Why Your Best Technician Should Never Train the New Hire Alone
The Default Approach to Maintenance Training
A new technician starts on Monday. The supervisor is busy. The training program is either outdated or doesn't exist... Read more.
Plant Managers Who Skip the Floor Are Managing With Their Eyes Closed
The Conference Room Trap
Plant managers are busy. Budget reviews, safety committee meetings, production planning sessions, corporate calls, customer visits, and... Read more.
Leaders Who Use Lists Outperform Those Who Wing It Every Time
Nobody Actually Makes a Laundry List
Have you heard the old saying, “I have a laundry list of things I need to do!” Has anyone actually sat down and listed ... Read more.
How PM Optimization Transforms Reliability, Labor Use, and Downtime
Have you ever had a discussion with your significant other about non-value-added activities? For instance, why rake leaves when the wind eventually will blow th... Read more.
How to Build Work Plans That Improve Facility and Organizational Performance
A Hard Lesson in Poor Planning
The best laid plans often turn out to be recipes for disaster. I should know.
I wanted to build a blueberry garden for my wife. I... Read more.
Why Preventive Maintenance Programs Don’t Work Until Leaders Actually Commit
Too many managers believe money motivates employees. It doesn’t. Money is a short-term stimulator.
I live in the South, and summers get hot and humid. But a f... Read more.
How to Justify New Hires or Equipment With Cold, Hard Numbers
When I was a plant manager years ago, my operations manager asked me for permission to hire four new workers to help keep up with demand. He said he could not k... Read more.
Want Better Reliability? Start by Measuring These KPIs
Is anyone else like me? There's not a day that I don't measure something. I'm a triathlete, so I measure an unusual amount of stuff. How many miles do I run, bi... Read more.
Justify Every Hire: How to Sell Leadership on Your Resource Needs
Guidance for managers seeking efficiency, productivity, and cost-effectiveness.
When I worked as a plant manager, my operations manager asked me for permission ... Read more.
How to Use ROI to Win Approval for Maintenance Initiatives
Today, maintenance and engineering managers try to do more with less but are still expected to meet their organizations' goals, objectives, and expectations. Ho... Read more.
How a Strong Maintenance Plan Saves You from Emergencies
It never fails and is always inconvenient! Why is it that the smoke detectors' low battery beeping ALWAYS goes off between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. on a weekend ... Read more.
How Great Manufacturing Leaders Fix Problems: Stop Doing Dumb Stuff First
Over the years, I've worked for and with organizations that continue to do dumb stuff. They make decisions based on assumptions rather than valid data. They imp... Read more.
How Deferred Maintenance Becomes a Costly and Risky Burden
Maintenance and engineering managers know that deferred maintenance never goes anywhere. In the last five years, many people inside and outside institutional an... Read more.
How to Maximize Technician Wrench Time with Better Planning Strategies
Have you ever woken up and not wanted to go to work? Some days, you just don’t feel like working.
Busy work is not the same as productive work.
I have. Thos... Read more.
Why Your Best Employee Might Be Your Worst Management Choice
Years ago, I worked with a newly appointed supervisor who was a good employee. Once promoted, they micromanaged the team by overseeing all the work the group wa... Read more.
Raising the Standard for Maintenance Technicians with Simple Leadership Steps
There's a difference between doing a job and doing a job with pride. Supervisors should occasionally audit the work that technicians complete.
There were no Sat... Read more.
Maintenance as a Badge of Honor: Cultivating a Culture of Craftsmanship
What is the difference between doing the right job and doing the job right? There is a big difference. I recently posted a picture on LinkedIn of a job complete... Read more.
Outsourcing Maintenance for Long-Term Success: What You Need to Know
If planning to outsource maintenance, consider very specific goals and outcomes. Here's how to get it right.
When I speak at conferences about maintenance and r... Read more.
