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machinerylubrication.com
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January - February 2021
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9
Education is About
the "Why"
Now, back to the why behind the
what. True education is about teaching
why certain tasks or activities provide
value, and why a change in the way a
task is currently performed is important.
Take for example a visual oil level
check of a splash-lubricated gearbox: the
education component of training this
task to a technician is explaining more
than just why the correct running oil
level is maintained. at may be obvious
to most. But the education takes it
further and dissects how each individual
condition observed, such as the color
changes, cloudiness, floating particulates,
or foam, can be the crucial early indicator
to a precipitating failure mode.
Training, however, might be able
to provide further diagnostic value
through qualitative or quantitative
assessment of the situation, perhaps by
conducting a simple field test for water
content or a static sit test for aeration.
Education is just as critical to
success as training. While there can
be little dispute that knowing how to
perform a task is important, in my expe
-
rience understanding the why ensures
commitment to the task at hand.
Few of us like to be told what to
do without some explanation as to why.
Like brushing our teeth in the morning
rather than sleeping in a few extra
minutes: we routinely brush our teeth
because of the why. Yes it's nice to have
that "minty freshness," but more impor
-
tantly, it helps to prevent tooth decay.
Just like training, education should
be tailored toward the intended result.
In that way, you'll be spending your
time, money and attention on some
-
thing with a clear purpose and a goal
to aim for. If results are not achieved,
perhaps it's time to start searching
for a new training or a new training
provider. ML
About the
Author
Bennett Fitch is the
director of product
development and lubrication program
development (LPD) services for Noria
Corporation. He is a mechanical engi-
neer who holds a Machine Lubricant
Analyst (MLA) Level III certification
and a Machine Lubrication Tech-
nician (MLT) Level II certification
through the International Council
for Machinery Lubrication (ICML).
Contact Bennett at bfitch@noria.com.
ML
