Without proper maintenance, your business wouldn’t function properly (at least, for long). Having a skilled and expert maintenance manager ensures that the appropriate duties are handled promptly and that the workers within the department receive the guidance and direction they need to perform to the best of their ability. But what separates a good maintenance manager from a great one?
What Does the Maintenance Manager Do?
A Maintenance Manager is accountable for the upkeep, repair, and maintenance of company facilities, mechanical equipment, and other assets. Their main maintenance job description is to ensure all installations required maintenance schedules, maintenance schedules, and maintenance schedules are in place.
Maintenance managers must make every effort to ensure their operational effectiveness and efficiency. Based on the scale and nature of the company, the maintenance manager may have various roles.
There are specific features that define outstanding leadership. To assist you in finding an expert maintenance manager, be sure to look for these top character traits.
Creativity
In today’s competitive environment, it is essential that we all stay up-to-date with innovations in our field: new technologies, processes, products, etc. No matter how much experience or training you may possess, there will always be something new that requires your attention. For an employee to stay relevant, he must know what is going on, where trends are heading, and what companies are doing better than others.
This responsibility falls squarely on a leader’s shoulders, as it is his job to ensure that his team understands the company vision and culture while keeping them well informed about their field. The maintenance manager should not only be able to answer questions but also seek the answers out for you – he should act as a catalyst for change and inspire innovation.
Organization and Planning
The job of a maintenance team is both reactive and proactive. While equipment and system malfunctions should be dealt with promptly, preventative maintenance tasks must be planned. An efficient maintenance manager can find a way to balance maintaining the schedule and responding to the moment’s needs without falling behind or slipping behind on. This requires a lot of knowledge of maintenance management process, along with expertise in assigning tasks and responding to changes in priorities.
Selflessness
A critical characteristic of a great maintenance manager is the ability to put the needs of his people ahead of his own. While this might seem contradictory, it is an essential skill. If your staff members feel comfortable and valued, they will work hard for you. Furthermore, suppose your employees trust that their safety and well-being are prioritized and taken care of.
In that case, they will be more likely to communicate any issues directly with you rather than take time away from their jobs to speak with you. Your maintenance manager should never let his priorities interfere with his responsibilities to his department. He should strive to maintain the highest level of service regardless of any personal goals he has set for himself. After all, without selfless, dedicated individuals, no organization would ever succeed.
Teamwork
Teamwork is another trait that defines greatness in any industry. Your maintenance manager should effectively interact with multiple departments and employees simultaneously while ensuring that everyone receives the information necessary and that every task gets its fair share of attention.
Things can quickly go awry without the communication skills needed to build relationships and maintain trust between colleagues. An effective leader creates opportunities for every team member to contribute ideas and voice concerns while ensuring that all voices are heard. His success relies heavily on establishing productive working relationships with other departments and supervisors.
Prioritization and Organizational Skills
In the maintenance context and setting priorities for work provides energy and determination for the entire team. There is a clear goal that ensures that all efforts are efficiently focused. With no priorities, everyone operates in their way, which often is not in alignment with the company’s objectives.
Furthermore, the organization process isn’t restricted to your staff. It also includes multiple departments and third-party contractors. The ability to communicate promptly and ensure that everyone is satisfied takes concentration and excellent time management skills.
Utilizing preventative maintenance programs can benefit both the manager and workers’ money and time. The majority of building systems need an individual to oversee them and maintenance logs to record the changes and inspections. A competent maintenance supervisor can prioritize the most critical tasks to prevent potential problems from being current.
Being familiar with more significant implementation projects can benefit a maintenance supervisor. It could mean that they’ll have previous experience with larger changes, such as transitioning from proactive maintenance into preventive maintenance.
Communication
Another fundamental tenet of excellent management is communication. A good maintenance manager should provide clear, consistent signals regarding the expectations of his team while remaining accessible to their needs. It is imperative that he keeps track of progress and communicates regularly with his staff to ensure they meet goals and stay motivated.
Being accessible and communicative allows him to develop strong bonds with those around him; however, overworking yourself won’t accomplish anything either. Your maintenance manager should also ensure that his team knows they can turn to him with their problems. He shouldn’t hesitate to ask for advice or delegate assignments to free up time for other projects.
Accountability
The final quality of a great maintenance manager worth mentioning is accountability. This person should hold themselves fully responsible for the performance and productivity of not only their teams but of the company as a whole. He will take responsibility for mistakes made both within and outside of his role.
In addition, he will measure results in terms of how well his department is doing compared to the rest of the business, not just his team. Ultimately, a great maintenance manager is willing to accept full accountability and isn’t afraid to admit errors to prevent them in the future. He will avoid blaming others when something goes wrong instead of taking responsibility for his actions, even if that means accepting the consequences.
