[Post by Chuck Krugh, August 2, 2024]
I wanted to write this blog for a while as, over the years, I have had this conversation quite a few times with people considering a move out of the tools into a salaried or management role. It’s one of the hardest moves for an individual to make, so I want to explore it a little.
I can remember when I first became a manager back in the early 1990s. It was a relatively easy decision for me to make because I had set some goals for myself and I knew this was a step that I had to make. (Remember the three goals I set at 18?) BUT, in terms of our family finances, it was a very difficult decision. I knew my base pay would go up by some percentage, but the increase in base pay would not offset the loss of the overtime I usually signed up for. Working with the tools was allowing me to supplement my income with overtime, which was great for my young, growing family. After all, diapers and food were expensive in relation to my pay rate.
To me, losing the opportunity to earn overtime pay was probably the hardest part of a tradesperson’s move to management, but it’s not the only challenge. When I was promoted, I had to manage the guys that I worked with when I was turning wrenches. I wasn’t quite ready for the almost instant change in relationship that occurred between the mechanics and me. The relationship changes were nuanced. I saw changes in body language and tone, and the small talk we shared changed from personal to business. It became clear that I was no longer one of the gang.
The next big changes were learning the new job and realizing that I would be tested from all directions (my boss, my crew, my family, our regulators and our customers – just to name a few). I can remember having to learn a lot about the job: how to work best with my team, what my boss needed from me and how to prioritize my projects. Probably the biggest lesson I had to learn was about accountability. I understood accountability from the military, but it wasn’t the same. Let’s put a pin in accountability for now, and I’ll explore this in a future blog.
One of the aspects that I discovered about myself through this process (and over the years since) is that I really enjoy learning. As a mechanic, I was constantly using my mind to troubleshoot airplane problems, figure out how to get parts out of tight and difficult spaces, or safely wire in tight locations. Even with all the learning I did while working on aircraft, I always had an interest in what made the business work and wanted to learn more. Moving into management provided me with an abundance of learning opportunities. That was exciting for me.
The move was hard because of all the things that I mentioned, but it wasn’t impossible. I just had to learn a new way of working that differed from being a mechanic. If fact, the longer I spent in my new role, the easier it got. This process is very similar to being in a trade – the more experience you get, the easier the job gets!
If I can pass on one thing to you, it would be this: All of the challenges in the transition to management that I mention above are temporary; you will learn how to manage your way through them if you are willing to learn!
The reason that I made the decision to move to management was because I had a long-term view of my career; I had set those goals and wanted to achieve them. My personal goals required me to make the move. And, as I have written before, I was driven to reach those goals. Staying a mechanic for my career would not have allowed me the opportunities I needed to hit those goals. If I had stayed in the tools, I also would have missed out on the opportunity to learn new things about the business. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed being a mechanic and turning wrenches (still do today!), but that had to become part of my personal time through hobbies and not my career path.
Some of the best manufacturing managers who I have worked with came out of the trades. There is nothing like the pride of working with your hands and making something – especially if it’s an Arleigh Burke destroyer!
The decision whether to move into management is personal. It is a choice you make about how you want to manage your career. There is absolutely nothing wrong with working with the tools or working in management – it’s a choice. Our company needs people in the tools – whether it’s a computer, a broom, a wrench or a grinder – and we also need managers. We are all shipbuilders, and it takes all of us working together to build our ships.
See you on the deckplates!
Safely Execute High-Quality Work
Chuck
President, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
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