Construction's Reality Distortion Field
How, through a mix of bluster and bravado, the UK construction industry has convinced itself that all in the garden is rosy.
In his biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, author Walter Isaacson coined the phrase “Reality Distortion Field” (RDF) to describe Jobs’ ability to manipulate those around him.
It is claimed that Jobs could convince himself, and others, to believe almost anything through a mix of charm, charisma, bravado, hyperbole, appeasement and persistence. His RDF was said to distort his co-workers' sense of proportion and scales of difficulties and to make them believe that whatever impossible task he had at hand was - in fact - possible.
The notion of a Reality Distortion Field reared its head again during the presidency of Donald Trump. During his tumultuous time in office, Trump claimed that he was one of the most popular American presidents in history (he was not), that he “always” opposed the Iraq war (he did not), that the stock market reopened the day after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 (it did not), that his tax cut was the largest in history (it was not), and that the United States is the only country that guarantees citizenship to those born there (it is not). And who can forget his claim that he would build a “beautiful wall” to keep out those pesky Mexicans; and get those same pesky Mexicans to pay for it.
But before we mock Jobs, Trump or anyone else deploying their own Reality Distortion Field, those of us within the construction sector need to take a long hard look at ourselves; because construction has an impenetrable RDF all of its own.
We like to tell ourselves and those around us that the sector is an equal opportunities employer. But women make up roughly 15 percent of the industry workforce, even though they make up over half of the population. And while we deflect from that uncomfortable truth with cries for female-friendly PPE, many sites remain openly hostile towards the fairer sex. And for every female ambassador or influencer the industry puts forward, there is some poor lass turning up to work to find a sex toy stuck to the windscreen of her excavator.
The industry has claimed long and loud to have left behind its rough, tough and just-on-the-right-side-of-legal reputation. But the Competition and Markets Authority found the demolition industry and numerous sectors within construction to be guilty of a variety of bid-rigging and price-fixing activities.
As an industry, we like to tell ourselves and those around us that our people are our greatest asset and that safety is our number one priority. But those people are still injured, maimed and killed in the line of duty. They are still required to work at height, even though there is statistical proof that falls from height are the industry’s biggest killer. And we allow or encourage corners to be cut because speed is of the essence and worker safety is no substitute for an early project completion.
In the aftermath of a fatal industry accident, there is a widespread gnashing of teeth, a shared grief, a collective sigh of regret. We even have an industry charity to help the families of those that have lost their life at work. But after that initial outpouring, many bereaved families find themselves abandoned and unable to get the justice that is the very least they deserve. One company recently threatened to sue a widow for “defamation” because of her public calls for an explanation for her husband’s tragic death.
And then, of course, there is the greatest reality distortion of them all. If all you knew about the demolition and construction industry came from social media, you would swear that the sector was a tranquil haven of mental health awareness; a nirvana of sensitivity and universal empathy. Such claims are wildly at odds with an industry suicide rate that is almost four times the national average.
In each instance, the construction industry claims one thing while the statistics and documentary proof says otherwise. It has claimed these things so many times that, in all likelihood, it now believes these so-called “facts” itself.
It is all oddly reminiscent of President Trump’s wall. He claimed his wall was beautiful. But, like his claims, the wall was unfinished and full of holes.