Good day, all. First post here. Thought I'd share a thought with all and gain perspective.
A recent discussion with several maintenance and operations leaders got me thinking.
Over the years, many of us have become consumed by execution demands:
- Reporting and KPI preparation
- Budget management
- Minor capital projects
- Maintenance strategy reviews
- Meetings and administration
- Continuous firefighting
While all of these activities are important, I often wonder whether they are pulling leaders away from where they create the most value – with their people and in the field.
Some of the best reliability improvements I have been involved in did not come from a new system or technology. They came from leaders being present, coaching teams, observing work, challenging standards, and building capability.
One comment that resonated with me was the concept of the Three Pillars of Strength:
Reliability + Planning + Execution
When one of these pillars is weak, the organisation inevitably feels it through increased firefighting, poor work quality, low schedule compliance, and declining equipment performance.
Another key theme was that no leader can be a "superman." Sustainable performance comes from building a super team through:
✔ Developing competence and skills
✔ Delegating responsibility to trusted people
✔ Creating respect and teamwork
✔ Establishing clear roles and KPIs
✔ Having leadership support from the top
Reflecting on my own experience, some of the biggest step changes in reliability occurred when we deliberately created more time in the field. Being present with operators and maintainers allowed us to identify defects earlier, coach behaviours, improve ownership, and ultimately improve plant performance.
It raises an interesting question:
Are maintenance leaders spending too much time managing work and not enough time leading people?
And if so, is there an opportunity for organisations to better support the execution of strategies, projects, and administrative burdens so leaders can return to where they have the greatest impact?
I would be interested to hear others' experiences.
Where do you believe maintenance leadership creates the most value – in the office or in the field?
Cheers
Shaun
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Shaun Burrell
Execution Manager
Mt Juliet TN
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