Lesson Learned - 7/9/12

Today M and I both got in trouble by assuming that the other works like we do. Since we frequently help each other with projects or finish each other's work, this is a dangerous assumption to make. I got into trouble putting a trombone back together after Mike had taken it apart. The horn had an F attachment with ball joint linkage, and he left the linkage screw in the ball joint when taking it apart, so it was on the end of the trigger assembly.. The screw isn't held into the ball joint by anything – the screw threads into the stop arm. Without thinking, I picked up the trigger to put it back on the horn and promptly dropped the linkage screw. 5 minutes of searching later, I'd found it, but I wouldn't have lost that time if I'd been more observant when putting things back together. I always take the linkage screws out and drop them in a parts bin, precisely because I'm afraid of dropping them from the ball joint, but I shouldn't have assumed that Mike would do the same (although he helped me search for the screw and, realizing the frustration of the situation, will probably be a reformed man from now on). Mike got into trouble as well, putting together a trumpet that I'd taken apart. Maybe we should have each just finished our own projects. Anyway, he took the parts bin that held the valve stems and caps and started grabbing parts out of it to put the thing back together. He must usually mark the stems and caps to match them with their corresponding valves (not that there's usually any harm in mixing them up), which I do sometimes but didn't on this occasion. I just laid the parts carefully in order in the bin, 1 in front and 3 in back. Before I had a chance to tell him that, he'd already mixed up the parts as he searched for markings. He assumed I would have done the same thing he does (which, to be fair, I should have), and that assumption ended up totally negating my own organization system (but again, it kind of sucked in the first place).

When working so closely together, in a capacity where we often have to collaborate and finish each other's work, we can't afford to lose time by being careless and assuming things are set up in a certain way. When picking up another person's work, one must always remember what things can go wrong, even if we regularly take steps to prevent those eventualities in our own work. Giving a coworker the benefit of the doubt is necessary to maintain a respectful working environment, but being observant is equally important.