Blog 028 - The Wolf and the Lamb, A Specialist Contractor Fable

“A wolf saw a lamb drinking at a stream and wanted to devise a suitable pre-text for devouring it. So, although he was himself upstream, he accused the lamb of muddying the water and preventing him from drinking. The lamb replied that he only drank with the tip of his tongue and that, besides, being downstream he couldn’t muddy the water upstream. The wolf’s stratagem having collapsed, he replied “but last year you insulted my father”. “I wasn’t even born then” replied the lamb. So the wolf resumed, “Whatever you say to justify yourself, I will eat you all the same”.” – Aesop.

When some people decide upon doing harm, the fairest defence has no effect whatsoever

What can we learn about being a Specialist Contractor from this lamb in Aesop’s fable?

1. Records – I sincerely hope the lamb has kept records of the conversation with the Wolf, but also detailed reports and photos of each of their locations at the stream. The conversations with the Wolf would ideally be noted on the daily report or confirmed back to him by email later by the lamb (assuming he doesn’t get eaten at the stream that day)!

2. Rebuttals – The lamb dealt purely in fact when responding to the Wolf. When mud starts slinging, it can be easy to join in, instead, the key is to be clear and concise, present the facts and provide the relevant proof of your position. Afterall, the wolf’s initial claim was an act of prevention, getting this dismissed as quickly as the lamb did is essential for the Specialist Contractor.

3. Counter Attack – The lamb didn’t look to shift any blame, he didn’t “throw anything back” at the Wolf, he continued to do his job being a lamb and drinking the water in the same manner he had been. Making false accusations or loose claims might not look good later (see instead “The boy who cried Wolf”)

The lamb did not take offence at the inevitability of the Wolf’s attack. He dealt with it fairly and honestly. In the world of construction, the stakes can be high and when there is an issue such as delay, cost overspend or defects, it can be easy as a Specialist Contractor to find yourself in the shoes of the lamb. Typically, the Wolf will be the Main Contractor / Developer, but it can sometimes be other Trade Contractor’s looking to divert attention away from their own default.

The important lesson to take from this fable as a Specialist is to expect unfair criticism from time to time, deal with it quickly, professionally and factually and always ensure you have detailed records of events, the lamb might not have had access to an adjudicator but luckily the Construction Act provides that right to Specialist Contractors.

If you are having any issues similar to the lamb that you want to discuss further or need more detailed information on record keeping, drop me an email and start a conversation. Happy New Year.