This articles is about maintenance. Not specifically maintenance on your machines, but how that maintenance also impacts your leadership, your processes, and your relationships.
We all know maintenance is important. But what is the reality of it?
It is not just about physical performance. It shows up in culture. The standards people follow. The behaviours people accept. The values that either stay strong or slowly drift.
We run weekly operational meetings with one of our clients.
Last year, they were really busy. We were supporting with contract engineers, and those meetings kept everything moving. Quick decisions, honest conversations, no delays.
This year, things have eased. So last week, we asked the question:
Should we reduce the meetings? Give you some time back?
The answer was immediate. No.
The leader on the call explained that even if it is just five minutes, we should keep the meetings. It means when demand increases again, there is no reset. We are already aligned and can move straight away.
A simple decision, but a clear example of forward-thinking leadership. Not reacting to today, but preparing for what comes next.
In engineering, we understand maintenance. Miss the basics and nothing happens straight away. Then over time, things start to slip. And when something does go wrong, it is bigger than it needed to be.
The same happens with people, communication, and relationships.
The one to ones that get cancelled. The check ins that feel unnecessary. The conversations that can wait.
That is where standards start to drift. That is where behaviours change. That is where values get tested.
It is rarely one big moment. It is the small things, quietly not happening.
It is a bit like brushing your teeth! Skip it once, nothing happens. Skip it for a while, and the damage builds up.
And if I think about it personally, it is the same with relationships.
When you don’t keep in touch, nothing feels wrong at first. But over time, it drifts. Then when you do reconnect, it can sometimes feel a little more awkward, like you are rebuilding something that used to just flow.
It doesn’t not happen overnight. It is slow, quiet, and easy to miss. Until you feel it.
It is about not stopping the things that already work.
✅Keep a rhythm of communication, even if it is short
✅Do not cancel one to ones, move them or shorten them if needed
✅Stay close to your key relationships, internally and externally
✅Take a moment to ask, what have we stopped doing recently?
None of this is new. But it is often the first thing to go.
It is not intentional, but it can create bigger communication challenges than ever intended.
When things are busy, maintenance of equipment and relationships feels natural. You are in it, responding, adapting, moving.
When things slow down, it is easy to ease off.
Fewer meetings. Fewer conversations. Less urgency.
This is where the gap starts to appear.
Because when demand returns, and it will, some businesses are ready and others are not.
The ones that have maintained the basics move quickly.
They are aligned.
They trust each other.
They respond without friction.
The others spend time catching up. Rebuilding. Realigning.
And that time costs.
Maintenance is not just about keeping things running.
It is about protecting what your business stands for and making sure you are ready when it matters.
So a simple question:
What have you stopped doing… that you will wish you had kept going?
