About 15 years ago, I
was a foreman for one of the country’s most successful electrical contractors
on one of the largest construction projects in Los Angeles. It was a high-profile
studio project, and as the job ramped up and the number of electrician’s
increased, the company and the union, in the cooperative labor/management
spirit indicative of the organized construction industry, jointly asked
me to be the labor liaison (or union steward). In equally typical fashion, the
job was finished ahead of schedule and under budget…and committed to doing my
part, I spent the lion’s share of my days installing conduit and pulling wire.
However on the rare occasion that I did have to don the steward’s hat, it
wasn’t complicated or challenging electrical systems that commanded the
majority of that time, it was usually dealing with the basic wants, desires and
feelings of regular human beings.
I remember standing
one day in the afternoon sun chatting with the company’s superintendent on the
south side of the sprawling jobsite which was bordered by the very
un-picturesque concrete-coated Los Angeles River. We were both roughly the same
age (mid 30s), though even at that young age he was a supervision rock-star in
the electrical industry who I consider a mentor and still attempt to emulate
today. We were talking about some mundane personnel matter, and I
remember then being amazed at how much time he and I spent dealing with these
types of issues. This cat oversaw some large projects in his young career, and
I remember asking him how much of his high-level supervision time was devoted
to the installation of complicated electrical installations. “Oh…about 5%” he
replied… “most of the time I’m more of a human resource guy or even a counselor
and my biggest responsibility is to keep our people happy…and to make sure they
have the tools and material they need to do the job. If I do that…they figure
out how to deal with the really big stuff.”
Many years later,
things are really not that different. As I stand looking out the window
of my office on any given day lamenting the confluence of external forces committed to
destroying the middle class values of fairness and equity that built this
country, the reality is I don’t spend a lot of time addressing those big topics. Much of my
days are taken up with dealing with people…discouraged because they were dissed by a colleague, left off an email, are being micro-managed,
feel frustrated by constant headwind, are overdue for a laptop upgrade, often excluded from an
important conversation or flat out are feeling unappreciated.
This is hardly
restricted to my organization, as even when I eavesdrop on high-level
conversations at the local District watering holes, much of the conversation isn’t
about big problems, but goes more like “what do I have to do to get copied on
an email” or “you’re not going to believe what so-and-so just did” or “do
you believe that a-h*le took credit for my project and didn’t even say thank
you?”
All this makes me
think of some real irony. As others much smarter than me have noted, it’s
really the focus on the little things that allows people to deal with the big
things. If we take the time to consider other people’s points of view, their
needs, their interests, and their yearning to be appreciated, then they like me,
are in much better condition to take on the challenging work that must to be
addressed if good is going to prevail.
“Be master of your petty
annoyances and conserve your energies for the big, worthwhile things. It isn't
the mountain ahead that wears you out - it's the grain of sand in your shoe.”
If it weren’t
for my family, friends, red wine, books, pushups, red
wine, trash TV, cigars, jumping rope, my speed bag, bourbon, crystal-meth (just
kidding) copious amounts of red wine (not kidding) and an occasional cigarette,
I wouldn’t be able to cope with the self-imposed frustrations at work. My best
days, are those where I focus on the things I can control, and brush aside the
annoying little grain of sand while focusing on the importance of the people
that do the work that matters. The worst days are the ones where my lack of
concentration on the value of human beings becomes the grain of sand that ends up in some hard-working
colleague's own shoe…and I worry that still happens way too often today.
Have a great weekend
and try not to let the little things get you down. Whether it’s family, friends,
a chilled straight up Manhattan, hiking, pets, a relaxing dinner, books, holding hands,
exercise or wine, do something that brings some genuine chill to your life.
Sorry for all the typos, misspellings and poor grammar.
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