ELECTRICIAN APPRENTICE FOLLOWERSHIP - How To Be An Effective Electrical Helper

It's easy to talk about what it means to be a great crew-lead, but what most people don’t think about is what makes a good follower or helper.  This is really a deep methodology that takes wisdom and purpose to execute so let’s crack it open for a minute.

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A HELPER

To follow (as it applies to getting work done) is to HELP and SUPPORT.  It does not mean that you just take a back seat while letting someone else carry the burden.  It means recognizing the burden the lead has and helping them execute their responsibilities.

Your job as a helper (even a seasoned non-lead is a helper) is to help make the lead’s job easier.  You are there to help carry the load.  But interestingly enough, follower-ship is a form of leadership.  When you choose to follow, you choose to help that lead be successful in their role.  So being a follower is really being a clever leader.

HOW TO EXECUTE THIS ROLE

To be a good helper you need to carry your load well.  Your job is to do whatever the lead needs you to, according to your abilities - but sometimes outside of them.  Leading as a follower means that you know your job/task needs to be executed well so it relieves the burden from the lead.  If you half-ass your share you’re not helping, you’re hurting.  So doing a great job on a task takes a load off of everyone else’s shoulders.  You sucking, only makes others have to go behind you and re-do your work which means you’re not worth having around.  Now there are obviously times where you’re going to make mistakes, but you need to take the time to minimize those instances as much as possible.

This leads me to my next point…ask questions.  When a lead gives you a task and you don’t fully understand, DO NOT JUST PRETEND THAT YOU DO.  Most of the time you will end up messing it all up and having to re-do everything.  Ask as many questions as you need to until you fully understand what you need to do.  It may be frustrating for the lead to have to go into that much explaining just to execute a task, but when you remind them you don’t want to mess it up so they have to redo it, many of them will drop the bass in their voice.  Also, learn how to “time your questions.”  There is a definite time and place to rain questions down on someone, but be smart about this.  If you have several questions to ask don’t stop the lead several times when they’re trying to get something done.  Wait for a good time to stop them and ask all of them.  The lead has a lot going on, including making sure everyone around them is doing their jobs correctly, so there are bad times to ask questions.  Learn this and it will help the lead out a lot.

Your job as a helper is to ANTICIPATE NEED.  Think about those words.  The crew around you will always need things.  Materials, ladders, tools, a hand, whatever.  You need to watch them and anticipate what they may need.  There’s a difference though if you’re a helper who’s independent vs if you’re a fresh helper who’s still in the “gofer” phase of your apprenticeship.  When you’re just a gofer, your job is HEAVILY dependent on anticipating need since you don’t know what you’re doing yet.  By observing those around you working, you start to understand how to do their jobs.  Next, you become able to work, and your job is no longer just “waiting” on them.  This never really goes away though.  Even as a master electrician I anticipate the need of the people working under me.  I’m constantly watching what everyone is doing and when I see a problem they’re about to run into (missing material, needing a ladder, needing help lifting something) I’m quick to jump in and give it to them.  It’s kind of a fun game to play, really.  When you’re really good, a guy can turn around and you have the thing they need in your hand waiting for them while not disrupting what YOU’RE trying to do.  It saves them from having to stop what they’re doing so they can keep working just as efficiently.  THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A HELPER.  Doing what you know is needed to make those around you succeed while doing what you need to do, to complete your work.


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