They said to just obey and get paid but there’s gotta be more….
How many times have you been told a couple of these phrases:
“You’re not paid to think”
“You’re paid from the neck down”
“Do it because I said so”
or some other variations that usually include degrading you or some sort of profanity and flailing arms.
Listen up- if your foreman demands your obedience they are not a leader- they are a boss. And realistically nobody wants to work for a boss these days, everyone wants to work for a leader. But until you work for a leader or can get promoted into a leadership role you might have to settle in and learn to lead up. Keep an eye up for a future blog post on how to lead up.
A paragraph for the disgruntled employee because of their boss
Keep your head up. This rough foreman is what you need in your life to succeed. If you can survive this you will thrive later. You can learn just as much from people you admire as those you hate. You will learn how not to do things or run people and a business.
To the “boss” who treats his guys like they are the dirt they shovel.
Give your head a shake, dude. Do you really think you can get all this work done if everyone around you leaves and gets a job down the road because you’re all in high demand? Really? Sure, your boss likes you now cause you can make money and get the job done but I bet your rear end will be on the chopping block when all your guys quit and the company can’t get any work done!
Here's the thing: if you need obedience to get what you want you need a reality check. Lead the crew, don’t boss them around. Listen to their questions, listen to their comments on the job at hand. 9 times out of 10 they are seeing it through a different lens and may very well have a way faster approach then the way you have always done it.
Challenge for the week:
Is your superior a boss or a leader? How can you adjust your mindset to deal with the difficult person or be thankful you’ve got a great leader?
Are you the boss? Take a look in the mirror and ask yourself how you treat those below you. Is it with the respect that you expect? Construction is different these days, if you can’t learn the people side of construction you won’t survive.
See you in the pit!
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