Step 6: Encourage Initiative, Collaboration, and True Craftsmanship

The trade designation of machinist, millwright, industrial mechanic, heavy equipment technician, industrial electrician, instrument technician, and so on bring a focus and specialty to those titles. In some industrial environments, though, these designations have lost their luster. Instead, they may refer merely to compartmentalized thinking, where one group is segregated from another.

In some cases, the segregation is so extreme that there are separate lunch rooms for the different trades. A sense of responsibility and ownership is often set adrift among these groups. In fact, blame and disdain for trade groups other than your own is not discouraged in some of these industrial cultures.

Whatever the title, the ideal is for all who work in the field of industrial maintenance to feel and fuel a sense of pride and craftsmanship within themselves. Pride comes from stretching to learn your chosen craft to its very highest level.

The general occupation title “tradesperson”, as applied to those who maintain industrial systems and machines, is a bit weak in its capability to communicate the complexity and importance of the work. Indeed, there is a science involved in industrial maintenance work and so, perhaps the title “para-engineer” or “machine medic” reflects more of the reality of the job today.

There is a science to understanding the sounds that machines make and the noises that indicate that a problem is developing. Vibrations, odours, and heat levels all come into play for an observant machinery doctor. Diagnosis of systems problems involves a sound scientific approach and often utilizes sophisticated tools and data analyzers.

On the other hand, machinery maintenance is also an art. Without question there is art in great installation and parts replacement work, and the use of components, materials, and tools requires this artful approach. Perhaps the title of “artisan” or “craftsperson” captures these finer points.

I have always admired neat wiring and layout work in a cabinet where a contactor or variable frequency drive was just replaced. It means the electrician cared enough to do her best work. When I observe a millwright polish the end of a machine shaft by hand before installing a new bearing, I know that this person wants this service job to last.

Doing the job right, even re-doing it if need be, and accepting responsibility for the learning that was needed between the first and second attempt, is the sign of someone who is soon going to master the trade.

I believe that this level of pride is the right of anyone who accepts that there is more to learn and has some ongoing training plans in place. This person also respects the knowledge and skills acquired not only by others with senior experience in their chosen trade, but also in the other trades within the plant or shops.

I meet many such individuals: tradespersons who have been quietly monitoring some aspect of the machinery they look after. Often they have valid ideas for improvement that no-one else has heard. Initiatives and reporting can and should start at the tradesperson level.

If you are a tradesperson, and you’ve got a sense of initiative and some great ideas and you work hard, then start blowing your own horn. This is your company, with its expensive assets that you are helping to manage. Don’t worry if others in the lunchroom are giving you strange looks as you compile your data and write your reports.

Maybe you are thinking “But what should I report?” Many people involved with maintenance, whether they are a tradesperson on the floor or a shop supervisor, have at least one pet project that they are interested in exploring deeper. Your commitment to report about it monthly or quarterly will help you keep the project on track. If you are convinced that you can coax better overall performance from your machinery and your department by starting with a particular initiative, then go for it!

There isn’t a plant or fleet manager out there that won’t be interested in hearing about what you are doing to be more resourceful, or to work more efficiently and collaboratively as a department. The manager will also welcome your initiatives to extend the life of the machinery, make it more energy efficient, more productive, or more reliable. You will also earn some positive attention for your communication and leadership if you can keep it going.

If you have made some notable progress by the time the corporate annual report is being compiled, then submit your work and ask to be included. Be as assertive on this as you can get away with. If it doesn’t make it into the report this year, ask why and perhaps ask for some guidelines on how to prepare your materials and then try again next year. If you are serious about your work, as most maintenance departments are, you’ll get into that annual report eventually.

Working on a personal project is a great way to learn. Anyone who has ever built a deck or renovated a room in the house knows this well. Your company may not think of itself as being in a “creative” industry. It may not embrace the practice used by some of the best design firms and some web technology firms where employees are encouraged to use some of their work time each week to pursue personal creative interests. Most often in the industrial world is all about keeping your nose to the grindstone.

But without some “play” time at work, industries short change themselves on the development of a critical skill set. A lot of people get pretty good at deck and garage building because of all the time spent on Lego and Lincoln Logs as a child.

The bottom line is the reality that if team players from all levels in a maintenance team don’t find a way to improve their own effectiveness, efficiency, or the quality and quantity of the company’s production, then ultimately how will that company justify and grant the increase in wages that everybody wants?

Sometimes maintenance supervisors and managers feel overworked and discouraged. I’d say look for any spark of passion or initiative within the team you lead, and then fuel it. Offer some autonomy and responsibility, and of course let them know you’re going to hold them to account as well.

The investment will be worth it, if only for the potential to delegate or to expect that the highly trained front line trades and crafts will reduce your burden.