Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1464867
74 PCB007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2022 by Dan Beaulieu One of the great things about being a manager (and not just a sales manager) is the opportu- nity to mentor, challenge, educate, lead, and most importantly, inspire the members of your team to do things they did not think they could do. You can help them achieve a level of accom- plishment they did not realize they could. As a manager and leader, you should always be evaluating the members of your team to find their talents both internal and external. Watch and study them to see what they are good at, what inspires them, and what makes their hearts sing. Once you discover those special passions in each person, start helping them find a way to use those passions to enhance your department and company, as well as themselves. One member might be a great writer, another fan- tastic at social media. You might have team members Without a doubt, a PM program can greatly benefit your PCB shop. As a PCB manufac- turer, it is highly recommended that you do the best you can to maintain some form of PM—even if that means just performing rou- tine cleanings. Any amount of PM is better than no PM. Some companies that manufac- ture PCB equipment do offer PM programs where they will schedule a time for a techni- cian to visit and perform PM; some may even help you develop your own PM program. erefore, if you are considering a PM pro- gram, it is highly recommended that you reach out to your equipment manufacturer(s) and ask about PM options. PCB007 Christopher Bonsell is a chemical process engineer at Chemcut. To read past columns or contact Bonsell, click here. on the same page with your machines and allow you to diagnose problems before they esca- late into bigger problems. Having unexpected downtime can be very costly. When you need to perform emergency maintenance, you first need to take time to diagnose the problem. If you haven't been carefully keeping track of your machine's condition, it can take many hours to find the root cause of the problem. Even if you find something that is going wrong, it could be unrelated to what caused you to shut the machine down in the first place. Once you find the root cause, chances are you will need to replace a part. If you don't already have the part you need, you must order it from your equip- ment supplier. Depending on your equipment manufacturer and the part you need, the time it takes for you to receive it will vary. is will result in more wasted time that could have been prevented. With PM, you would at least be able to foresee problems like this and order the part earlier or maintain a better inventory of parts. who are solid with numbers, are great organizers or perhaps confident speakers and communicators. One thing I can guarantee is that every member of your team is good at something; each has a spe- cial talent. If you have done your hiring properly (as every great leader should), each one is in some way smarter than you are. So, discover their particular gifts and talents. The best way to do this is by talking with them. Remem- ber, your responsibility as a leader is to bring out the best in your people, to encourage them to take their skills and talents to the next level. Learn every- thing you can about the people in your charge. You are literally in the position of being the steward— not only of their talents but their careers as well. They will, of course, pass onto the next step in their career path, but you can be instrumental in having a significant impact on their careers and their lives while they are under your wing. To read this entire column, click here. It's Only Common Sense A Simple Framework for Elevating Your Employees