Sunday, November 22, 2009

Impressions

This week I started on a new project. It is a project in D.C. It is also a fast track project. Fast track meaning, the expectation is that work will be done quickly to make an early deadline soon after the new-year.

The job is under a foreman, that I’ve known from early on in my apprenticeship, whom I got the opportunity to finish up another project with this year…with all the usual suspects: sub-foremen, fire alarm techs and lead mechanics. Hey, a good crew is a well oiled machine and I am glad to play my position.

Early in the week, when we came up on break-time I was in the elevator along with an apprentice and a woman who was on the floor with us who had been walking and observing. At that point I was unaware of who she was. As we went down to the ground floor a brief conversation took place with the lady asking what our status was on the project and if we were union etc…when I replied that we were electricians and we were union her response was highly positive; she then acknowledged herself as being involved with the project as one of the senior project managers on the government side.

Two things had made an impression on me about this project….first that we were up and running on the job so quickly. The transition was so smooth being a lot of us had been working in the same system for a while. The second was that the project management had such a positive view of union contracting.

Impressions…you never get a second chance to make a first impression…the old saying is a true saying. How do others look at us? Is it hands down supportive or positive? Is it totally negative? Whatever the case may be, it is based on an experience. You never know what kind of impression your work ethic, organization skills, craftsmanship or how you conduct yourself leaves with anyone…something to think about.

I believe that leaving a good impression starts with how we conduct ourselves, how we view ourselves and our environment. Do you look at yourself as an electrical professional? Are you a wiener or a winner….a killjoy or a joy to work around? Are you selfish or selfless? An apprentice asked me a question…”when I was an apprentice did I have a problem with being called /treated as a helper?” I don’t think so because I didn’t view being a helper as being a negative thing.

How do you view yourself, your environment, and the work you do? What kind of impression do you leave?

1 comment:

  1. That's funny the term helper never really sat right with me either until I heard some of my foremans recaps their coming up days and refer to themselves as helpers.

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