+- BAJR Federation Archaeology (http://www.bajrfed.co.uk)
+-- Forum: BAJR Federation Forums (http://www.bajrfed.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?fid=3)
+--- Forum: The Site Hut (http://www.bajrfed.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?fid=7)
+--- Thread: The School of Jack (/showthread.php?tid=4991)
The School of Jack - BAJR - 4th June 2013
I may think it sounds darn good. I do recognise that world. Perhaps RedEarth is lucky! perhaps I am just bitter.
As Dino says. there are plenty of those that believe they are better than they are and plenty who need to learn ( through no fault of their own )
I like it. but I like disagreement as well. .. no need to abuse a fellow BAjrite though :face-confused:
The School of Jack - Jack - 4th June 2013
Wax Wrote:Hurrah I can log in again. So what does the school of Jack have to say about tea making, site hut cleaning skills?
See next lesson......
The School of Jack - Jack - 4th June 2013
Yes its your turn to make the tea
The School of Jack - Jack - 4th June 2013
BAJR Wrote:I may think it sounds darn good. I do recognise that world. Perhaps RedEarth is lucky! perhaps I am just bitter.
As Dino says. there are plenty of those that believe they are better than they are and plenty who need to learn ( through no fault of their own )
I like it. but I like disagreement as well. .. no need to abuse a fellow BAjrite though :face-confused:
No worries, my skin is thick........
The School of Jack - Jack - 4th June 2013
RedEarth Wrote:I can log back in, hurrah!
Jack - please stop, it's just embarrassing. You're sounding like a dick.
The truth hurts.........
'There are three types of people in this world, dicks, pussys and ar$*holes....'
-team america
The School of Jack - CARTOON REALITY - 4th June 2013
Quote:You're sounding like a dick
What does that sound like? I've never known mine to make so much as a peep.
The School of Jack - Jack - 4th June 2013
Lesson 2 Professionalism: Subsection 3 Attitude
Why are you doing archaeology? Your reasons come across in your attitude to work. For the love of the job? For fortune and glory? To prove everyone else wrong? For the money? For the prestige?
Attitude is not something you should 'give' when a supervisor says and then shows you that you haven't bottomed your feature. Nor is it something to give when asked to straighten your section or if your happy with taking photographs. Nor should attitude be given to the principle contractor's safety officer when they tell you to put your hardhat or safety goggles on.
A good, professional attitude is a tool through which the practitioner can demonstrate their skills and their contribution to the project. Commercial archaeology is all about delivering the project on time and in budget whilst still recording the archaeology.
Commercial archaeology is all about the numbers.....how many persondays to complete an area the client needs back in a hurry, how much extra time is needed to finish the newly discovered round barrow etc......
If a practitioner is obviously wasting time.....and remember on a commercial dig you are being watched at all times, by the supervisors, their managers, the client, the principle contractor etc.....this reflects badly on yourself, the supervisors and the archaeological company employing you. Constantly being late or absent, only working when the supervisor is on site, going to the loo every ten minutes (unless you have a medical condition), etc all get noticed, and noted.
You may think you are invisible and no one notices when after a break you always walk all the way to site, then all the way back to the site hut because you 'forgot to get some numbers'............or that you always have an 'excuse' to go back to the hut ten minutes before a break starts. You are not.
The School of Jack is aware of situations when the principle contractor's site manager has suggested that individual archaeologists be sacked for such reasons. You can imagine what an awkward position this put the supervisor in, and how this could strain the relationship between archaeologists and construction crews on site. On a commercial dig the archaeologists have to work alongside all sorts of other industries. Often the smooth running of a dig relies on a good working relationship with the earth-moving subcontractor and the principle contractor.
If the practitioner is to make it in the cold hard commercial work they need to present a professional attitude at all times. Teamwork, a willingness to muck in, to help with the onerous tasks like cleaning the site hut or tool store, or to put up or take down fences are all admirable traits. As are following the principle contractors 'safety' rules and a polite manner towards all other subcontractors on the site.
The School of Jack - RedEarth - 4th June 2013
BAJR Wrote:I may think it sounds darn good. I do recognise that world. Perhaps RedEarth is lucky! perhaps I am just bitter.
As Dino says. there are plenty of those that believe they are better than they are and plenty who need to learn ( through no fault of their own )
I like it. but I like disagreement as well. .. no need to abuse a fellow BAjrite though :face-confused:
I apologise for my use of language, but that was about my third choice of word. Maybe I am lucky but what Jack is describing is a fairly unpleasant world of paranoia, effectively bullying, and backward thinking.
Skills gap? How about training gap - how much training is going on to try to fix the defaults in these apparently useless, lazy, attitude-filled staff? Does Jack or his organisation make any effort to find out or is it sink or swim? Who would want to work for a company where you are apparently constantly watched for faults rather than helped to remedy them (and if you are on a short-term or 'self employed' contract with appalling conditions - such as being expected to travel to work and arrive 15 minutes early, literally come hell or high water - why would you give a fuck how you were perceived. I have heard tales of people basically speeding to site and putting themselves and others at risk to get there on time, which I fear Jack would applaud heartily as being the sort of positive attitude we should all have). Where's the motivation in any of this, the attempts to make things better rather than just berating people. Any new graduate reading this would be terrified. One could be mistaken for thinking that what you are actually trying to do is put anyone new off in order to maintain your own job, but obviously that can't be the case.
As for 'only diggers are archaeologists' - how insulting is that? So anyone who illustrates, processes finds, writes reports, puts together tenders, manages projects etc etc isn't an archaeologist by your definition. Keep dreaming.
I'm not saying there's nothing useful in any of it (if a bit egotistical) but it's the tone more than anything that I dislike.
The School of Jack - Wax - 4th June 2013
I have found a willingness to turn up on time make the tea, sort the tool store etc gets you further than an in depth knowledge of the ceramics of an obscure period. Though that being said there is also the secret art of appearing busy but managing to do absolutely nothing of which there are a few grand masters in circulation.
In answer to Red Earth what is wrong with turning up on time and doing the job you are paid for? it is expected in any other industry and lets be honest it's not about making things easy for the employee it's about getting the job done (thought not at any price).
The School of Jack - RedEarth - 5th June 2013
Wax Wrote:I have found a willingness to turn up on time make the tea, sort the tool store etc gets you further than an in depth knowledge of the ceramics of an obscure period. Though that being said there is also the secret art of appearing busy but managing to do absolutely nothing of which there are a few grand masters in circulation.
In answer to Red Earth what is wrong with turning up on time and doing the job you are paid for? it is expected in any other industry and lets be honest it's not about making things easy for the employee it's about getting the job done (thought not at any price).
Obviously there's nothing wrong with that, but it was the implication that that almost wasn't enough and that there was no excuse for lateness regardless of the circumstances (flood, snow, fatal accident...) We are humans and fallible, not robots, and this kind of expectation is not helpful and off-putting to anyone who doesn't feel they can meet this standard (i.e. a normal person).