Bryan and the Kalos techs talk about head trash and how it prevents us from being the best HVAC professionals we could possibly be.
Sometimes, saying that something is "easy" or "straightforward" can create head trash; if you struggle with a task that someone else calls "easy" or "straightforward," you could start to think that a person doesn't care or that they're trying to pick on you. When undesirable things happen to us because of interactions with our leaders, dispatchers, or fellow technicians, we all too often start building unproductive narratives about those people.
Those narratives can spiral out of control and draw in lots of negativity. When we read into people's motives (especially unfavorably), we forget the facts. We assume so much, but we often don't realize how little people often think about us. It's a good idea to take out that "head trash" so that it doesn't keep piling up and turning us into negative, unproductive people. Sometimes, we need to have conversations to establish that we're on good terms with others, and that's okay; it could help us get rid of that head trash.
Managing your expectations is a good way to stop head trash from building up. That can go for our personal lives and our professional lives. Set expectations in a way that avoids disappointment and over-promising. That way, you can prevent head trash from forming in your head or others' heads.
In the end, we all just really want growth. Head trash gets in the way of that, and it's up to us to keep our head trash in check and check in with people when we're not sure where they stand with us.
Read all the tech tips, take the quizzes, and find our handy calculators at https://www.hvacrschool.com/.
Sometimes, saying that something is "easy" or "straightforward" can create head trash; if you struggle with a task that someone else calls "easy" or "straightforward," you could start to think that a person doesn't care or that they're trying to pick on you. When undesirable things happen to us because of interactions with our leaders, dispatchers, or fellow technicians, we all too often start building unproductive narratives about those people.
Those narratives can spiral out of control and draw in lots of negativity. When we read into people's motives (especially unfavorably), we forget the facts. We assume so much, but we often don't realize how little people often think about us. It's a good idea to take out that "head trash" so that it doesn't keep piling up and turning us into negative, unproductive people. Sometimes, we need to have conversations to establish that we're on good terms with others, and that's okay; it could help us get rid of that head trash.
Managing your expectations is a good way to stop head trash from building up. That can go for our personal lives and our professional lives. Set expectations in a way that avoids disappointment and over-promising. That way, you can prevent head trash from forming in your head or others' heads.
In the end, we all just really want growth. Head trash gets in the way of that, and it's up to us to keep our head trash in check and check in with people when we're not sure where they stand with us.
Read all the tech tips, take the quizzes, and find our handy calculators at https://www.hvacrschool.com/.
I needed this one boss! Thank you!
Like a great framer, hit the nail on the head!
I call it Stinking Thinking 🤔
This past week I’ve been down and out. A few weeks ago I was doing calls left and right knocking them out, feeling like a bad ass. This week I feel like I couldn’t get anything right, call backs the following day, getting supplies the wrong parts, and having a lead tech help me on calls when I found one thing that could have solved the issue he found a whole lot more things wrong that would have caused a call back. It’s hard to let those things go, I just hope this upcoming week gets better.
That was a beautiful conversation between owner/technician and employees. Perfect humble approach.
I recently switched from doing it all from sales, to demo, to install, to clean up and service and scheduling to doing service only, in a larger company. It's astounding how much worse this head trash gets when you work all alone, fixing everyone else's issues and mistakes on the daily. Service area Nepean??
I'm an apprentice technician right now and I've been super burned out and frustrated lately. This video definitely helped out a lot and it touched on so many things I've dealt with this summer. Thank you! I actually feel ready to close out this summer the right way.
I just want to inject something into the conversation about head trash: taking it out may require a therapist to help you out. Obviously we tradespeople love to do everything ourselves, but sometimes it’s more efficient and more effective to bring in a pro. And there’s no shame in that. if you think there is then you may need to take out your head trash.
Great , video
Reminds me of a story of " the negative ant " can not find a link , but one negitive ant destroy a whole colony with one negitive thought
👍
This really resonated with me. I suffer from a serious case of impostor syndrome, and sometimes I get really bogged down by head trash. Thank you, this is really helpful.
Checking in from Houston TX. 95 degrees right now. Great video! The part about everyone has their own thing going on is important in more ways than one. People like to talk about themselves. If you say I twisted my Knee climbing a ladder, 95% of the time they are gonna respond with that happened to me once while doing this or that. Not oh wow, are you ok. I use this on every customer I go to. I find something the minute I walk up to comment on. That's a cool car, or love your garden, or whatever knowing they would love to talk about it. And let them. Ask a few questions about it. Don't say well I'm building a car or starting a garden. Anyway, it builds a quick bond and makes that customer comfortable with you. Of course you don't want them to ramble on forever so you gotta know when to say that is so awesome, now tell me what happened with the AC. Thanks again for mentoring us out here with your videos. Are you in Ottawa ?
These ppl are lucky to have the boss teaching them everything he does!! Take advantage ppl!! Great content Are you in Barrhaven ?
💯🔥🔥🔥 Are you in Kanata ?
nice work environment..Thanks Sir Bryan…I learned a lot from you..Now im not afraid for interview…My eyes is now like an X-Ray machine when diagnosing aircon problem..🥂🙂
Thanks alot.. as technical persons we encounter these situations alot
Excellent video!
Keep up the good work Brother! Service area Orleans??
Good stuff Bryan
This is a good topic that has and probably will plague the trade for the rest of time. Its easy to go to a negative mindset as apposed to staying positive and just dealing with the situation. I've been through this too many times to count. As I've gotten older…..i disconnect myself from the situation….take a mental break and get my head "in the game". Negativity will only make things worse
If head trash is left unattended it with cause pressures to rise… not good for your system.
I love this discussion! Hopefully more than just the HVAC sector sees this, everyone can learn from this video and make alot of work places a better place to work. Keep up the good work folks!
This was a good lesson and ingeniously incorporated into this or any occupation as part of any interpersonal action of two or many more. I have never seen it infused to anything other than sociology problems in the affects of toxic interactions. Knowing ahead of time it will happen, yet responding in a defusing manner. Head trash should never be given free head rent knowing it will be the intent of those so inclined.
Cant we all just get along
love these sorts of talks. I think they're more valuable than straight diagnostic talks. You're really good at putting these phenomena we all go through to words.
I'd love to hear you talk about what I call "Mission-itis". It's the idea of getting wound up in work, and so focused on accomplishing the mission that you forget the basic stuff like safety and checking over your work. Mission-itis is you yeeting your 6ft ladder into your truck, throwing all your tools into a bucket instead of organizing them into a bag, etc
Like having 2 or three AC's down on a roof and you've got this big task ahead of you. It's gonna take a while, you may be going overtime, and your instinct is to get it done, and get it done fast. In thinking that, you unknowingly neglect the basics. Once you feel the cold air, you leave without realizing you left the other disconnect off after changing a capacitor, because you're tired and it's 6pm, and the end of your shift is now in sight.
Mission-itis can also lead to safety concerns, forgetting that gloves and safety glasses are nessecary, or not checking power at the unit after throwing the disconnect off, and that's how people get hurt
I love this. Head trash is a real thing. I love all these videos. I live in Santa Fe NM. I gave up the trade because I couldn't find mentorship in this small town. Because of these videos I'm back baby! Thank you thank you thank you. If anyone out there finds themselves in downtown Santa Fe. Look for Josh Sam at the Historic Hilton.
First.