Man, I feel that. A good foreman sharing a trick like that is worth his weight in gold. Tbh, I've been there with a messed up line and it's the worst feeling, just knowing you gotta tear it out. That story pole idea is so simple but it's a total game changer. Happy you got shown a better way instead of just getting chewed out.
Absolutely, a story pole is one of those old-school tricks that just works. I learned it the hard way too, after a bad pour that cost us a whole day. @the_sam is right about a good foreman, mine showed me how to mark everything on a straight board for the whole crew to see. It cuts out the guesswork and stops those little mistakes from adding up. Now I won't start a foundation layout without one.