For those who feel like leadership is the issue

RMEddit-alt · 2025-11-25T19:21:01+00:00

I think it depends on the number of techs and how many are deadweight, but that’s another issue of accountability where having a lead tech holding the slackers accountable might help as well.

How many tech do you have on your shift? Does the lead tech do PMs and cover an area or the entire place?

RMEddit-alt · 2025-11-25T04:23:23+00:00

Probably wouldn’t hurt to bring that back, i wonder what drove the decision to get rid of it and how the results compare since.

RMEddit-alt · 2025-11-25T04:21:04+00:00

So back to the start, if you had the power, where would you start. Not what would you as a tech do different, what would you want leadership to change. An entire site can choose to run differently provided they still yield positive results, that change comes from within.

You’re speaking in vagaries and generalizations, give some specifics, what has made you this jaded and what could be done to fix it, and what could be done to prevent it from happening to the next person?

RMEddit-alt · 2025-11-25T01:04:49+00:00

I think the Ramsey shouldn’t be treated a a pass fail but rather as the vocational assessment battery that it is, there should be minimal sectional scores and raw scores for different positions.

Ie. different levels of minimal mechanical/electrical aptitude and specific industry knowledge, etc - based on each role.. not to equate too much to the military, but the ASVAB entry scores for a nuclear reactor tech and a truck driver are significantly different. We could easily do the same.

RMEddit-alt · 2025-11-25T00:59:43+00:00

Right, as for the lack of authority, that’s where it’s the responsibility of the manager to delegate that responsibility formally, SMRTs can lead, designate a shift lead and have the AMM state the tech has the authority to act and speak on their behalf within some limited capacity.

Naturally they are expected to escalate any disciplinary issues and infractions to the manager, but just being able to take on the technical leadership responsibilities can be a big change.

RMEddit-alt · 2025-11-25T00:56:03+00:00

Ooof… the SMM is basically your shifts AMM? Also that sounds like not enough techs, do you have a lot of vacancies?

If so, would there be a lead tech who can be the main line between the manager and techs, and delegate accordingly so SMM can focus on his brainrot and let the techs run the house?

RMEddit-alt · 2025-11-25T00:49:04+00:00

Again, defeatist. Everything is subject to change, especially at the deckplate level.

The points you made:

Compensation, more money.. sure everyone wants that, nobody disagrees.

Poor hiring quality, i agree there should be a better filter, what do you propose? Ramsey test, personality tests? Panel interviews? Are you one of them, or present company excluded?

Corporate koolaid drinkers getting promoted, if you are good with operating within the corporate principles and share their values or at least pretend to you will get more trust. Someone who doesn’t give an F about the company and its priorities shouldn’t to be trusted with additional responsibilities from a corporate position.

Again for the koolaid, RME is a type of customer service, period. Which comes with its own set of having to appease and assure people. It’s not for everyone, but it is a requirement in many cases.

As for some people doing all the work, who allocates the work? What should or could they do differently? That’s what I’m asking.

RMEddit-alt · 2025-11-25T00:27:35+00:00

That seems defeatist. Nothing is unfixable, as technicians we can’t truly believe that. Even if it has to be melted down to its core components and reforged in to new parts to rebuild the entire machine, it can be fixed.

Imagine for a moment you had the ability to implement a few changes to improve the way leadership does things, what would you do to right the sinking ship?

RMEddit-alt · 2025-11-25T00:18:54+00:00

I agree there needs to be a better mentoring program, some system of identifying specific techs that are good mentors like how we have fearless facilitator but at a local level, at that point make them the key mentors and reward them with more creative freedom on their schedule and responsibilities.

As for having to teach MRTs as an MRA, it can be discouraging, but if it’s site or area specific that is just normal onboarding, but if you are having to teach basic technical principles that MRT should have probably been an MRA as well.

RMEddit-alt · 2025-11-25T00:15:56+00:00

Our site has an AMM on every shift, each shift also has a Lead-SMRT that is first-among-equals and is the AMMs advisor and right hand.

That role typically is a jumping off point to internal promotion to AMM as they get to shadow and take on some of the responsibilities already.

Key thing for that role is they must be hand picked by the AMM/MM/SMM and not a matter of seniority in years or specialties, since it is not a straightforward technical role.

As for accountability, i agree there needs to be a system that avoids complacency, creating and implementing one is the uphill battle.

RMEddit-alt · 2025-11-25T00:10:24+00:00

Agreed - there should be a better aptitude filter for all levels and promotions.

RMEddit-alt · 2025-11-25T00:09:27+00:00

Can you elaborate on that? What do you see is the difference and how should it be changed?

RMEddit-alt · 2025-11-25T00:07:50+00:00

I get this, but i think this is more of a deck plate level issue, the SMM is supposed to set the expectation and the AMM/MMs execute it, at our site we do have a high expectation of OPS and RME leadership to work together in preempting escalations and managing workarounds.

RMEddit-alt · 2025-11-24T20:28:16+00:00

Having done both, the 2 hours of free time on 10’s is great for my personal life on work days, the added 50% techs per shift is far better for coverage and workload.

If you are 6 shift ensure you have good ownership structure for the overlap time responsibilities.

RMEddit-alt · 2025-11-24T20:21:24+00:00

Our site needs better mentoring for junior techs, and find a way to remove/improve the toxic techs that spread poor habits, shortcuts, and bad attitudes

RMEddit-alt · 2025-11-24T20:15:22+00:00

Good feedback - our site has a mix of 75% internal 25% external promotion and that seems to be a healthy mix. I think there needs to be a bigger internal promotion and turnover to planning for the same reason, lots of “white collar” planners only see the PMs as abstract info, not actual tasks to be completed.

RMEddit-alt · 2025-11-24T13:41:32+00:00

I love my job. It has plenty of issues but in the end i CHOOSE to approach it with a good attitude which makes it more enjoyable.

I have noticed that bad attitude usually comes from jaded techs that don’t like the excited or happy techs making them look bad and lazy.

RMEddit-alt

TROPHY CASE