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.

 

[Dean Williams]

in my defence, i was in a bad mood because he'd made the same mistake before. its no excuse i know and it won't happen again.

 

[chocca]

You have my sympathies Dean. I'm a fair bit older than you and I've been QS at my last 3 firms (fisrt one went bust, 2nd was a stop-gap and third is a new-ish start and doing pretty well) and agree with one of the earlier replies abouit being neither one nor the other.
The management regard you as a necessary evil but not one of them and your fellow sparks reckon you're a spy from the other side.
Man handling skills will come with time, just don't turn into a rule following robot. Sometimes the guys have a good reason for not doing something your way and you'll feel a twonk if you go off the deep end for nothing. Other times you'll need to kick ---. Deciding which way to go is the balancing act.

Welcome to life as a QS...

 

[MKS]

Moods, the one thing that can cloud you judgment and professionalism! Good luck and I am sure you'll do just fine in the end

 

[KFH]

A lot of good advice above. Be firm but fair, try to anticipate problems and talk to the guys about what they are going to be doing and how they are going to do it, we can all learn something more even off the apprentices, sometimes. As suggested be prepared to help them if they are stuck. You can not be one of the boys any more but that does not mean that you cannot be friends and part of the team. If you have to criticize do it in private and use the jam butty approach: say something nice, then the blood, finish off with something nice. Asking for help rather than telling is usually much more productive. Apologize to the guy you told off in front of the NICEIC inspector, not for telling him off but for the way that you did it.
When it all goes well tell everyone it is down to the guys doing the job, when it goes badly you have to accept the responsibility, you can then tell them what a pile of **** they are in private.
Good luck

 

[Des 56]

in my defence, i was in a bad mood because he'd made the same mistake before. its no excuse i know and it won't happen again.

Dean
I'm sorrry to be blunt,but I would suggest that "mistake" is the wrong word to use to describe the Swa that was not glanded

 

[Dave 85]

Just make clear to the guys that you're the one who gets in the sh** over their shoddy work so you will only issue certs on work thats decent.
Either that or just do the NIC inspection jobs yourself.

 

[Dean Williams]

thanks for all your input. its not as bad as it sounds, all the work thats carried out i personally test and certify, and after reading through the niceic document about roles as a QS, it seems i'm responsible for the quality of workmanship, safety and technical standards and ensuring that the testing is done properly.
I'm not responsible for issuing work, my boss as the duty holder does that.
I'm hoping to keep any office time to a minimum, i work on my own 99% of the time doing EICRs, so as long as my testing is ok and the lads' work is ok when i inspect it, everything is ok.