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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 our 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 say, 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
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, then 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 or 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 has been using people
for over 25 years and is proud of it.
He believes that his success is just a
reflection of the success of those he’s
worked with. You can find his profile
on LinkedIn and the Association
for Maintenance Professionals
(www.maintenance.org)