The Pitfalls Of A "Not MY Problem" Mentality

Is a "not my problem" mentality damaging your hydraulic equipment and hurting your bottom line? Consider this very frank and revealing admission I received from a new member:

"Just a note to say thanks for the information and keep up the great work. I am a fairly new entrant into the ownership side of hydraulic equipment and it is amazing the change in my view from operator to owner/operator.

When someone else was paying the repair and upkeep (not to mention the staggering initial outlay!) I would run a machine until it just wouldn't go; now I sense every squeak, smell, vibration and even the operational emotional state of my equipment.

I have been a mechanic in the field for most of those years as well (that should have made a difference too) but I still suffered from the "not my problem" mentality.

Now they are all my problems. And I truly welcome any and all advice, constructive criticism, and scolding from an individual like yourself who has fought the good fight."

You've gotta admire this guy's honesty. And there are few things that will force a change in perspective like connecting outcomes to one's own bank account--as has happened here.

But this confession is a slap in the face for anyone who owns hydraulic equipment and employs others to operate and maintain it: the skill and attitude of your crew can have a big impact on your bottom line. In other words, it doesn't matter how clever your operators and mechanics are, if they don't give a damn, it can be very costly for you.

I have long advocated that getting the 'buy-in' of machine operators is essential to the success of any equipment maintenance and reliability program. But as the above revelation shows, you can't just assume that your mechanics or other dedicated maintenance people are on automatically 'on board' either! 

So if you own or are financially accountable for significant hydraulic assets, how does your team stack up in terms of skill and attitude? Tolerating the wrong culture can be a very costly mistake. And to discover six other costly mistakes you want to be sure to avoid with your hydraulic equipment, get "Six Costly Mistakes Most Hydraulics Users Make... And How You Can Avoid Them!" available for FREE download here.