Empowering Staff to Make Beneficial Choices

When you think about where you work, does it instill a sense of pride in what you do? Ray Salisbury, fleet services foreman for the Village of Arlington Heights, Ill., believes fostering a spirit of teamwork is just one part of creating a work environment that inspires employees to be the best they can be. A tidy workspace they genuinely care for will also help boost productivity and buy-in.

Taking Ownership of the Fleet

Salisbury said one challenge he and his team faced was working in an older facility. About 19 years ago, the entire public works facility, with the exception of the fleet garage, had been refurbished. When Salisbury started his position in October of 2013, he "kept hearing 'we always get forgotten.' It was a challenge to address the kind of 'feel sorry for me' attitude with some of the guys."

Over time, they've stepped up and made improvements to the location. They've replaced an antiquated heating system and put in new LED lighting, and the floors have all been epoxy-coated, so any uneven surfaces are now leveled.

"We've cleaned up and organized the shop, and the team is actually feeling better about themselves and are prouder of the condition of the garage, so they're keeping up with it. They even came to me and asked if they could paint the shop."

When a few mechanics were planning to retire he brought on a millennial to help out and was surprised by his attitude of wanting to make things better.

"We just emptied the entire room out completely, and went through everything and were finding obsolete parts that are probably 40 to 45 years old. They just got buried on the shelf and forgotten about, and we totally turned that around."

Not only has this improved the attitude of those who work in the department, but it's also left a great impression on their customers.

Solving Problems as a Team While Trying Something Different

It's highly unlikely you'll never come across a problem that seems to stump you. These unique challenges offer opportunities to overcome and solve issues as a team and build stronger relationships.

"I think the brainstorming aspect of working with the guys is something that keeps things fresh and interesting. Fleet seems like it's always the place everyone comes when they are not sure how to do something."

Giving your techs the opportunity to try something different than how they've usually done things and receiving input from all kinds of people, from those who run the vehicles to those who work on the vehicles, can open up new doors and breed creativity.

Future-Proofing the Fleet and Team Roles

In 2020, a challenge Salisbury knew he would face was figuring out how to replace retiring technicians. He explained that the issue lay not only in replacing those people but also in changing the responsibilities of that position to better fit department needs and budget.

For example, having a full-time welder at that time was becoming slightly obsolete. It became necessary that they were skilled in other areas as well. 

Fast-forward to 2024, and the fleet has had staff changes that have improved the organization's efficiency, according to Salisbury. For one, they have eliminated the dedicated welder position with a multi-talented technician, which provides them with more flexibility with repairs and maintenance to Village vehicles.

"We are asking ourselves what improvements can we make in the future when this person is gone or retires? What can we do in that area to increase the efficiency of the shop operation? Finding someone who's multi-talented and skilled for the price you're willing to pay, it's a challenge for everyone."

Meeting Those Future Staffing Goals

As Salisbury predicted, the fleet did have had several staffing changes. However, as Salisbury put it, those positions were filled with highly-talented millennials who "are breaking the stereotype that generation is experiencing."

Salisbury has brought on three new employees in the last two years.

"It has completely changed the culture of our organization," he said. "They are getting along, bringing new ideas to the table, working efficiently together, and work is of high quality."

A standout quality of these new employees has been their positive energy. It's something that has been noticed by other divisions of public works when they have been asked to assist those units with special events.

The new employees are also bringing new ideas to the table, and this has been beneficial to everyone. Salisbury said he feels fortunate to have put together a team of people who have a mutual respect for each other and enjoy working together to improve our operations.

"It is really hard to put it all into words but the shop dynamic is something I have not experienced in my twenty-eight years in public works and my hope is that it is sustainable," Salisbury said. "It is a pleasure to come to work every day knowing that there should be no issues with staff and they can be trusted to do their work with little supervision needed. It allows me to focus on my assignments and has made me more efficient at what I do."

Notes on Leadership

Here are a few tips Salisbury has for fleet managers of all experience levels:

• Not everyone's like you, and not everyone you are supervising is going to do things the way you do. Take the time to try to understand how to best communicate so everyone is on the same page.
• You're going to get pulled at in every direction, no matter what you're doing at the moment. A lot of time is spent putting out fires. Some of those fires may seem insignificant to you, but they're significant to someone. Have empathy.
• Even if you don't get done what you had originally planned to, reflect back on the day and realize you got things done even if it wasn't what you had expected.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in August 2020 but was updated in July 2024 with updated information on the Village of Arlington Heights Fleet.