Real-Life Communication -- Solution
This is how one bricklayer explained a complicated legal document
to her client:
According to laws set by the City of Buffalo,
any private homes that have fireplaces, wood stoves or any other type of equipment
for burning must follow these rules:
- Any fireplace should be made of metal or brick so it doesn't catch on
fire when you're burning things in it.
- The fireplace has to be at least three feet away from any walls or parts
of the house on all sides. It must also be away from potentially dangerous
items like the water heater, electrical box or heaters.
- The smoke, fumes and ashes from the fire must, in this case, leave the
house through the chimney. The top of the chimney has to be at least four
feet from the top of your roof. You must be able to control the amount of
air coming into the fire, using something called a "flue." This must be installed
just above the fireplace so you can reach it.
"Communication skills, a lot of people might tell you
they aren't important, but they are, especially if you want to advance your
career and become a foreman," says bricklayer Bob Ahlers. He's the president
of a masonry company in Arizona.
"You want to get into estimating,
you want to own your own business, you need to be able to communicate, and
think, and [work on] computers," says Ahlers.
Bricklayer
Ken Rutley agrees. "Good communication skills are very important," says Rutley.
"You must be able to manage several employees at the same time and keep them
working efficiently, while being able to keep the quality standards to a high
level. They must be able to multitask several jobs or projects at the same
time. Good communication skills are essential to be able to do all of this."