Machinery Lubrication

Machinery Lubrication May - June 2018

Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation

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4 | May - June 2018 | www . machinerylubrication.com AS I SEE IT Competitive Pressure Aspiration Driving Forces Current State Target State Resisting Friction Crisis Opportunity Buy-in / WIIFM Creatures of Habit Fear and Distrust Full Sponge achieved, and the box moves forward with a jerk (stick-slip). In organizations, this physics metaphor might be called "psycho- logical inertia." Those who want change and forward motion must boost the propelling force (drive) or decrease the impedance force (fric- tion). e impedance includes people – and particularly groups of people – who resist change. Of course, some people will be totally sold. Others will be observers who perhaps want to be sold. e challenge comes from those who are there to "play defense." Why do many aging lubrica- tion practices remain the same after decades of use? Have we not learned anything knew? e most common response is, "It's how we've always done it." is inertia to leave common practice unchanged is both the problem and the opportunity. I'm going to emphasize the opportunity. Some organizations need an intervention. Half-hearted efforts rarely accomplish anything. From where does the critical driving force that advances the ball emerge? Following are a few examples: Aspiration is is the basal desire for excel- lence and constant improvement. Most overachievers are born with this. Some aspire to change because of youthful innocence, education or even new technology. Organizations, however, need great leaders to cham- pion change driven by aspiration. Crisis e greatest change occurs on the edge of chaos. Crisis gives focus, urgency and seriousness to change. It is reactive in nature, like a lifestyle change following a heart attack. In organizations, the crisis might be a serious health or safety event. It might also relate to organizational survivability. Consider that only 60 companies listed in the Fortune 500 in 1955 were still there in 2017. Opportunity Change should be purposeful with a solid business foundation. It should also be proactive (why wait for a crisis?). What's behind opportu- nity-driven change? For individuals, it could be wealth, greed, promo- tion, ego, etc. Since individuals own companies and manage company decisions, these same factors apply. Competitive Pressures e global economy has never been more intense. Organizations in the business of converting raw materials to end products face this every day. It is called commodity hell. However, the global economy doesn't provide a level playing field for some companies due to inequality in tariffs, taxes, laws, environmental protection, raw material sources and the cost of labor. In certain cases, this has resulted in the loss of entire industries to other countries (e.g., the U.S. textile industry). e frictional forces of change are many. Some are innate forces built into an organization's DNA. Others are human forces that we all face in our personal lives. Figure 1 lists a few of the change-resisting frictional forces that must be over- come. Note, however, that change is more effective if you can reduce some of these forces, not just over- come them. Creatures of Habit People gravitate toward what they know and that which gives them comfort. Change is disruptive and annoying. Old habits are hard to break. Most of us know that we should do what we don't want to do, or like someone once told me, "Do what sucks." For example, you hate working out because it's hard on you. So, you should work out because it's hard on you. Replace the words "working out" with anything else that sucks. Fear and Distrust Some associate change with conspiracy, hidden agendas and a threat to their job security. Numerous organizations have faced a succession of cost reductions and downsizings. Some remain lean, while others are cut to the bones. No wonder there is a sense of fear. Full Sponge Some of us are over-changed. Too many changes too fast can cause distress while trying to keep up with it all. I feel this way about new soft- ware updates that get pushed on me at times. I still haven't figured out the last revision. Buy-in/WIIFM It's human nature to ask why, and we should ask questions. Who are the stakeholders? Who benefits and who does not? More specifically, "What's in it for me?" (WIIFM). In the end though, winners change what losers want to leave the same. Don't be a laggard. When the driving forces of change out-push the frictional drag forces against change, the needle will begin to move in the Figure 1. Overcoming static friction to achieve change

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