by Cliff Williams
When asked at school "What would you like to be when you grow up?", how many 10 year olds do you think would reply enthusiastically, "A Maintenance Manager". The safe bet is that the answer would be none.
How many 10 year olds would have any idea what a maintenance manager is or, for that matter, how many 20 year olds or 30 year olds....you get the picture? When you think about it, there is no real reason that those not directly involved in maintenance management could understand what it is.
When was the last time you saw a movie where the super hero's alter-ego was a Maintenance Manager? Or the last time a romantic movie you watched with your significant had the romantic white knight come in the guise of an Asset Reliability Professional? I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to the new television series entitled "Miami RCM", where teams of investigators will rush out to perform vibration analysis. The best part will be when the team gets together to examine infrared footage, and I just can't wait for the close-up of the oil analysis slide under the microscope.
Am I dreaming? - I think so. So the real questions become:
1. Who are the people that become Maintenance Managers?
2. How does it happen?
3. What, exactly, is it that
they do?
In this article, we will look
at typical answers to these questions and then take an alternative view to
answering question 3 to see how it impacts the other questions.
Question 1: Who are the people that become
Maintenance Managers?
The people who become
Maintenance Managers tend to have a background in 1 of 3 scenarios.
A. The largest group already work in the maintenance
environment as tradespeople, planners etc.
B. They are Engineers who decide that they wish to take their
expertise into the maintenance field
C. They are Project Managers/ Engineers who stay behind after
installations
Question 2: How does it happen?
For each answer to question
1 there is a different route:
A. They were good at what they did. They were the 'go-to' guys when you needed something fixed.
They knew more about the equipment than anyone else. They, and management, believed that these attributes meant
they deserved to be Maintenance Managers.
B. They found that there were limited opportunities for true
engineering and figured their design and theoretical knowledge of equipment and
systems would hold them in good stead in maintenance. Management really liked the idea of having an engineer in
maintenance because of that knowledge.
C. Having spent incredible energy and time on the project they
decide to stick
Question 3 What is it exactly
that they do?
This is the big money question
and the answer really depends on who you ask but typical responses are:
A. They keep the plant running.
B. They fix machines.
C. They provide a service to production.
D. They look after the tradespeople.
E. They ensure reliability.
You may have more or different
answers but the list above is typical.
Now, I'd like to suggest an alternative answer to Question 3
The end results of this may
well be the answers given for Question 3, but I suggest that what they actually
do is manage people and systems. I
would also suggest that the skills and attributes required to be successful are
not the ones usually asked for in job postings for maintenance managers. If a job posting were to really reflect
the requirements for a maintenance manager maybe it would look something like
this.
Must Have Skills
- Amateur Psychology
- Conflict Resolution
- Mind Reader
- Prioritization
- Motivation and Inspiration
- Communications Specialist
- Prima Donna Management
- Interpreter
- Bi-lingual
- Philosopher
- Visionary
So let's take a look at why
these skills are important to a Maintenance Manager
Amateur Psychology
'There is not enough time in
the day to get done everything I need to.' So many times I've heard that comment from maintenance
managers and it's true - if they try to do it themselves. Successful managers only do those
things that they, alone, can do.
Everything else, they manage through other people, and that's where
psychology comes in. Let's look at
two definitions of psychology:
1. The emotional and behavioral
characteristics of an individual or group
2. Subtle tactical action or
argument used to manipulate or influence another
Understanding the first definition,
and understanding that it changes from day to day will allow you to modify your
response. Late nights, domestic
upsets etc. result in different attitudes and require different approaches to
get the same outcomes. Knowing
this will, in turn, allow you to exert definition number 2, and that enables
you to complete the tasks what you need to. You cannot do it alone, you need your people on board and
you need to know what makes them tick.
Situational Management courses can help as you use psychology to move
your under-achievers to self-regulating performers.
Conflict Resolution
'Night shift didn't do
anything.' 'That's not my job -
it's electrical.' And 'If they
knew how to operate - this wouldn't have happened'. Who hasn't heard comments like that - the conflict between
groups that ends up taking too much time out of your day and prevents you from
getting what you want completed.
Most of us are so busy that we just deal with the surface issue, the sticking
point, the symptom. We never take
(or think we have) the time to look at the underlying causes, and, as such,
we'll be facing a similar problem next week.
There are usually a number of
root causes, but there is one that occurs in every mix - and that's
communication. So if we take the
time to resolve the communication problem then we will help resolve the issue
before it becomes a conflict.
Communication, initially the biggest part of that is listening, will not
only allow you to get to the actual cause, but it will also show those involved
that you care about their problems - good old psychology again. If there seems to be systemic conflict
then approaches like multi-discipline teams or holding combined meetings,
Mechanical and E&I, Maintenance and Operations will bring the groups closer
together. Once people are aware of
each other's challenges, then there is room for compromise and that, in itself,
will reduce conflict.
Mind Reader
If only we could read minds
then, we wouldn't bring in an army of contractors to be told, 'Sorry but we're
running that equipment today.' We
wouldn't need call-ins to deal with, 'I know it's not working properly - it's
been like it for months'. People tend to be concerned with what is important to
them, and generally don't consider the impact on others. A way to reduce the need for this skill
is to show them the impact of their actions on you, them and the company and
remind them every time they forget.
Having people understand that it's not what you know about that causes
you problems, it's what you don't know - will help them communicate better.
Prioritization
'I need it done now!' 'I want
that report tomorrow!' 'Daddy, when will you be home?' Being a maintenance manager means that
your personal priorities are only a part of the process.
You have to take into account
the demands of the tradespeople, production, and your boss when you develop
your priorities. These are
sometimes unreasonable and can be great stress inducers and so staying calm
becomes a necessary asset. For
those people who always have a million priorities just a calm reminder that
yesterday they gave you another 10 'top priorities' and that you really do want
to satisfy them but you need them to tell you which is their top 'top priority'
may diffuse the situation. Even
your boss will have to accept this approach as long as you remain calm. While you're having the discussion why
not prioritize the next five 'top priorities' and then send them a copy of the
list they agreed to. Invite them
to prioritization meetings and if they're 'too busy' to show up, then document
that they're 'too busy.'
Prioritization is far more difficult if you haven't
Motivation and Inspiration
'But we've always done it that
way' 'I don't understand this new
fangled technology' 'Boring!' People become complacent or at least
comfortable in their work life.
There's nothing more challenging to the comfort than change. Change happens, change is constant,
it's how we transition after change that makes it good or bad. YOU need to be the champion of change
for the maintenance group. Whether
it's different equipment, different strategy, a new CMMS or just a change in a
procedure or policy, you need to demonstrate how you will embrace it. Only then will you be able to motivate
others to accept change. On a
day-to-day basis you need to show that you are prepared to go the extra mile,
and that you are right there with them in their efforts. There's no better motivator than
recognition, so make an effort to recognize every day. A simple thank you, tickets to a ball
game, whatever is proportional to the effort, but also make sure that it is
appropriate for the person being recognized. Not everyone likes public recognition so maybe a quite word
will do, but for those who do like the publicity, the middle of a full lunch
room is the place. Giving Mets tickets
to a Yankees fan will defeat the objective. Amateur Psychology again!
Being enthusiastic, energized,
always willing to help, will help you become an inspiration for those working
with you, if you're not enjoying what you're doing - stop doing it - life's too short and you certainly won't
inspire anyone else.
For those who would like to
understand true inspiration visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo
Communication Specialist
' What's the point- they never
listen' 'No-one told me about
that.' As mentioned in Conflict Resolution, poor or lack of
communication can cause a myriad of problems so this skill is essential to a
maintenance manager. Being a good
speaker certainly helps, but being a good listener is even better because it's
not all about you. This is still
only half the story, when you've listened- respond - do something, do nothing -
but respond. Always get back to
them even if you know they won't like what they hear. Set the ground rules for that by establishing that there
will be issues that the group controls, issues that they will influence and
issues that they will just be made aware of. Communicate reasons for decisions, business, department or
personal. Attempt to meet with the
group every week, together or in smaller groups where you need to present the
three I's of communication:
Involve them - ask opinions,
discuss any options
Interest them - make it
interesting, give them background, reasons, constraints
In it for them - tell them how
they will benefit if possible, affect them if not.
Try to start your meetings with
some high notes - get into the meaty part and then leave on a light note -
sending them out in good humor will increase productivity.
Prima Donna Management
'Go get Joe, he's the
expert.' Every plant has at least
one Jo - the guy who fixes certain problems and often little else. He can put out fires quicker than
anyone else, but ask him to do a mundane PM and you get nowhere. He enjoys the glory and keeps the
knowledge to himself. The secret
is to use Amateur Psychology to get him to be recognized for doing the things
you want him to do - if someone else gives some training - heap on the
glory. If you want him to move to
being proactive - prevent fires - then make that the glamorous job.
There are also Prima Donna
departments who want to be considered different - break down the barriers,
locate the shops next to each other hold multi-discipline meetings. When people are forced to interact with
one another, the barriers come down by themselves.
Interpreter
"The ROI is dependent on your
OEE and will be influenced by your MTBF and MTTR, and, is a result of your PM,
PdM and RCM programs with any FMCEA carried out."
Say what? If they can't understand what you're
saying, how can they help you achieve your goals? Interpret what the maintenance gurus are saying into
practical everyday examples.
Interpret the consequences of what the tradespeople do or don't do into
something meaningful to them.
As with communication, the
listening side of interpretation is the more important side. Many times tradespeople throw up an
argument about something that is distant from what's bothering them. They'll complain about how the area is
dirty when what they are really mad about is the schedule changes. If you don't' push and try to interpret
what the real problem is, you'll never remove the root cause.
Bi-Lingual
Must be fluent in accounting
and one other language. Accounting
is the language that counts, it's the language that is understood from the shop
floor to the board room - it transcends departmental boundaries. If you want to change something in the
department, give it to your boss in dollars and cents, and then use the same
dollars and cents to explain why it's happening to the guys on the floor. Plant managers and accountants may not
understand the tools or tactics you use, but they will understand the financial
implications.
'If we increase our PdM and
decrease our PM, our MTBF will lengthen and with some training and early
intervention our MTTR will be reduced" means nothing to them. A better explanation would
be, "if we do what we want, we'll make more money." And the best translation that all will understand is, "If we
invest $5,000 on vibration analysis per year, we will increase uptime by 2% and
realize an increase in revenue of $25,000 based on today's production rate."
Discussing the total cost of a
work order, including labor, cost of lost production parts, etc. will be much
more meaningful to the tradespeople - I'll guarantee that after a few
discussions you will start to get really good cost reduction ideas.
Philosopher
Let's take a look at the
definition of Philosophy:
1. Love and pursuit of wisdom
by intellectual means and moral self-discipline
2. The critical study of the
basic principles and concepts of a particular branch of knowledge, esp. with a
view to improving or reconstituting them.
3. A system of values by which
one lives.
Let's expand on those:
Definition 1: This is about you - get out there and
learn what other people are doing in maintenance - attend conferences - develop
your own thoughts on how you can apply this wisdom.
Definition 2: The more you know and understand about
the basic principles of your chosen field, the more you will find ways to
improve it. Remember, if you're
not moving forward, you're moving backward because everyone else is moving
forward.
Definition 3: You spend more time at your place of
work than any other one place - so why would your values be different at
work. Trust, integrity,
appreciation are words that should form part of your maintenance dictionary. When you have finished gazing out
into space, you will need the last skill to turn your philosophies into
practices.
Visionary
None of these skills will mean
much unless you develop the last, but most important skill - being
visionary. You have to push the
envelop, think out of the box, reach for the stars or boldly go where no man
has gone before or whatever other cliché you like. You need to have a vision of where you want to take the
maintenance department. Through a
Vision or Mission Statement, you must paint the picture of the future of the
department - not just what it looks like, but also how you will get there,
incorporating all of the listed above.
If you want people to join you on the journey to excellence they need to
know the route and what they can expect to meet along the way.
You will also need to develop
norms and standards around the values you propose. It's no good if one of your values is 'We will trust our
people" and then institute a rigid time keeping system. It's no good if your value is "We will
value everyone's contribution" and then ignore them every time they suggest
something or not even give them a chance to express their opinion. If there is a doubt that you can
support a value with a norm or standard - don't put it in there.
You need to demonstrate the
values through your actions not through T-shirts or fancy wall posters. No amount of memos or discussions will
reverse any bad feelings your actions have caused. As the sign that hangs on my office wall wherever I go as a
reminder says, "You can't talk yourself out of a situation you behaved yourself
into."
So, the next time someone asks
you 'What exactly is it Maintenance Mangers do?' I hope you'll reply, " We manage people and systems. Let me
explain......"
Cliff Williams is a thirty year plus veteran of the maintenance
field who has worked in the Pulp and Paper and Steel industries as well as with
food giants Coca Cola, Kraft and Wrigley. His present position sees him help
drive the maintenance performance at ERCO's plants in North and South America. In an effort to give back to the field
that has supported him for so many years, Cliff teaches Maintenance Management
at local colleges and writes for trade magazines in Canada. Cliff believes that maintenance is about people first and foremost.
