 Respect and gratitude
In this issue we continue
MRO Today’s
tradition of honoring the shop floor heroes who make the difference in
the plants where they work and for the employers who are lucky enough
to have them on the payroll. As the still-new editor of MRO Today,
this was my introduction to the process of sifting through stacks of
entries to select the cream of a highly impressive crop. It wasn’t
easy, even with help, but it was worth it. The stories that
accompanied our entries, most of whom were nominated by others in
their companies (modesty apparently being a shared trait), were as
inspiring as they were varied. But they also have some strong common
threads, enough that a profile begins to emerge.
All-Pros share a sense of pride in their work
that goes well beyond workaday satisfaction; they don’t just do
their jobs — they own them. For them, PRIDE is spelled in all caps,
always.
An All-Pro sees flaws in the plan and tries
to fix them. How successful he or she is in making a lasting
improvement often depends on how much support comes from above, but
success breeds success, and one good idea very often leads to another.
All-Pros are on a first-name basis not just
with their immediate associates on the floor, but with management,
often across the enterprise. They are visible not because they are
squeaky wheels, but because of their superbly smooth reliability. They
can be counted on, every time, no matter what. A comment we heard
about all of our winning entries was, “When we give him (or her) a
job, we don’t have to go back and check up because we know it will
be done right.”
They are also mentors, often without being
asked. An All-Pro not just in possessing knowledge of the job but in
sharing it unselfishly. There is no such thing as an All-Pro
gatekeeper.
These outstanding workers share other
traits as well, but these are among the most easily recognized. The
question for you plant, operations and maintenance manager readers is
this: How many of your employees fit this profile and what are you
doing about it? A great
work of art is wasted if it’s stuffed in a corner. So too, a great
worker’s potential is wasted if he or she is stuck in a tool crib or
on a lube detail with no challenge or clear incentive to seek ways to
eliminate waste and improve processes that he, by definition, knows
better than anyone else. ’Tis the season for respect and gratitude.
We hope you will join us in recognizing our MRO All-Pros, and we hope
you will take some time and acknowledge yours as well.
This article appeared in the
December 2005/January 2006 issue of
MRO Today magazine. Copyright 2006.
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