Being Obvious

An informative diagram found in a nail gun users manual

People can be really stupid sometimes (myself included).  Painfully obvious rules and directives exist because without them, it is assumed someone would be disobedient or would not have the presence of mind to pay attention to their harmful behaviour.  This is especially true on a construction site.  There is no such thing as being too clear or too direct when communicating.  If there is any room for the misinterpretation of rules or instructions, things will go wrong.  For example: Don’t rest your nail gun on someone’s head.  Otherwise a nail might go into their head.  

Or, as can be seen below, the contents of this garbage can are inedible.

This kind of label seems unnecessary at first.  But this style of communication is ubiquitous on the work site and there is a good reason for it.

Rather than using typed memos or handouts, most written communication on a construction site consists of large spray-painted directions on walls, orders hastily scrawled on cardboard and taped across doorways, and messages written with permanent markers in all caps. There is no time or patience for fine print or lengthy descriptions.

Verbal communication is the same.  It is clear and direct.  If part of the communication is left out, suggested or assumed, it will not be heard.  Minimalism is the order of the day.  Sentences are short. The same is true of unnecessary syllables. Words like please and thank you are rare and unless absolutely necessary, don’t say “sorry”.  It just distracts attention away from the point.   (This mode of communication is also the result of a male dominated work place, but that’s a discussion for another time.)

Construction work takes a lot of focus to do well and it’s easy to get tunnel vision when completing a task.  It takes experience to be aware of everything you are doing as well as everything going on around you.  The direct style of communication on a jobsite serves a significant function.  It’s not that everyone on site is somehow missing a chromosome.  In order to be effective, communication needs to be abrupt and noticeable to capture the attention of workers who are driven to complete their tasks and make money.  Physically demanding work requires concentration and an aggressive attitude to stay motivated.  It is important to encourage cooperation on the jobsite but sometimes it’s not okay to be polite if you want to communicate effectively.  Especially if someone starts eating out of the garbage can.

The Right Way



There are many good ways to wrap up an extension cord. This isn't one of them.

Having a builder for a Dad meant that there was never a shortage of work when I was a kid. If I was whining about the new Starter Jacket or Reebok pumps I wanted, he would drag me out to the job site after school, on weekends and on summer holidays. He always had a way to make me earn it.

 

Because I started working when I was so young, I had an abnormally long apprenticeship in construction. My work was corrected relentlessly as I learned the "right way" of doing things. I was shown the right way to wrap up the tools, how many nails to drive into a top plate, which hammer to buy, which measuring tape to use and exactly what tool belts were the best. Then the next summer I would work for other builders and trades only to be ridiculed for doing these things the wrong way. "You'll learn", they said. So I proceeded to relearn the a new "right way". It was good to be shown different methods but it was frustrating. No one seemed to see the big picture.

 

Micromanagement abounds on a construction site and the minor details of a job are entangled with egos. If you are new to a crew, be prepared to be wrong about everything. Especially if you are young, or like me -- look young. If you can survive the ego trips, doing good work is manageable.

 

The "right way" is often referred to as some sort of objective concept but it is a construct of the current industry standards, cultural norms, regional standards and personal opinions. In other words, change the price point, the location of the project or the company performing the work and it becomes increasingly difficult to find consistent standards among the flux of influences.

 

A significant amount of time on the job involves discussion around the illusive "right way". If I am not directly participating in one of these adversarial conversations I can be found listening in. To an outsider, they often sound like ignorant badgering and arrogent posturing. However, several arguments and bruised egos later, the industry standards improve. Differing opinions around the "right way" merge and become better as they are tested on the job site. Significantly, those involved in the discussion are also the ones physically doing the work. Efficiency, productivity and quality workmanship are given a chance to progress and through grunts, scoldings and barked orders, they are passed on to the next generation.

The Competition

I pushed the broom with a quick rhythm across the driveway. Painters were crawling around on the roof like ants, putting their finishing touches on the carefully crafted facade. Empty boxes of garbage were being carried out of the house and vacuums and mops were being carried in. The house was on the market now and pressure was building. Other homes on the street were already listed and the games had begun.

I was focused on my work when a neighbouring builder approached the site. He walked straight up to me and without modality said "I sold my house".

There was a pause in the action as my guts began to quake. My silence made it obvious that I was not happy. Heads were turning. The trades working on my house were now tuned into the interaction. I made the honourable move and congratulated him. I listened to the story of how the offers and counter offers had come to completion. He complemented the good job I was doing and walked away. The pace on the job site resumed. I put my head down and continued again with the rhythm of the broom as the looming disappointment dug in a little deeper.

I don't consider myself to be a competitive person. No one else does either. I have taken several personality tests that would verify this - apparently this is because I don't watch a lot of sports. But pride develops when you devote yourself to something. You become vulnerable and start to care about things that are very real within the context, but are not always logical. I pride myself in building houses that are well built, carefully designed and aggressively priced. Unfortunately, I also pride myself in out-selling the competition. And I usually do. It's hard not to care.

Back to School

I remember back to school
Everyone bummed
Anxious about wardrobes
 
I remember feelings of relief
No more shovelling, sweating or moving piles of lumber
 
Teachers were so much kinder than bosses
My friends were more fun to hang out with than know-it-all rednecks
Relentlessly telling you how it is
How to be
What you should've done
Why didn't you this
Why didn't you that

Good riddance

At least I had a few muscles until October
Then it's back to skin and bones

 

The Truth

"Sorry I didn’t make it out today. My truck caught on fire." I called back right away only to hear the same voicemail greeting I had heard too many times already.

"Good one". Irritated, I sat staring at the pile of garbage that needed to go. The broken-down-truck excuse has been used too much to be believable anymore.

Talk is cheap when it comes to keeping a construction site on schedule. Trades and labourers knowingly make short-sighted promises.  They commit to show up at a certain time only to bail out and ignore multiple phone calls in a complete boycott of communication.

Trades and labourers are often accused of not being reliable but the deceit is also ubiquitous among contractors and construction managers.  Contractors often convince trades to show up at a job with full knowledge that the site won't be ready for them. Unashamed, they lie or withhold information to get a better deal. They manipulate the facts to get extra work done free of charge.

In some cases there is also no intention of paying trades for their work. This is one of the worst offences a general contractor can commit and yet, it occurs frequently. It's amazing that anything gets done with these industry standards.  It has at times, caused me lose faith in the entire industry.

Over time, actions of the integral eventually overshadow the overflow of empty promises and missed deadlines. A reputation is built as words are measured against actions. Trust between the owners, management and trades is established and only then is it possible for work to be completed effectively. Once a trusting relationship is forged between a contractor and a trade, it is rarely broken and the relationship can span an entire career.

My doubt was extinguished when a shiny new truck drove up a few days later to pick up the giant pile of garbage that had been irritating me. I was then shown a picture of a truck consumed by flames and an article written about the incident in the local newspaper. The truth had been told.

 

The proof that this actually does happen sometimes

 

Creativity

A Stereo made from an 8" PVC pipe. An act of ingenuity even though it plays a lot of Nickelback.

 

I drove my Ford Econoline van loaded with tools up the hill to Simon Fraser University. Eight years had passed since I last made the journey. Subsequently, I decided to abandon my studies to pursue a career in residential construction - a choice that would leave my study in literature and language use underutilized and unappreciated. Walking the halls of the university, I spotted the flyers and posters projecting both political and social initiatives that don't get a lot of airtime during construction site conversation. Part of my mind was being reawakened. A multiplicity of world views and ideas flashed at me from the cork boards as I walked to class - philosophies that had become casualties in the wake of my time spent in a working class culture.

 

Two years ago I went back university to continue my literature studies in the evening after work. Not only was I busy with my young children and a demanding job, I was also shaken by the negative attitudes I encountered regarding my occupation.

 

This became clear to me during one of the classroom discussions. The word, "creativity" had been used in almost every discussion and in every possible form. It was becoming redundant so I took a different approach to the idea and asserted that there is an element of creativity in construction and manual labour. The flow of the conversation stopped dead. The instructor broke the silence: "What is it that you find creative about construction?" It was an honest question but still, I was surprised that my assertion demanded an explanation. My words seemed to fall flat on the floor as soon as they left my mouth. There was an awkward silence and the conversation moved on. Clearly this was not a receptive audience.

 

What isn't creative about working with your hands? It is, in fact the very essence of creating. Writing, visual arts and music are truly creative disciplines but they are abstract in nature. After many hours of work, the only physical evidence left behind is a stack of paper, a canvas or sound waves travelling through the air. I need a continual reminder that I am actually taking part in something tangible. When something tactile is created with your hands, no such reminder is necessary.  It is painfully obvious what you've accomplished after shovelling an entire truck load of sand.  When it comes to mindless and repetitive jobs, there are nuances to the work that only an expert will recognize (on a typical job site, they'll certainly let you know). The process in which a job is carried out is unique once the minutia of the work is understood. Also, as problems and deviations occur in the course of the work, the act of problem solving is undoubtedly creative.

 

The word "creative" is often used as a means of differentiation. The work of others is often perceived as banal and uninventive - as if being creative is unique or special. It isn't. Being creative is simply part of being human. We all create objects, ideas, images and beauty as we perform our daily routines, whether it’s a stay-at-home parent finding a way to distract their children from melting down on a car ride, a carpenter planning out the most efficient way to cut a stack of 2x4s to length or an artist applying oil to canvas. One just happens to draw a lot more praise and prestige.

 

 

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.