What Does a High-Level Machinist Look Like?
Lately, I've been asking myself a lot of questions on what I want to be doing long term, what brings me joy and passion in my work, and what are the steps I need to take to be a high performer in that field?
I've really enjoyed Brendan Buchard's book High-Performance Habits, where he outlines what the top performers look like and how to get to that level. One of the things he talks about is finding your PFI or preferred field of interest, and I've been struggling to see what that is for me.
The stumbling block I keep encountering is that I'm getting caught up in; if I make this decision now, I can't change it later down the line, and I'll be "stuck" in whatever avenue I chose to pursue. I'm not thinking big picture, thinking what interests me now and what I can do right now, not looking for the super long term but the 3-5 years from now and that journey. I enjoy machining and have an excellent job prototyping and learning one on one with a high-level machinist. I'm not sure if this is "my thing" or not, and I'm scared to get in too deep and feel like I've wasted my time (which I know I won't).
I decided to make a decision and find out a bit more about the industry and what top performers look like in it, or more accurately, what does it take to become one of the best in the field and what steps did those people take?
Through some research on google, I found an excellent article on what machinist material looks like by Leading Edge Industrial. They outlined the major five areas that all good machinist has in common. Those are Precision - 1) Detail-oriented, drive for perfection, and quality. 2) Analytical, collecting information quickly, and making decisions. 3) Creative Problem Solving, thinking outside the box, able to understand new and unique ways to solve problems. 4) Patience, making mistakes but not getting caught up in the minutia of the problem, but taking it in stride. 5) Pride, to be proud of one's work and the job completed, having satisfaction in the craft, and enjoying the process.