Things to Think About and Do in 2011: People

Here is this week's installment of ReliabilityWeb.com's e-book, Things to Think About and Do in 2011. Can't wait for next week's topic? Thumb through the entire e-book for free at ReliabilityWeb.com, Happy Reading!

People

People, people who need people…are likely to call on maintenance! In the year ahead, I think we all need to take a step back and realize that behind those pesky work orders, complaints and all the other demands on out time, there are people. Just like you and I, they walk, they talk, they breathe, they think and, as we often find out, they have needs. I think if we resolve to try and understand what they mean, which is not necessarily the same as what they day, we can help them better. The desire to help them better doesn’t come from some altruistic motivation— it’s simply self-preservation! When I’m asked by tradespeople what exactly my job is, I quickly answer, “to make your life easier.” My reasoning is that if I can make their lives easier, then they’ll be more successful. If they’re more successful, then I'm less troubled. 

One of the things that I’ve noticed about maintenance people is that they don’t always say what’s really troubling them. They may complain about a dirty job site, for example, when what they’re really ticked off about is a change in the work schedule. The only way to find out what is actually bothering them is to listen, then ask questions, the listen to the answers and ask more questions.

The other thing to remember is that we’re all different. What works as motivation for one may be a complete turn-off for another. Get to know the people you work with. Find out what they are interested in and what makes them tick, then let them know that you know with an appropriate question of comment.

Until they invent machines that PM and repair themselves, the most important part of maintenance will be people. In the words of Stephen Stills, “love the one you’re with”.

—Cliff Williams