4 ways to Sharpen your Troubleshooting Skills and Boost your Value as a Building Super

Happy 4th of July weekend!  🎉

Between the burgers and hot dogs, I take a moment on this holiday every year to remember our country's birth and its history of achievements and struggles. 

From the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the first gunshots of the Civil War, the moon landing of 1969, to the singing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as many other historical events, this country has come a long, long way from its birth.

While some events were marked with celebration, many others were marked by pain. And those things happening now on the streets and in politics, as confusing as they can be to understand, have its roots in this checkered past. 

No matter how you look at these events or current news, I'm hopeful because there's only one way to describe our journey from 1776 to now as a country: 

Improvement. At the end of the day, things get better and better.

And, you can say that this same principle applies to ourselves and our own professional growth as Building Superintendents. 

What we're valued for as Building Supers is problem-solving. This includes solving problems regarding staff, resident complaints, board concerns, mechanical issues, etc.   

In this podcast, I would like to focus on just one area of problem-solving: maintenance troubleshooting. 

For the Building Super, maintenance troubleshooting is one of the highest forms of art.  It's where all of your skills, from carpentry to plumbing, come together with theory, practice and past experiences.  

Troubleshooting requires patience, diligence and luck. It also requires making plenty of mistakes and learning the lessons from them. It's a painful process.  But, at the end of the day, you'll get better and better. “Three steps forward and two steps backwards.”

In this podcast, I bring you through a troubleshooting process where the source of a water leak in the bathroom was finally discovered. 

I offer four steps for you to become a better troubleshooter, especially if you're just starting out as a Building Super.  I'll also reveal some other helpful hints, such as why you should carry a granola bar or other light snack while you're troubleshooting. 

For this troubleshooting, I've paired up with Angel Quinde, a part-time Building Super who works in the West Village and carries some great troubleshooting successes under his belt. 

There are some diagrams and other visuals, so make sure you see the Youtube version here. 

 

Life is about improving your skills one day at a time. Have fun and learn! 

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Sit back, and enjoy your weekend!🍺