The Driller
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
  • EDUCATION
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
  • SUBMIT
  • ABOUT
  • SIGN UP
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Water
  • Geothermal
  • Construction
  • Environmental
  • Mining
  • All Industry News
  • EQUIPMENT
  • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
  • Consumables
  • Pumps
  • Featured Products
  • VIDEOS
  • Newscast
  • Drill Talks
  • Ask Brock
  • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
  • Drilling Business Insights
  • Reference Desk
  • Sponsored Insights
  • EVENTS
  • Conferences & Demo Days
  • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
  • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
  • Contact
  • Advertise
The Driller
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
The Driller
  • NEWS
    • Water
    • Geothermal
    • Construction
    • Environmental
    • Mining
    • All Industry News
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
    • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
    • Consumables
    • Pumps
    • Featured Products
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
    • Newscast
    • Drill Talks
    • Ask Brock
    • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
    • Drilling Business Insights
    • Reference Desk
    • Sponsored Insights
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
    • Conferences & Demo Days
    • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
    • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP
MarketsOpinionsDrilling Business InsightsWater WellsEditor's Notes

Answers to Questions About the Drilling Trade

By Jeremy Verdusco
drilling industry knowledge

Do your instructions leave an employee with a puzzled expression? Perhaps he has a question on his mind and is too embarrassed to ask.

April 1, 2019

Let’s talk about stupid questions. Every profession has tricks or jargon that everyone assumes everyone else knows. This goes double for a specialty field like drilling. But, if you missed it — or weren’t ready to hear it — during training, specialty knowledge veers quickly into “too embarrassed to ask” territory.

Think about situations where you see part of a job demonstrated for you. You nod along, focused on the task’s big picture. A specific, but small step gets missed or glossed over. You think you have it, though. What happens when you tackle the task yourself? You run into trouble, but plenty of people just klutz their way through because they don’t want to ask a stupid question.


No One Wants to Ask a Stupid Question

Picture a pica. What the heck is a pica? I’m glad you asked. It’s a small example of a stupid question in the field of journalism — at least for journalists of a certain age. It’s a unit of type size equivalent to about one-sixth of an inch.

I entered this field when a few publishers still produced newspapers through a process called paste-up. This came before desktop publishing. Newspaper compositors (or “paste-ups”) would puzzle together pages from individual bits of text and photos, pasting them on a large board that was then photographed and made into a press plate.

That puzzling together had exacting specifications. Designers used a tool called a pica pole and, for photos, a device called a proportion wheel to make sure every story could convert from words and pictures to a printed page in tomorrow’s newspaper.

Technology started displacing the paste-up process in the 1990s. I had heard the term “pica” before entering the field in the mid-’90s, but didn’t bother learning about it because I knew I’d never work in that archaic system. Until I did. It took me months to gather up the courage to ask someone what a pica was, because I didn’t want to look stupid asking and everyone assumed I already knew.


The Best Stupid Questions Go Unasked

Employers have an expectation that new helpers know a thing or two, but sometimes that knowledge has important holes. When it comes to filling those gaps, though, employers have a responsibility to head off stupid questions (just as employees have to not be afraid to ask). After all, the best stupid question is one that never needs asking. I suggest a few tactics for patching knowledge gaps before they grow into something an employee hesitates to ask about.

  • Fuller, more comprehensive training. Don’t assume anything, go slowly and regularly ask if the trainee has a good grasp of a topic before moving on.
  • Stupid question hour. Set up a periodic “ask me anything”-style time. Normalize the question-asking process, making it as simple and judgment free as possible. Often, people won’t ask a question until the opportunity to ask has come up two, three or four times. Making questions a regular part of doing business lowers the stakes for the introverts among us.
  • Write up an FAQ. Spend a little time thinking about what basic questions a new hire or a trainee for a new position might have. Write out those questions, along with solid answers. Post the document publicly or pass it out to those starting a new role.

Drilling, like journalism, is a niche. It can take years to internalize all the bits of knowledge that make up a niche field. But new members of the niche benefit if old-timers like us take a minute to share what we know, if only to make sure the new recruits can keep up. These tactics can help.

What do you think? Do you have an embarrassing story about some aspect of the job you were afraid to ask about? How did you handle it? How do you shape your company’s training to head off stupid questions? Tell us about it. Send an email to verduscoj@bnpmedia.com.

Stay safe out there, drillers.

KEYWORDS: training and education well drilling

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Jeremy verdusco 200px

Jeremy Verdusco worked as Editorial Director for The Driller from late 2012 through early 2024. He’s worked in publishing since 1997, including stints as a reporter, copy editor, page designer and technical writer.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • geotechnical drilling rig

    6 Onsite Phrases Environmental Drillers Hate

    Here are six phrases that highlight common frustrations...
    Opinions
    By: Jeff Garby
  • Wayne Nash

    Pipe Stuck? Common Causes and Solutions for Drillers

    If you have drilled for any length of time, sooner or...
    World According to Wayne
    By: Wayne Nash
  • submersible pumps, water well pumps

    Selecting and Sizing Submersible Pump Cable

    This article helps pump installers and servicers decide...
    Markets
    By: Bob Pelikan
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Subscribe For Free!
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • Manage My Preferences

The Driller Newscast: New York Geo Talks 2025 Conference with Hands-on Driller Education

The Driller Newscast: New York Geo Talks 2025 Conference with Hands-on Driller Education

The Driller Newscast, Episode 147: Global Geothermal Collaboration at NY-GEO 2025

The Driller Newscast, Episode 147: Global Geothermal Collaboration at NY-GEO 2025

The Driller Newscast: Coiled Tubing Drilling and the Future of Geothermal

The Driller Newscast: Coiled Tubing Drilling and the Future of Geothermal

The Driller Newscast: 21st Century Drillers | Part 1 DEMAND

The Driller Newscast: 21st Century Drillers | Part 1 DEMAND

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the The Driller audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of The Driller or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • demo of a DM450 drilling rig during a customer factory visit
    Sponsored byGeoprobe

    Built for You: Smarter Drill Rigs, Stronger Support, Bigger Opportunities

Popular Stories

MainPhotoTwoBrothers.jpg

Two Brothers' Journey Through the Drilling Industry

Tariffs

Tariffs Shake Up the Drilling Industry

AI and Drought Concerns

AI’s Growing Thirst for Water and Power

The Driller Classifieds

COMPRESSORS

EAST WEST MACHINERY & DRILLING IS BUYING AND SELLING AIR COMPRESSORS, AIR BOOSTERS, AIR ENDS & PARTS
Company: East West Machinery

DRILL RIGS

LOOKING FOR LATE MODEL TOPHEADS & DRILLTECH D25'S
Company: Spikes’s Rig Sales

DRILL RIG PARTS

MEETING DRILLERS NEEDS AROUND THE WORLD
Company: East West Machinery

ELEVATORS

SEMCO INC. PIPE ELEVATORS
Company: Semco Inc.

GROUTERS

GROUTING EQUIPMENT - GROUT PUMPS & GROUT HOSE REELS
Company: Geo-Loop Inc.

PUMP HOISTS

SEMCO INC. - BASIC PUMP HOISTS
Company: Semco Inc.

WELL PACKERS

LANSAS PRODUCTS - INFLATABLE WELL PACKERS
Company: Vanderlans Lansas Products

WELL SCREENS

WELL SCREENS & SLOTTED PIPE
Company: Alloy Screen Works

Products

Water Quality Engineering: Physical / Chemical Treatment Processes

Water Quality Engineering: Physical / Chemical Treatment Processes

By carefully explaining both the underlying theory and the underlying mathematics, this text enables readers to fully grasp the fundamentals of physical and chemical treatment processes for water and wastewater.

See More Products

Subscribe to The Driller Newscast

Related Articles

  • Bob Oliver

    Solid Answers to Questions About Drilling Fluids Disposal

    See More
  • Jeremy Verdusco

    Ask Brock Answers Your Drilling Job Questions

    See More
  • Michael Kleespies

    Questions, Answers About Grouting and Sealing on Drilling Jobs

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • M:\General Shared\__AEC Store Katie Z\AEC Store\Images\ND\new site\water-and-wastewater-treatm.gif

    Water and Wastewater Treatment: A Guide for the Nonengineering Professional, Second Edition

  • M:\General Shared\__AEC Store Katie Z\AEC Store\Images\ND\new site\water-well-pumps.gif

    Audel Water Well Pumps and Systems Mini-Ref

  • M:\General Shared\__AEC Store Katie Z\AEC Store\Images\ND\new site\water-quality-eng.gif

    Water Quality Engineering: Physical / Chemical Treatment Processes

See More Products
×

Dig deeper into the drilling and water supply industry!

Build your knowledge with The Driller, covering the people, equipment and technologies across drilling markets.

SIGN UP NOW
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
    • Classifieds
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eNewsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

The Driller
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
The Driller
  • NEWS
    • Water
    • Geothermal
    • Construction
    • Environmental
    • Mining
    • All Industry News
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
    • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
    • Consumables
    • Pumps
    • Featured Products
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
    • Newscast
    • Drill Talks
    • Ask Brock
    • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
    • Drilling Business Insights
    • Reference Desk
    • Sponsored Insights
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
    • Conferences & Demo Days
    • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
    • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP