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Your maintenance program isn’t broken because your machines won’t run. It’s broken because the system you have in place is designed to produce your current results.

Too often, companies hire exceptional technical talent and expect a strategic miracle. But their maintenance program lacks the necessary resources, tools, and support. It’s like asking a firefighter to extinguish a burning house with a garden hose.

The firefighter has the skills, training, and determination, but without adequate equipment and a team to back them up, even the best will fail.

We often fail to realize that great technicians don’t automatically make for great maintenance leaders. This is because technical excellence and strategic leadership require different skill sets.

A tech who can diagnose and repair complex equipment in minutes may struggle to develop long-term strategies, manage priorities, or communicate effectively with other teams. 

And when leadership doesn’t equip them to succeed, consequences cascade. Downtime spikes, morale drops, and reliability erodes. What started as a promotion becomes an inadvertent setup for failure that damages both the individual and the organization.

The system isn’t failing—it’s functioning exactly as designed. Like it or not. This is the uncomfortable truth that most organizations refuse to acknowledge. (The “Peter Principle” is 50+ years old, but no one seems to ask why it remains as relevant today as it was in 1970.)

We continue promoting people to their level of incompetence, then act surprised when outcomes don’t improve. The problem isn’t the people—it’s the system that puts them in positions without the proper foundation for success.

Key Lessons for Leadership:

1. Hiring for strategic capability matters as much as technical skill. When filling maintenance leadership roles, assess candidates’ ability to think systematically, prioritize competing demands, and communicate across organizational boundaries. 
   
   Technical proficiency is necessary but often not enough. Look for evidence of strategic thinking, change management experience, and the ability to persuade others when translating technical issues into business impact.
   
   
2. Preventive maintenance schedules, real-time data, and aligned KPIs are essential. Your maintenance leaders need more than goodwill and determination. They need robust systems that provide visibility into asset health, predict failures before they occur, and measure what matters.
   
   Without data-driven insights, maintenance becomes reactive firefighting rather than proactive or preventative. Make sure your KPIs align with broader business objectives—uptime, mean time between failures, and total cost of ownership should connect directly to operational goals.
   
   
3. Maintenance managers need training, mentorship, and a seat at the table. Leadership development isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity. Provide your maintenance leaders with formal training in reliability-centered maintenance, root cause analysis, and leadership skills. Pair them with mentors who can guide their development.
   
   Most importantly, ensure they have genuine influence in strategic decisions. When maintenance is treated as an afterthought rather than a strategic partner, reliability and profitability suffer.
   
   
4. Accountability isn’t a bad thing — it’s transparent and measurable. Clear roles and standards make it easier to understand and fulfill expectations. When people understand why their efforts matter, accountability becomes motivating instead of draining. It transforms from a punitive concept into a framework for success.
   
   But you can’t expect accountability without giving your team the tools to succeed. Holding someone responsible for outcomes they can’t influence isn’t accountability—it’s scapegoating.

The gap between strategic reliability and daily decisions is both measurable and reversible. And like cancer, it can spread and destroy your entire organization.

Poor maintenance practices create ripple effects: production delays, quality issues, safety incidents, and workforce frustration that extends far beyond the maintenance department.

If your strategy isn’t driving uptime and increased output, your system is working against you. Time to reprogram and reboot!

Let’s stop asking for miracles. Instead, let’s design systems where our organizations and people can succeed. If your team is wondering where to start, let’s talk. 

We’ll work with you and your teams to ensure they have the tools, training, and strategic framework required to transform maintenance from a cost center into a competitive advantage.