finding a balance

[Dean Williams]

evening all
in the last month ive been made QS by the NICEIC at our company, i took on the role when my boss asked as i thought it would be a step-up and show that i can accept responsibility, i was asked to do it because i'm our best and most thorough and competent tester (my bosses words!).
i've had a small pay rise, a meeting with the nic and implemented monthly meter calibration checks and part p notifications.
all going well....

the worst bit is, especially as i'm only 28 and our other sparks are 40s, 50s, is pulling them up on things, for example when they don't do their jobs properly, like going to a job with the section F of a periodic and only doing the easy stuff!
i've only been with the company a year while others have been there for over 6 years and they don't like being told what to do my a youngster!

i could do with some advice as to how to find a balance in the role. i want to keep the lads working to the regs and doing what they should but on the other hand i don't want to lose all my friends!! or have people whispering here comes dean the d.head or words to that effect!

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[trev]

It's hard in your first management role mate, the thing you have to remember is you can't be their mate and their manager. Yes you can have a laugh with them but you have to make sure they're doing their job properly otherwise you're not doing yours, and we all know how that will end. They'll still have their jobs and you will be out.
All you can do is be as fair as you possibly can, if the lads need pulling about something then do it (in private wherever possible) but also let them get away with a little bit. Give them job and knocks as often as you can, that will go a long way. When the time comes when you need them to stay back a while they'll be prepared to do it for you.
Best of luck mate, treat them like you think you should be treat in any given situation and you'll be fine

 

[sparks1973]

evening all
in the last month ive been made QS by the NICEIC at our company, i took on the role when my boss asked as i thought it would be a step-up and show that i can accept responsibility, i was asked to do it because i'm our best and most thorough and competent tester (my bosses words!).
i've had a small pay rise, a meeting with the nic and implemented monthly meter calibration checks and part p notifications.
all going well....

the worst bit is, especially as i'm only 28 and our other sparks are 40s, 50s, is pulling them up on things, for example when they don't do their jobs properly, like going to a job with the section F of a periodic and only doing the easy stuff!
i've only been with the company a year while others have been there for over 6 years and they don't like being told what to do my a youngster!

i could do with some advice as to how to find a balance in the role. i want to keep the lads working to the regs and doing what they should but on the other hand i don't want to lose all my friends!! or have people whispering here comes dean the d.head or words to that effect!

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

well this wouldn`t be what you`d call a `weekend` type of question would it.....cant find balance n all that lot....

 

[Strima]

It's lonely at the top, I know, I was there once.

You need to show that you know what you're talking about without being condescending, you may have a time served spark that's done it that way for the past thirty years but an explanation as to a change in method is better than just telling them.

Management skills cannot be taught, they have to be learned. You will find yourself questioning your own decisions and becoming uncertain, take a step back, take a breath, have a think then go at it again. Listen to peoples advice and use their experience and skills to your advantage, this isn't about taking the glory it's about putting the right people in the right jobs to get the job completed in a timely manner, at a good cost and to an acceptable standard that reflects well on the company.

Age is not an issue, some people are natural leaders, they just need a little nudge now and again to keep them on track.

Most of all, enjoy it.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Welcome to the world of supervision son, it can be a lonely place. Unfortunately you can not hunt with the hounds and run with the chase, meaning you can't really be all men to all people.

I'm afraid human nature as is it, some of the older hands will resent the fact that your now supervising them, when they think your nowt but a kid, and no matter how good you are it will take a lot to change that.

There is no short cut to it, I think you have to be honest with them and show them that you are capable of doing the job. There may be times though that you will see something which is wrong and you will need to make a decision what you do. Sometimes discretion is the better form of valour, and if the cut corner is not going to lead to dire circumstances you may want to turn a semi blind eye to it, in such you won't take it further, but you will need to make sure that who did it knows that you picked it up and you don't want to escalate it further but it mustn't be done again.

There really though no short cut to be honest. Your just going to have to grow a thick skin, make sure you on the ball and good at what your doing, and if the guys are acting on the companies/your instructions and a client starts off,because something was done that they didn't like, that you defend your guys come what may. I personally think backing your guys up in public, what you do in private is a different kettle of fish is perhaps the most important part of management

 

[Des 56]

You've made your bed now lie on it
You are now in no mans land.you are not management and neither will you be accepted amongst the also rans
You need to be absolutely assured in your own mind that what you are asking of them,is both reasonable and unwavering

Being Mr Nice guy can become a weakness, orders off you would then become actions backed with resentment

If what you are asking of them, is no more than you yourself would deem as reasonable,enforce it with determination, be direct and to the point

If you believe the post you now have suddenly gives you the right to dictate terms and attitudes that are not reasonable,you are on your way to the top
You wont retain many friends but you will be compensated,if thats what it can be called,by status

You are the company whipping horse,you are neither them or us,time to show your true colours

 

[Dean Williams]

it was a baptism of fire at the beginning, i went around with the nic inspector to look at some bungalows we had just wired. the nic bloke found a metalclad db in the garage fed in SWA from the main DB in the house. there was no gland at either end and at the garage end, the 3 core swa went into the top of the board, through a 32mm knockout. obviously with a large gap all around it and no cable gripping except the terminations. i had to 'tell off' the spark who did the work in front of the nic bloke. the spark was 50 and didnt like being told what to do.
later on in the week the spark deleted me from facebook.
thankfully now its all blown over and were mates...even though it did cost me several cups of tea!

 

[trev]

You may be the company whipping horse but by what you have done since starting with them you have shown that you're worthy of the role. The senior people have confidence in you to carry out the job so go prove them right Dean

 

[Dean Williams]

thanks guys, i'll certainly do my best and give it my all. its one of the best small companies ive worked for and i love the work so far.

 

[sparks1973]

it was a baptism of fire at the beginning, i went around with the nic inspector to look at some bungalows we had just wired. the nic bloke found a metalclad db in the garage fed in SWA from the main DB in the house. there was no gland at either end and at the garage end, the 3 core swa went into the top of the board, through a 32mm knockout. obviously with a large gap all around it and no cable gripping except the terminations. i had to 'tell off' the spark who did the work in front of the nic bloke. the spark was 50 and didnt like being told what to do.
later on in the week the spark deleted me from facebook.
thankfully now its all blown over and were mates...even though it did cost me several cups of tea!

but lets face it...`work` like that is unacceptable...dont matter how old you are.....that was done because the spark just couldn`t be bothered to gland it off rite.....maybe he thought it would be out of sight as it entered into the top of the enclosure and if this was high enough up on the wall......

 

[jpm646]

I've always found asking them as a favour like saying can u help me m8 doing xyz would make it easier for us, or something like --- on m8 u know that ain't right or make a joke out of it with a serious note, I've got 3 lads working under me at the min and 90% of the time they will go the extra mile for me but I help them as well if there stuck or behind on work I think that show the most respect as in it shows them ur still one of the lads and are willing to get your hands dirty I've only been doing it 6months and I've had one **** that wouldn't help/do what he should and he has gone now, I feel if u take this approach and they don't help or change there ways they are just awkward ****s as I'm willing to help them n of they carnt help there self what more can I do i do find it hard speaking to one of the lads late 40s as he is older and it feels awkward but 9/10 hes sound as long as I take the soft approach

 

[malcolmsanford]

Sorry Dean I think you handled that wrong, there would have been no way I would have torn the lad a new one in front of the NIC inspector.

If you was not the QS at the time I would have told the NIC inspector that this is an example of why I'm now becoming the QS and we are rectifying this today, and if you like to come back later today you will see that it as been done, and you make sure it was odne, even if you had to do it yourself

If you already was the QS supervisor, why the hell did you take him to that bungalow, you only take the inspector to places where everything is spot on . you'll learn

As for the old lad, I would have torn him to pieces in private, I would have told him that after X amount of years in the trade do you think that terminating a SWA without a gland is good practice, well if you do then I'm afraid you need to rethink. I would also have told him that the NIC inspector was going to give the company a bad assessment for this, and your name would have gone forward and I could not have stopped it. luckily I managed to BS the inspector so it won't go further this time !!!........it would have been him buying you the teas

 

[Dean Williams]

thanks for your opinion, i'll certainly take it on board and not make that mistake again. Its a sharp learning curve for me, i spent 9 years with one company from apprentice and when i left it was like i was still an apprentice. i'll take more time to stop and think from now on.

 

[Knobhead]

It’s all to easy to be heavy handed when you’ve spotted a fault.
My method would be take the guy to one side and point the problem out and let him sort it. Keep a record of your little chats so if the same situation arises you can refer back to it. A chat in quite may highlight something you hadn’t spotted and their could be a perfectly valid reason.
Never lay in to someone with the rest of the gang around, offices have their uses. As for reprimanding one of your guys in front of the NIC inspector, you were bang out of order

Just bear in mind: The man that never made a mistake never made anything.

 

[sparks1973]

It’s all to easy to be heavy handed when you’ve spotted a fault.
My method would be take the guy to one side and point the problem out and let him sort it. Keep a record of your little chats so if the same situation arises you can refer back to it. A chat in quite may highlight something you hadn’t spotted and their could be a perfectly valid reason.
Never lay in to someone with the rest of the gang around, offices have their uses. As for reprimanding one of your guys in front of the NIC inspector, you were bang out of order

Just bear in mind: The man that never made a mistake never made anything.

yep..a fair comment Tony....can be counter-productive can that....