If you can start and maintain a career in woodworking, it is inevitable that you will have to work along with other types of professionals. That’s why this month we are going to talk about what some of those experiences might look like and some of my suggestions for best practices to maximize positive results while learning from the less desirable ones.

I have had experiences working in coordination with other types of professionals many times over the years. I have worked with cabinet makers, architects, and interior designers to name a few of the more common ones. I’m sure that some of the best practices I’ll discuss will translate to other types of subcontracted teammates as well. 

The two main components I use as my roadmap are communication and professionalism. As over simplified as it might seem, I have found in my experience that these two factors are not as common as I thought and absolutely are worth highlighting. Any coordinated job I’ve worked with other contractors on that has not gone well typically stems from a lack of at least one of these two factors or poor representation of them from myself or others.

Communication
Communication is the big piece of the pie. Good communication can be what makes working with others easy and a less stressful process. I’ve worked many jobs with other types of contractors in tandem and lack of communication has caused more problems and headaches than any other factor. 

Bad communication leads to mistakes, and mistakes eat up profit in material and time. People can have different ways of communicating, and things can get lost or overlooked in verbal communication. Some words can mean different things to different people, and that includes terms of your trade. 

A method of communication I have found best is doing so in writing (preferably email) and using well-detailed drawings. This creates clear black-and-white boundaries for what you will do and what is expected of your teammates. It also gives you the opportunity to make structural or design edits with others before building starts. 

Without this, if something goes wrong on a job and the client is upset, there is no burden of proof for responsibility of where it went wrong. I’m not saying this just so you can blame and point fingers. I’m saying this so you don’t end up fixing other people’s mistakes for free or taking a hit to your professional reputation because someone else did not know how to or forgot to do their job. 

Unfortunately, this can be a common thing. As a woodworker, you are typically last in the line of the job finishing process so often any problem caused earlier in the process before your contributions will end up in your lap.

Clear instructions and needs
I highly recommend on the front end of a job, before labor even begins, to not only make sure you obtain clear instructions of what you are to do, but also you provide clear instructions of what you need from others to be able to do your job. 

Yes, you read that right. I do not even hesitate these days to have specific instructions and expectations of what I and my “teammates” need to do relevant to my work put in writing. It protects me and the client. I will not agree to or sign a contract on a job without having these clear instructions firmly in place. 

Being this way is out of necessity from difficult experiences I have had over the years when working with others. I have seen architects design bars and counters without a single place to mount the top or anything underneath it structurally supported properly for wood movement. 

I have seen cabinet makers fail to provide anywhere to fasten down countertops, even after being instructed to do so on several occasions. I have had a job run behind because a cabinet shop installed the wrong hardware for mounting my doors. 

I have been asked to replace bad hardware for free that interior designer adamantly choose. I have known interior designers to share my sketches with other woodworkers just to get the cost down for cheaper work (putting in a confidentiality notice with sketches via email is wise, by the way).

Getting all of these things in detailed writing with good clear, honest communication can prevent these problems and also make sure that you’re not being held accountable for other people’s poor work. 

On a positive note, I have worked with others especially a local interior designer who has amazing communication skills, and it has made working with her an absolute breeze. There is nothing better than having a teammate that makes your job easier. Over time we have developed an ability to communicate with each other about every nuance and every detail on the project before building even starts.

It all starts with good honest communication. Being a little redundant also never hurts, as well. Redundancy in communication can help verify that important information doesn’t slip through the cracks and details are understood. Most professionals are juggling more than one job at a time, and we all miss stuff. That’s why I found the redundancy and reminders can serve as job savers. They can help you be viewed as a good teammate as long as you don’t annoy them with constant over redundancy. Having tact and common sense apply well here.
 
Professionalism
My other main factor is professionalism. My definition or traits of good professionalism include being on time for meetings or phone calls, showing up appropriately dressed and clean (leaving on-site work spaces clean), treating others with respect and using respectful language, being honest, maintaining good communication throughout the build, including updates promptly when requested, and getting your work done on time so you don’t put others behind. 

These are the qualities of professionalism that I have found to be desirable not only in myself, but also in others I have worked with over the years. I prefer to represent myself in a way that hopefully gives other workers the thought that I am a pleasure to work with, make their job easier, or make them look good. That simple approach has served me well. 

It is important to understand that people and other professions also talk to clients and other professionals. Building a good reputation will get you more work, fostering a negative one can have negative impacts on your business. You do not want to be known as somebody who is hard to work with or is unprofessional. That kind of word travels fast and will cost you money. I have also found, when you conduct yourself in a very professional way, people are more prone to pay a professional price. 

Another piece of being professional is having good boundaries. By this I mean, setting the tone of professionalism by not responding to messages after 9 PM and not having personal discussions on opinions about clients or gossip. 

I try to be just a worker among workers. When working with others, I focus on my primary goal, which is getting the job done. By just keeping it simple and conducting myself like a pro, it also sets the tone over time of what I expect from others I work with. 
Young Wood Pros, you will find that there are some amazing and talented people that you will get the opportunity to work with in your career. Maintaining the principles I have suggested will ensure that they feel the same way about you. 

I also recommend that you keep an eye out for these principles being practiced by other contractors or potential teammates when working along with them. These principles should allow you to get a better idea of who you need to be working with and who you don’t. Working with the right people can help make you more money, working with the wrong people can put you in the loss column.

Your main focus is to make sure you embody what good communication and professionalism look like. It’s important to hold yourself professionally to high standards, and to choose wisely whom you work with.

#YoungWoodPro is a contest and an educational program sponsored by Grizzly Industrial to help novice professionals improve their skills in business and woodworking. Entries are closed for the 2024 contest. Learn more about the winner and finalists.