Booth 518 at OLC Accelerate, November 16 to 18. Come take a rep.Start free
Explore by field: Skilled Trades
Defend the decision on the job site.
This is engaging practice. A supervisor has a tight schedule and a budget, and you have a reason to stop work. You practice making the case in the supervisor's terms.
Explaining why you stopped work to a supervisor with a schedule and a budget
Raising a safety concern with a crew that wants to keep moving
Walking a customer through a repair they didn't expect
Teaching an apprentice who is stuck on a step
Explaining a change order to a customer who expected the original price
Sample rep
Your roleYou're a journeyman electrician who has stopped work on a mislabeled panel. Your supervisor wants the job back on schedule.
Supervisor
We're already a day behind. Why stop now?
You
The panel is mislabeled. If I guess wrong on a circuit, someone gets hurt.
Supervisor
Glances at the schedule.Can't you label it as you go?
You
I can label it once I trace each circuit. That's about two hours.
Supervisor
Two hours I don't have.
Type your response…↑
Cognitive audit · Attempt 1
71 / 100
Making the case in his terms19 / 25
Naming the safety issue20 / 25
Offering a workable option16 / 25
Staying steady under schedule pressure16 / 25
You named the hazard in concrete terms, and the supervisor understood the risk. You gave the two hours as a number with no option beside it, so he answered with the schedule.
