PSA

Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
Probably lost on those who SHOULD heed this advice
(Full disclosure: JUST saw this on Facebook and stole it quickly

1623877549295.png
 

tvrgeek

Scott
Corporate Member
Within limits. In field service, there were some infamous calls:
Computer screen was blank, ( power to the building was off). Famous one, "cupholder tray was broken" ( CD tray)
Some are just past help.

The smartest man I ever had the pleasure to work with was so smart, he knew everyone in the world knew something he did not. He would listen.
 

pcooper

Phillip Cooper
Corporate Member
Ignorance can be fixed, stupid can't be fixed. Beginners are often ignorant of things we learned a long time ago and we should be patient and help them learn.

Stupid is going against all warnings and cautions and doing something you know will hurt anyway.
 

rcarmac

Board of Directors, Secretary
Robert
Staff member
Corporate Member
Listen and understand the question and what the person is trying to understand. If they ask what time is it, they are not looking for a answer as to how a clock is built. Form a connection, Especially if it’s the younger generation asking the more experience generation
 

Jclrk

Jclrk
Corporate Member
Thanks for posting this I'm new at this and appicate all the help I can get you and sawman101 have been my go to peps. Thanks for being there
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
Listen and understand the question and what the person is trying to understand. If they ask what time is it, they are not looking for a answer as to how a clock is built. Form a connection, Especially if it’s the younger generation asking the more experience generation
Sometimes you have to read between the lines and realize they may be asking the wrong question. You may have to give an answer they are not ready for or an answer they don't like because they don't understand their problem or they may have assumptions based on mistaken or wrong advise. You may not have to explain how a clock is built but you may have to teach them to read a clock.
 

Pop Golden

New User
Pop
At a woodworkers meeting I was attending boiled linseed oil was mentioned, and a newbie asked "how do you boil it" We didn't laugh, and told him it came boiled. The point is this guy had probably never heard of that product before, and his question was for real. Some of us folks have been at this a long time, but still have questions. We never stop learning. If someone tell you he or she knows everything, quietly walk away. In a galaxy far away long ago we were all newbies.

Pop
 

JimD

Jim
Senior User
I volunteer on Mondays at my church. We do all kinds of stuff but I typically get the "build me a cabinet" kind of requests. We try to work in 2 man teams. Often this means I get a less experienced "helper". I think it works great and typically they do too. I try and assess what they can handle and give them something to do that is within their skillset - or something they can do after watching me a time or two. We get done a lot quicker when they are fully participating. I also ask them to tell me when something I am doing doesn't seem right. I am far from perfect and it also keeps them involved.
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
the "build me a cabinet" kind of requests

Can you explain this for a complete idiot?
I never knew you could get cabinets at Church...
 

Martin Roper

Martin
Senior User
Ignorance can be fixed, stupid can't be fixed. Beginners are often ignorant of things we learned a long time ago and we should be patient and help them learn.

Stupid is going against all warnings and cautions and doing something you know will hurt anyway.

The corollary to that:

Pig-headed is asking several experts for their input and then doing something else entirely.
 

Oka

Casey
Corporate Member
My Brothers..... always ask for my expertise then try to argue.... :rolleyes:... go figure...family.

If you want to teach, take all questions at face value, ascertain is the question applicable to the situation. If not then rephrase the question to get clarity (Mike Davis comment) then answer.
Funny they brought up the linseed oil question, this was asked of me yesterday:
"how do you boil linseed oil?"

My answer was " you mean how long and at what temperature?"
He responded " Yes that is what I meant " ... So a typical line of questioning from a newbie... we all just have to tune in to understand where they are coming from.
It is people like us that help preserve the value and integrity of our craftsmanship. The main way to accomplish this, is to make the environment receptive to the insecure newcomers.

The corollary to that:

Pig-headed is asking several experts for their input and then doing something else entirely.
 
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Gotcha6

Dennis
Staff member
Corporate Member
Sometimes you have to read between the lines and realize they may be asking the wrong question. You may have to give an answer they are not ready for or an answer they don't like because they don't understand their problem or they may have assumptions based on mistaken or wrong advise. You may not have to explain how a clock is built but you may have to teach them to read a clock.
Sounds like talking to my wife sometimes. Often I'll ask a question and get a totally irrelevant to what I want to know answer. She's sometimes thinking 2-3 steps ahead of the question, but in the wrong direction from the conversation.....

And, yes, I try to answer the questions asked of me civilly when I can. Had an office worker visit a project I was doing and went to view the not yet finished restrooms. 2 toilets, 2 urinals. Did I day "Incomplete"? She wanted to know if we were installing toilet partitions. I had to bite my lip to not say, "No, ma'am. It's European style now." Captain Obvious got promoted, I see.
 

pcooper

Phillip Cooper
Corporate Member
The corollary to that:

Pig-headed is asking several experts for their input and then doing something else entirely.

I worked in an automotive dealership as a tech for most of my career, there was a guy working with me in the shop that would have a job to do and instead of going to the workshop manual and wiring diagrams to diagnose the problem, he would poll all the tech's in the shop, and then do something entirely different than any of us suggested he do. My advice was always to use the resources available to him to find the right repair. He didn't like that, and would just shake his head as he walked away. I figured he would quit asking after a while, but didn't. He rarely ever fixed a problem without someone else coming along and helping him.
 

Bill_L

Bill
Corporate Member
Everyone here has been really helpful to me. It took me some time to figure out the different mnemonics that are used. BLO, ROS. Much faster to type but harder to understand if you don’t know what they are.

Is there a ‘Common terms and their mnemonics’ thread?
 

Oka

Casey
Corporate Member
I think all the Architects and Engineering companies are disciples of the DAYG method of construction projects.... Never on the plans like that........
 

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