On Craftsmanship

(Editors Note:  This is the text of a speech recently delivered by Joe Phillips, Field Maintenance/Fleet Warranty Manager of Eagle Transport Corporation, to a group of National Technical Honor Society graduates.)

Good afternoon. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. It is a privilege to be asked to participate in an event such as this. You all should be very proud of the accomplishments which have allowed you to be here today. Membership in the National Technical Honors Society is something which must be earned; you all have earned this honor by hard work & a dedication to be better than "just good enough". These qualities are both admirable & valuable.

I would like to speak to you today about an attribute that I feel is under emphasized in our society today. Craftsmanship.

Webster defines craftsmanship very simply as "the work of a craftsman". So in order to understand craftsmanship we must first define a craftsman. Webster's definition of a craftsman is "a person who is highly skilled in a craft" or "a person who practices a craft with great skill".

What comes to mind when you think about a craftsman? Maybe an image of a burly New Englander lovingly shaping and fitting planks to form the hull of a fine boat. Or a Native American weaver deftly interlocking strips of wood to form an intricate basket. Possibly a skilled blacksmith expertly heating steel to just the right temperature and shaping it with well placed blows of his hammer?

More than likely your image would not include a nurse, or a mechanic, or your cosmetologist. But I assure you that craftsmanship can and should exist in any profession. The traits exhibited by a craftsman are traits that are vital to success no matter what your chosen profession happens to be.

I believe that there are five main traits that a craftsman must possess. Knowledge, Skill, Diligence, Judgment, and Passion.

Knowledge of your chosen profession is essential. In order to excel at anything- career, hobby, relationships--- knowledge is key. If you ever reach a point in your career where you cease to learn at that same point you will cease to excel. Never stop striving to gain knowledge. Everyone you meet has something to teach you so garner knowledge from any source & never stop learning. Motivational Speaker Denis Waitley puts it this way "Never become so much of an expert that you stop gaining knowledge. View life as a continuous learning experience".

Skill is also an essential ingredient of craftsmanship. Skill is defined as "the ability, coming from one's knowledge, practice, or aptitude, to do something well". The key word in this definition is the word "Do". As important as knowledge is…it is worthless without application. In order to excel your knowledge must be applied to your craft…..your knowledge must be put into action.  Lebanese-American Author Kahlil Gibran once wrote, "A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle".  Don't be content to just gather knowledge- transform your knowledge into skill by "doing".

The next essential trait of the craftsman is diligence.  Webster's definition of diligence is this…. constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken; persistent exertion of body or mind. Or phrased another way…….attention to detail.

How can you have a "constant & earnest effort to accomplish' something without paying attention to the smallest detail of the task you are seeking to accomplish .

This definition really sums up for me the essence of craftsmanship  because it implies that such diligence comes from within the  person…not from a manager, supervisor, or boss but from a deep seated desire from within to excel in your craft regardless of outside influence. This attribute to me is a genuine reflection of personal character & integrity. If this attention to detail….this "persistent exertion of body & mind' requires the influence of a manager or supervisor then the result may well be a high quality product or service but it will not be craftsmanship.

Judgment is also an essential ingredient of craftsmanship. Judgment is defined by Webster as the ability to judge, make a decision, or form an opinion objectively, authoritatively, and wisely, esp. in matters affecting action; good sense or discretion. In other words common sense. The ability to make timely, sound decisions is essential to the craftsman. Judgment must be allowed to govern the application of knowledge & skill in order to achieve excellence. Putting your knowledge & skill into action without exercising good judgment leads to poor performance regardless of how knowledgeable or skillful you may be.   

The last essential element of craftsmanship is passion. Passion….a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything. In order to truly excel at any profession…in order to achieve true craftsmanship one must have a fondness for… be enthusiastic about…be passionate about what they do. If one does not have a passion for what they do true craftsmanship will never be achieved. Having passion for your chosen profession will drive you to constantly learn & improve….to never be satisfied with your level of performance.

Originally I had planned to close by identifying one of these five traits as the most important & reiterating it at the end of my speech…..but as I thought through these traits I found it impossible to definitively identify one as the most important. If you remove passion craftsmanship is reduced to mere workmanship…if you remove diligence, craftsmanship becomes mediocrity…. If judgment is removed we are left with skilled labor……..Removing knowledge & skill destroys craftsmanship as a result of sub standard performance. So in closing….. I found that while it is possible to be productive, produce a quality product, or achieve good service without all five of these traits…….if we remove any of these five traits… we are left with something less than  true craftsmanship.

Thank you again for allowing me to share these thoughts with you this afternoon. Best of luck as you continue your education & begin your careers.

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