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I believe that 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. There is indeed science involved in industrial maintenance work and so perhaps the title Para-engineer or Machine Medic carries 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, odors and heat levels all come in to play as well for an observant machinery doctor. Diagnosis of system problems involves a sound scientific approach and often utilizes sophisticated tools and data analyzers.
Art vs. Science
On the other hand, machinery maintenance is also an art. Working with components, materials and tools requires an artful approach. Without question there is art in great installation and parts replacement work. 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.
Lack Lustre?
The sub-titles of Machinist, Millwright, Industrial Mechanic, Heavy Duty Mechanic, Industrial Electrician, Instrument Technician and so on bring more focus and specialty to the title. Though in some industrial environments, these titles have lost their luster and may instead 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 trade titles. A sense of responsibility and ownership is often left adrift among such groups. Blame and disdain for trade groups other than your own is not discouraged in some of these industrial cultures.
Pride in Workmanship
Whatever the title is, let it inspire all who work in the field of industrial maintenance to feel and fuel a sense of pride within,...the pride that comes from stretching to learn your chosen craft to its very highest level. I believe that this level of pride is the right of someone 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 by others with senior experience in their chosen trade and in other trades within the plant.
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 desires to master the trade.
I once visited a client who had just hired a new millwright for his maintenance team. This new guy knew the importance of keeping contaminants from entering the pneumatic and hydraulic valves as he serviced them on his workbench. While observing that metal grinding and welding were happening in this same workshop area, he decided to move his work to a small adjoining room with a workbench where the parts washing tank was kept.
He proceeded to staple plastic vapor barrier to the outside wall of this small room to keep welding smoke and grinding grit at bay. He cleaned up the inside of the room and created a very clean workbench area. As he finished servicing a valve, he would place it in a large zip lock plastic bag, and then write the valve model and date of service with his initials using a black marker on the outside of the bag.
Before hiring this new millwright, the company had been experiencing a lot of problems with fluid power systems. Systems were very dirty and running with excessive heat, filter cart hoses were often found with their couplings lying in the dust on the floor, replacement parts were not installed correctly etc. Breakdowns were common.
It might (or might not) surprise you to find out that this new millwright was taking quite a bit of ribbing from his workmates for his thoughtful and precise work. His workmates would chide him about all of his attempts to keep valves and components clean both inside and out. They would tell him that his efforts to improve machine reliability were futile as the plant was a dusty place. They would taunt him so that he would surely soon give up trying so hard.
This brand new millwright was the guy that the maintenance supervisor assigned to show me around the plant before the maintenance training that we were to conduct during the following days with the whole millwright team.
Selecting this guy to show me around was a sound strategy on the part of the supervisor. In identifying a role model to the rest of his team, he was both modeling behavior that he wanted them to display, and rewarding the great work of the new millwright. Nothing was said, but the message was not lost on the rest of the team.
The maintenance manager could also have identified this role model, this unofficial leader, to the group in other ways. Perhaps he could have been given lead responsibility for maintenance improvements to a piece of equipment that had been unreliable, or provided this millwright with a new hydraulic fluid particle counter. The second idea is very powerful with its inclusion of a symbol (the particle counter) and its implied change to a maintenance emphasis. There are a number of ways to identify role models and unofficial leaders without singing their praises out loud in front of the team!
By the way, you're probably not surprised to know that I took a few photos of that new millwright's 'clean room' approach to work and put them in my presentation to the group. When I got to those slides, I would just say something like "...and I see you guys are following best practices here to keep valve internals clean after servicing them...."
What are your thoughts? Is this good leadership?
Re: Symbols, see Steven J. Thomas's book; Improving Maintenance and Reliability Through Cultural Change
