Have you ever worked with someone who made you think, "How could they not know that?"
I have a new partner I work nights with. He started a couple of months ago. One of the things that I learned the first week working with him was that he didn't know how to work a portable radio. Sure I'm a radio geek with years of keying up on everything from public safety to ham radios but this guy is in his mid 20s and a National Guard veteran who has been to Afganistan. I figured that after training for a week on day shift, by the time I started working with him he'd be up to speed. Wrong.
He went out on patrol one night while I manned the front gate desk. About halfway into his patrol I had to call him for something. I called several times over the radio but failed to get an answer from him. "Darn, he must have his radio turned off for some reason." Nope. Upon returning to the guard shack I asked him if he had heard me which he answered, "Yes but I couldn't figure out which button to push to answer you." Our cheap little Motorola UHF business Band plant radios had confused him.
Two months later and I STILL have to check behind him when he puts the portable radio in the chargers. It seems that he will stand the radio up in the charger but will not ensure that it is slotted properly to guarantee that it is being charged.
Another SO, a woman we hired to work days, came to work on her first day and I had to show her the proper place to put her badge on her shirt. Instead of being over the left breast pocket as it is supposed to be worn she had pinned her badge to the center of her right pocket.
The lesson here is Don't Assume Anything. Teach everything when training a new person because what makes perfect sense to you may be alien to them.
Anyone else have any similar tales to tell? Let's hear them.
I have a new partner I work nights with. He started a couple of months ago. One of the things that I learned the first week working with him was that he didn't know how to work a portable radio. Sure I'm a radio geek with years of keying up on everything from public safety to ham radios but this guy is in his mid 20s and a National Guard veteran who has been to Afganistan. I figured that after training for a week on day shift, by the time I started working with him he'd be up to speed. Wrong.
He went out on patrol one night while I manned the front gate desk. About halfway into his patrol I had to call him for something. I called several times over the radio but failed to get an answer from him. "Darn, he must have his radio turned off for some reason." Nope. Upon returning to the guard shack I asked him if he had heard me which he answered, "Yes but I couldn't figure out which button to push to answer you." Our cheap little Motorola UHF business Band plant radios had confused him.
Two months later and I STILL have to check behind him when he puts the portable radio in the chargers. It seems that he will stand the radio up in the charger but will not ensure that it is slotted properly to guarantee that it is being charged.
Another SO, a woman we hired to work days, came to work on her first day and I had to show her the proper place to put her badge on her shirt. Instead of being over the left breast pocket as it is supposed to be worn she had pinned her badge to the center of her right pocket.
The lesson here is Don't Assume Anything. Teach everything when training a new person because what makes perfect sense to you may be alien to them.
Anyone else have any similar tales to tell? Let's hear them.
Comment