Managing Maintenance Staff 3

[Mechwood]

I just was awarded a promotion to a new role at my company. I am in charge of all mechanical engineering activities for our manufacturing facility. This includes managing all capital projects, any plant upgrades/modifications, and supervising the mechanical maintenance staff.

I've been working at this facility for 5 years now. I have a great relationship with the maintenance staff from my previous role as a process engineer. Although they did not report to me when I served in that capacity, I did issue some work orders directly to the maintenance team.

Does anyone have advice on this situation? How should I approach this transition into a role where these individuals report directly to me? How can I get the most out of my team? Has anyone else been through a similar transition in the past?

I should also mention that our company is non-union, so I do not have any reservations about attitudes. All of the maintenance employees have good work ethic and are very talented.

 

[berkshire]

Do you have foremen, Group leaders, or charge hands, within this group, if so your best bet is to work most closely with these people, these men/women already know the group and the skills they contain. This is a two way street they will be watching you to see how you react and how you handle yourself.
So if you have not already done so, an all hands meeting with coffee and donuts or other refreshments and beverages for non coffee drinkers and non donut eaters is in order.
Introduce yourself, let them know that you are there to run interference for them, so they succeed in their tasks, ( If they do not succeed , neither do you.) and let them know you are there for them. Then let the chips fall where they may. One thing , if you have had a casual relationship with some coworkers, there may be some pushback, when it dawns on them, that you are now their boss.
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

[zeusfaber]

"Run interference for them"? Must be a language thing. I guess it means "Protect them from the rubbish, so they can get on with their jobs" (though it sounds to me like it ought to mean the exact opposite". Good idea - but the thing that really matters is less what you promise; more making sure that you deliver reliably on that promise. Say the right thing, and you will earn a few few weeks to prove yourself. Do the right thing in those first few weeks, and you will earn enduring respect and loyalty.

A.

 

[EmmanuelTop]

Good things never come fast. Play straight and give respect, and the results will always come at the end.

Always give credits to the people, and always take the blame if your team hasn't done it right. Be a leader, don't be a boss - there are too many of those around.

Dejan IVANOVIC
Process Engineer, MSChE

 

[SlideRuleEra]

The day will come when you have to make an important decision that directly affects your staff. Before making the decision, discuss the options / consequences with the leaders of your staff, get their input, and consider it seriously when making your decision. Even if the final decision is unpopular, you will continue to hold the subordinate's respect.

http://www.SlideRuleEra.net

http://www.VacuumTubeEra.net

 

[berkshire]

Zeusfaber,
Run interference Means exactly what you said "Protect them from the rubbish, so they can get on with their jobs" It is a slang term, I guess I have been in the states too long. Yes don't promise too much and absolutely keep the promises you make. but above all protect them from the rubbish, and remove the excuses, ( Find out what has to be done to remove the problem so the job can be done).
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

[MikeHalloran]

I once made an offhand remark about how crappy a copper tubing installation looked, and it was overheard by the people who had done the work. That was the day I lost their respect, and not long after, the job.

What I didn't know at the time was that the Plant Manager wouldn't allow them to buy new tubing; they had to remove it from junked equipment, clean it up, straighten out the old bends, put new bends in, and get it working, in a very unreasonable time frame, without any fancy tools or equipment. Viewed from the workmen's perspective, they had performed a miracle, and I was wholly unappreciative of their accomplishment.





Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[berkshire]

Mike,
That is a classic example of " What you don't know, you don't know . " , coming back around to bite you.
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

[berkshire]

Mechwood,
Mike Halloran's post is also a ,good reason, for a manager not, to comment to others under him, about things on a job, until he can find out the whole story.

There was a story many years back of a facilities manager touring a building , making an offhanded remark about a suspended ceiling looking a bit dinghy, coming back to that same office the next day, to find his minions stripping out the ceiling tiles, and getting ready to put in new ones.
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

[Mechwood]

Thank you everyone for the great advice and helpful anecdotal stories!

EmmanuelTop, I really like your advice of being a leader, not a boss. That is something that will most definitely stick with me.

To update: I've started by having a 1-on-1 meeting with each member of our maintenance team. In these meetings, I've been asking open questions to get a good feel for the general thoughts of each employee. I've gotten many great suggestions, many of which I will soon be implementing.

Overall, morale of the team is high because the guys are excited to have a new leader, so I'm trying to keep up that momentum!

Thanks again, everyone!