ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area How to be a diplomat

I didn’t realize it until years later, but the hardest thing I had to do being self employed was to tell people “no.” [I always had more work than I could handle.]

Although marginally so, if push comes to shove, one small diplomatic concession may be to allow the helper to do very limited tasks defined well before the job starts. Later, you may realize the junior assistant is competent in something unexpected, and allow some leeway, but I wouldn’t make that decision until it is blatantly apparent.

A problem can be that birddogging an unskilled person is much more work and takes a lot more time than doing it yourself. Another risk with “helpers” that comes up only later is that “a little knowledge is dangerous” and personal overconfidence to a hazardous level may lead to ignorant but perilous decisions by the new “expert.”




[This message has been edited by Bjarney (edited 05-14-2004).]

Thanks for the backup guys.

I've known from the start that I can only write-up what I see in an impartial way, and that to omit anything just because he did the work would be a dereliction of my duty when inspecting.

It's just not a particularly good feeling when someone has come looking for my help in the hope that my second opinion would get him off the hook, and all I can do is confirm the original report that the system is dangerous ("Cannot be considered safe" and "posing a risk of fire" is the way I managed to word it in my summary).

Dave/Randy,
I'd already taken on board what you have in mind. This guy has a wife and three lovely daughters. If my report helps in some small way to prevent a fire there, then who knows what tragedy might have been averted. Looking at it from that way, a few hurt feelings is a small price to pay.

Anyway, my report has been delivered this afternoon, and he's now got to negotiaten with the landlord as to what happens next.

Paul, I would write the report regardless of personal affiliations. This Guy is a tenant, and he may move in 6 months time, then the next people that occupy it pick up the pieces.

Safety must always be paramount, regardless of the Regs, they are only a minimum standard after-all.

I carry a digital camera with me everywhere, if I am called upon to do an inspection I take as many photos as I can (1 GB Microdrive holds a lot of 640x480 ..900k Jpegs!).

All our Guys carry small Fuji digital camera's for this very reason.

Matter of opinion never becomes an issue then as you have photographic evidence.

... What I "love" is going to a house with an apparent problem,...finding the electrical atrocities,and citing Code violations, all for the H.O. to say.."Why..??I did this 35-40 years ago,and it's still working fine"..They then look at me like I'm trying to wrestle their last $2.05 from their pocket's,in order to re-do the wonderful creation that they worked all of some Saturday afternoon for,and missed the weekly Bob Hope PGA Tour on TV,and that has worked for the last half century..Yeah,it's a thankless profession sometimes...
Russ

Well, when I got back from work this evening I had an e-mail waiting thanking me for my time and advice. So even though I couldn't tell him exactly what he hoped to hear, at least I couldn't have offended him too much.