Walls have ears, sliding doors have eyes, and the sounds of people echo on the job site — seeing the flow of work through sound

When you are working, various sounds echo throughout the job site.

The sound of mixing materials.
At the start of mixing, it is low and heavy, and as it nears completion, it becomes higher and faster.

The sound of carrying materials.
A heavy weight is added to the unique rhythm of each person's footsteps.

The sound of scooping materials.
At first, it's a crisp 'saku-saku'...
As it decreases, it becomes 'za-za'... 'saku-saku'.
When the material runs out, it's a 'gari-gari-gari!'

The sound of applying materials.
When rubbing, it's 'za-za'...
When finishing, it's 'sha... sha...'

The sound of flipping the trowel.
Za. Za.
When the material is gone from the hawk, it's 'zari, ga'.

The sound of cleaning the edges.
Papan!

While setting up, while applying, while carrying. Listen closely to the sounds of your seniors.

Oh, they're mixing the material a bit stiff.
Maybe they changed the mixture from before.

Oh, I wonder if I should carry more material over there.

Oh, that person is about to run out of material.

They are doing base work over there now.
Check the water absorption, and let's prepare the top coat next.

It looks like it's hard for them to get material while on the stepladder.
Let's go help them.
(Helping: putting material onto their hawk for them)

They've finished applying.
Let's go collect the masking tape that was peeled off.

The sounds will teach you how to move on the job site.
Even when passing by, check with your eyes.

How deep is the scoop stuck in the bucket?
Has the movement of the bucket become lighter when scooping?
Is there enough material, or will there be too much?
Are there any empty buckets?

The remaining amount of material and the necessary quantity
can be understood roughly even from a distance.

If you move rhythmically on the job site,
you can even measure the time.

While they are doing this task, they usually use up one full batch.

Since that person is painting a detailed wall,
the materials won't run out for a while.

Even if we are working separately on the first and second floors, if I can hear the sounds, I can see the movements of the craftsmen.

It's not just the sounds of objects.

The sound of someone talking.

"The water absorption seems fast today."
"In that case, shouldn't today's materials be a bit firmer?"

"There's a lot of surface to paint."
"This side is really rough."

When I hear conversations like that,
I go over to ask if the mixture should be changed.

"Should I adjust some of the materials?"

Then,

"It's hard to paint, so make it softer."

or,

"The finish will change, so it's fine as it is."

or something like that.

The next steps are decided.

I hear the "sounds" calling for me all over the job site.

Without being told by anyone,
I know what needs to be done.

You don't have to be able to distinguish everything from the start.

To begin with, just the "sound of materials running out" is fine.
Just the "sound of someone's hands about to stop" is fine.

Just by paying a little attention to the sounds on the job site,
it becomes easier to see where to move next.

I can't just stop the craftsmen in their tracks.

That's the kind of feeling I have while working.

Of course, I don't decide things related to mixtures or finishes on my own without checking,

but sometimes things go more smoothly when I act on information I've picked up through my own senses,
rather than waiting for someone else's instructions.

After all, people's instructions are often a bit sloppy, haha.

What's important here is not just knowing 'what to do,' but also
learning how to find out 'what to ask' for yourself.

Try to imagine it.

When you give someone instructions,
can you accurately put into words what you want them to do?

When you can't think of the right instruction for that moment,

don't you end up saying,'Ah, well, just do this for now,'

and end up assigning them something
that doesn't really need to be done right then?

Even senior colleagues are human.
They don't have a grasp on absolutely everything.

In that case,

'reading the atmosphere of the moment'

is the easiest way to go.

'Oh, you're so thoughtful to act before being told!'
'You always check before doing it, so I can leave it to you with peace of mind!'

I think those small, repeated actions
are what build trust on the job site.

And if you do that, even if you make a small mistake, they might...
laugh and forgive you? Haha.

I previously wrote about how 'think before you ask, and ask before you act' are not contradictory.

This story might be considered a practical application of that.

What should I do?
What should I ask?
How far should I go on my own, and at what point should I confirm?

As one answer to that,
I listen to the sounds of the workplace.