Anger and Efficacy

“I wanted it done yesterday” my new boss snarls over the phone as he coerces another trade into completing their work.  My nerves shutter every time he is angry.  Even though his aggression is not directed towards me, I fear it might be in the future.  As I would soon learn, this was certainly the desired effect.

Anger is usually perceived as a negative human emotion in most circles. Acts of aggression and wielding of power are typically frowned upon.  Excuses are often made when someone in a position of authority actually puts their power to use in an aggressive way.

Not at my workplace. Public acts of anger are ubiquitous in the construction world and they serve a specific purpose. When one of my co-workers becomes angry with someone and lashes out, they often retell the story numerous times as an ostentatious display of bravado and self appointed authority.  Of course, this story is often exaggerated in order to instil a small amount of fear in the listener. This is one way respect can be earned on a jobsite and is not unlike acts of aggression and violence in more severe environments. The message is clear: don’t mess with me or I’ll turn on you too.  It is a reputation in the making.  At times, it can also be difficult to carry out one’s work unless this sort of reputation remains intact.   

On the contrary, the style of communication I had learned while studying literature at university was highly ineffective.  I made use of subtleties when making requests of other workers rather than giving directive orders. I made suggestions by asking questions and opening up a dialogue rather than giving closed ended demands.  To my surprise, a gentle word could sometimes bring wrath rather than turn it away.  This was confusing for me but it was clear that I must learn to speak a new language.

Words can mean different things in different environments. This is also known as genre theory, but I never thought it would be of any relevance while I was wearing a tool belt.  I found that being shouted at by a construction worker is the equivalent to a university professor’s quiet condescension.   An angry dispute that occurs face to face is the comparable to water cooler talk that transpires in the office.  You don’t usually have to guess what people at my workplace think of you.   Acts of aggression can be found in any work environment whether or not they contain expletives or a shouting voice. Once I understood this, the aggression was not so offensive.

I specifically remember in one instance when a co-worker’s anger was directed at me and I reacted by imagining that this person was talking in a calm voice. His red-faced declarations were transformed as they passed through my mind − translated into a more familiar tongue.  It was in this way I could accept the intended message rather than feeling overwhelmed.  Statements were barked back and forth as we sorted out our differences and, satisfied − we both moved on.

An Education

Some of my earliest memories have taken place on a construction site. My dad would often take me along to his job sites and put me to work while he went about his business. Of course, it took me a while to learn what it meant to work. As I grew up labouring on these job sites after school, on holidays and on summer breaks, I received an education of sorts. Not only from my Dad, but from the other workers on site, who weren't always as morally conservative or caring.

Among these lessons, I observed some new and exciting language I could use when I was angry. I received a lesson in female anatomy when I noticed some of the posters that lined the inside of one of the trades' work trailers. I also learned what it meant to "tell it like it is" and how to avoid the cardinal sin of "beating around the bush".

It was a harsher world than the one that was familiar to me at home and at school. Operating in the tradition of cynicism, the older workers were constantly telling me what to do and pointing out my mistakes. Conversations usually began with the words “Why didn’t you” and “You should’ve”. Worst of all, I was just supposed to be quiet and take it. The only way to know you were doing a good job is if you weren’t being ridiculed.

But as I grew to be a little more callous, I started to notice the nuances of the culture at hand. I became more aware of the social cues when someone was showing me signs of respect. It became more obvious to me when a co-worker was circumnavigating the complement they wanted to send my way, for the simple fear that I would become too arrogant. The abrasive character of my co-workers faded, as signs of their intelligence and compassion were now more palpable. I came to the realization that these are not necessarily harsh people. Rather, they were entrenched in a culture that was once indiscernible to me; one whose charm is not always at first apparent.

Inspiration

A construction site in the heart of the Fraser Valley might be one of the last places you would expect to encounter anything of artistic or intellectual value. Often times it is a place where the acquisition of money takes precedence over things like "inspiration" and reality of mortgage payments can loom over the heads of labourers who drag themselves through the rain and mud with a bitter resolve. Working a job in construction is not usually any person's idea of a dream job and sometimes it is a place where some dreams have truly come to die.  Although the job is not ideal, it pays the bills.

However, I believe creativity and intelligence can be found in the most unsuspecting places. These are not phenomena reserved solely for those who are considered to be "gifted". I am often inspired by the people at my work, whose stories are as diverse and complex as any books I have read in school. These are some of the ideas I want to explore in this blog.