hard to adapt to the demands onsite. Don’t lose your confidence, keep at it! We all have strengths and weaknesses. I love setting out a Building and working on the structure. This is something I have concentrated on because I find it interesting.
MY TIP OF THE WEEK
Work out what your strengths and weaknesses this week. A weakness can become strength if you wish to pursue it. No different to people who work out in a gym. They have their strengths, but also work on their weaknesses to get an overall body shape.
Your good and bad experiences are what have made you who you are today. That is a good thing. Learn from both and become a person who can adapt to what the demands given to you on a Building site.
It’s up to you, you have choice!
Have a good one
Michael
