2/28/07-What's Your Name?

Titles Make a Difference

We work with a lot of clients around the world, and we see quite a lot of variety in job titles. A Maintenance Coordinator in one plant is called a Team Leader in another. A Planner is called a Planner/Scheduler in another location. Everyone has their own logic for how they name their roles and assign responsibilities.

There is nothing strange about this, until you run into the really weird titles. We know of a site that used to call its lubrication technicians Grease Monkeys! No kidding, it was written in their work instructions, the union contract, everywhere, just like that. Grease Monkeys.

Now, it's funny to read this, and I am pretty sure there must be a story from the good old days how this title came to exist. But, how do you think the title affects the professionalism of the person doing the job?

• Grease Monkey
• Oiler
• Lubrication Technician

Same job, 3 different names. BIG difference in how we view the role! Maybe we need to think about titles when we set our expectations for our people?

Now, let's not carried away either. His Majesty, the Third Earl of Precision Alignment is a bit much...