Do as I say, Not as I do

Working in an industry where people apprentice under veteran tradespeople is pretty amazing. I remember the first apprentice I had… I was probably more nervous than they were. Think about it… We are shaping this person into the trades person they will be, which also includes how safe they are. That’s a big task. So when I hear an expert trades person say “do as I say, not as I do” I want to shake them. We need to lead by example. If we were training our son or daughter, would we use that expression? Would you tell your children not to drink and drive, then toss back a few cold ones and give them a ride to soccer practice? I’d definitely hope not. So why is this expression and this attitude acceptable? We need to change our perspective. Use mistakes as a moment to teach about near misses and how we learn from them. Teaching your apprentice through your own safety is a two for one deal… Who doesn’t love a deal?