By Mark Breslin
(Fourth in a series)

They are out there. Quiet and yet resolute. We know they are there, but who and how many we cannot be sure. Looking out for themselves. Going about their business. Doing the job and heading home. One more day. P---ed off. Resentful. And waiting.

The silent majority is waiting. This majority is 80+ % of the guys on the construction projects around North America who bring the right skills, attitudes and behaviors to the jobsite every day. The silence is the sound of their unwillingness to confront and challenge the remaining problematic workers; who tend to be louder and sometimes more influential.

And so, instead of speaking out, they quietly tolerate another day, week, year,
and career of working alongside some of their union "brothers" who do nothing to deserve the same pay and respect that they have struggled for their entire careers to
obtain. As a result they have become resentful or simply apathetic and do not know
where to turn for help. And that is what they are waiting for.

This is completely our fault, since the unions and the employers are surely sending mixed messages. Until quite recently, the unions have been unwilling to deal in any constructive manner with sub-par performers. What message has that sent to the field about quality, commitment and professionalism?

After decades of status quo, why would an average rank-and-file guy care if his union and its leaders don't seem to? And why would the marginal performer change? His peer group does not confront him. His union backs him up, rain or shine. And the wheel turns but the workplace culture stays the same.

On the contractor side it is worse. Bad apples are rarely terminated. Letters are rarely written. They are laid off or "reduced in force" to be recycled a hundred times to a
hundred job sites in a career. By avoiding conflict the contractors avoid their responsibility and share in the consequences of inaction. They complain but do not do
what must be done. And the Silent Majority watches and tells themselves that it doesn't
really matter.

Yes, the Silent Majority is waiting for us. They are just waiting for the signal that the free ride is over and that they are empowered to take a role. The coaches need to make the high sign for the players to respond. The stewards need to back the play 100%. The foremen and contractors need to swing for the fences. And then, and only then, will the peer-to-peer relationships on the job create the pressure of conformance to professional craft standards.

This peer-to-peer accountability needs to be bred early, at the training centers. The apprentices have to be given a message of non-compromise for individual and team
performance. If the cycle of institutionalized acceptance of substandard performance is
to be broken, it will have to come from the apprenticeship and supervisory training
programs.

Several ideas to breed this value system might include:

• Apprentice awards, granted by each class via anonymous vote, for Leadership and Attitude.
• Apprenticeship peer review board for disciplinary actions.
• Mandatory attitudes and behaviors curriculum, instruction and role playing.
• Break the class into crews and have every person responsible and evaluated on
  their crew's performance, appearance and attendance for a defined period.

These are just several examples of what can be done. What must be done. We should not underestimate the power of the Silent Majority - but they need our help. They have waited long enough. Now its time to deliver.

Mark Breslin is the author of the Survival of the Fittest apprentice training curriculum and a nationally prominent speaker and trainer. More information on tools and resources for training programs and instructors can be found at www.breslin.biz.