This posting has a bit of a dual message.

I regularly ask the Powers that Be for opportunities to be of service. Simply, what comes my way expands my life, and I never know what will appear. It is always a blessing.

Recently on a Monday morning I made an especially impassioned plea. Well, I got answered within a few hours. A new subcontractor, a big, tough guy with much emotional intelligence, finished some work for me, and as we were standing by my truck out on the street he started pouring out his heart to me. There were both business and personal issues, pretty severe. Mostly I listened and offered a few encouraging, supportive words. We later had a great discussion about taking care of customers.

After a while he said that he never expected to get into such a conversation, (and especially since we barely knew each other). He also said he felt better, and he knew he would feel better yet. I told him any time, that he has my phone number and knows where I live. I told him that being an ear and a support is part of what makes me tick. We have since had more such conversation.

An hour or two later another one of my subcontractors called me and asked if he could use my mediator self. He was having a nasty financial and contractual dispute with someone he had worked his butt off for and gone out of his way to try to please and do extra work. We talked it out, and it seemed to me the customers just wanted to try to worm their way out of paying what they owed. Boy, I don’t like that!

The subcontractor had documented everything and had the customers sign two contracts. Later, the husband said, “Oh, we don’t go by the contract!” So the sub said, “Well, why did you sign it?” No good answer. We have since had more dealings about this unfortunate situation.

The two situations got me thinking about how there are so many decent-hearted people in construction, and any other field, who sometimes need support and compassion as human beings, and my suspicion is there are not too many forums, aside from the informal settings like I was involved with. There is such an image frequently that construction professionals are often tough and hard and poor communicators. There is a lot of bad rap that they are out to take advantage of people, and they sure don’t have much of a heart.

I sure don’t agree. And, I am wondering about testing the waters with a local support/clear the air kind of group. Several years ago my favorite lumber yard put on an evening event at which they allowed me to briefly present Conscious Cooperation and then ask about the attendees’ experience of human relations in their businesses; what was working, what wasn’t, what would they like…

They owner of the lumber yard had to eventually kick us out, as the discussion kept going on. The builder who had been the most reluctant to come that evening said the forum was great, and he wished such a thing could continue.

It isn’t just about building houses and remodeling bathrooms and building office buildings and schools- it is always about people. And sometimes we all need an ear and some good intentions to lean on. We all need help in different ways.

I have a conviction that addressing such things more openly would help construction projects, family life and just about any aspect of this life on earth.

Thanks.

Stuart Baker