Your team is overwhelmed by maintenance tasks. How can you keep their morale and motivation high?

Leading Facilities Teams both in the Military and on the Las Vegas Strip, it’s easy to be lost in the work and sometimes incredibly difficult deadlines. It’s during these times I’ve found motivation in my team by reminding them of their success. Letting them know the company values their efforts and can’t survive without the work they do. The behind the scenes work that no one will ever know.

Recognizing the hard work of team members can significantly boost morale. I made it a point to thank my team publicly for their dedication during particularly intense maintenance periods. Simple gestures like thanking them in team meetings or writing personalized notes made a real difference in how valued they felt.

Um bom exemplo de amenizar a carga é justamente reconhecer o esfor?o e dedica??o de cada um de seus colaboradores, seja com gestos, palavras ou com um simples aperto de m?o!

Na verdade, dificilmente conseguiremos equipes de manuten??o que n?o estejam sempre sobrecarregadas. Por diversas raz?es, mas, como Gestores, cabe a nós delinear planos de a??o nas atividades diárias. Com minhas equipes sempre divido as solicita??es de manuten??o da seguinte forma : Prioridade : Quando envolve quest?es de seguran?a dos motoristas e/ou terceiros; Urgente : Quando envolve veículo/equipamento crítico à opera??o; Corretiva programada : Quando n?o há risco à seguran?a ou perda de produ??o. Temos tempo para planejar o reparo para interven??o em momento oportuno

When my team was swamped, we sat down together to prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance. This exercise helped reduce their stress by focusing on what truly needed to be done first, making the workload feel more manageable.

When there are 5 fires burning at the same time it’s easy to be overwhelmed. Just focus on the fires that are burning the brightest (the priority). Sometimes you need to just take a step back and breathe. Pull your team together while the word seems to be ending and reprioritize tasks. Draw on your team member’s strengths and background experience and place them where you need them in the moment. Trust in your team and their abilities

I try to take my teams on “Facilities Field Trips”. Take them out of their element and tour different facilities operations so they have a better perspective. I try to take my team out every so often. Dinners, events, etc. it’s good to not only give breaks, but to take them out of the work environment and relax. It will foster team work later on and strengthen that team cohesion while moral rises.

Encouraging regular breaks was crucial. I shared experiences with my team about the importance of taking short, frequent breaks to clear their minds and prevent burnout. We also implemented holidays to give everyone uninterrupted time to recharge and focus.

Offering training opportunities allowed my team to learn new skills and approaches for managing their tasks more efficiently. Investing in their development not only improved our maintenance processes but also boosted their confidence and job satisfaction.

Promoting a collaborative environment helped alleviate individual burdens. We organized weekly brainstorming sessions where team members could share challenges and solutions, fostering a supportive atmosphere that encouraged helping each other out.

Maintaining open lines of communication is essential. Regular check-ins with each team member gave me insights into their well-being and workload, allowing me to make adjustments as needed. Also, celebrating small victories and milestones as a team helped maintain a positive outlook, even during the most challenging times.

I believe it has been essential to highlight when the maintenance aspects of their job has helped cover them from potential issues that could have arise without it having been done. While always acknowledging the extra work and the slowdown that cause them frustration, it is put in place to ultimately protect them.