As a finish carpentry foreman in New England during
the building boom of the mid-1980s, I saw a lot
of carpenters come and go. Time and time again I
would hear about the awesome carpenter hired to
start the following week and would picture myself
reduced to the role of helper. Almost invariably,
these superstars turned out to be busts. Some lasted a
few weeks, others a few months. The
repairs and punchlist items they generated
were there to remind us of them long
after they had moved on.
Hiring was done by the company's business
manager and project manager. The
project manager hadn't worn a tool belt
for a few years, while the