The silent struggle of Autonomous Mining Leadership
It’s not a topic that is openly discussed. It is not something that is even really known or understood by anyone who has not personally experienced it.
How could it be, when maintaining a calm and consistent exterior is in the role description? How can you address an issue, when you are expected to struggle only behind closed doors?
“It comes with the job”
The hidden battle that men and women face in middle management roles throughout the transition from conventional operating towards autonomous mining technologies, is a challenge felt long after the project team has wrapped up.
The Leadership Team play a critical role in the success of Autonomous Haulage Operations, but are we really setting them up for success?
The accelerated deployment of Autonomous Mining Systems and often rapid “transition to operation” timelines, leaves no room for the preparation, coaching or upskilling of anyone who is not directly involved with the everyday hands-on use of the system. Front-line workers, fleet controllers, machinery maintainers and equipment operators are prioritised to “hit the ground running” and minimise downtime throughout the inevitable teething process.
But where does this leave the Leaders?
What happens to the Supervisors, the Superintendents and the Managers, when their teams are looking to them for guidance on questions that they do not have the answers to?
How do they help their teams grow and adjust, when they themselves, do not know how?
The pressures felt by middle management are multifaceted and complex. They are expected to empower new AHS performance, often with little prior-technical knowledge. They are required to decipher and report on foreign KPI’s, often with minimal operational context. When asked to explain why the output has not returned to pre-autonomy levels, how do they explain the human element?
Leaders often find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place in autonomous operations. They understand that their teams need to perform, and that operational efficiency must continuously improve. They are asked to explain why output is not “trending up”. But how do you give your people the tools and resources required to thrive, when there is no time to do so? How do you explain that to increase production, you must de-prioritise productivity, and shift the focus to individual proficiency? That is a hard sell to any company who has just invested millions of dollars into minimising the “human factors” of their mine site profitability.
How do they capitalise on the skillset of their teams, when there is no capital left in the budget?
It is a tricky situation to navigate in an industry that no longer accepts human error as a reasonable contributing factor. How do you address the cultural challenges of such a technological transition, if the decision makers don’t understand the impact they have?
More needs to be done to support people in leadership positions throughout the growing industry. The key to unlocking exceptional performance from your autonomous system comes from your people, and that starts at the top. There is a need for coaching of the individuals responsible for the front-line, so that they can truly support their teams throughout the transition and ensure sustainable success long-term. We need to arm them with information and properly prepare them for the challenges that inevitably lie ahead.
If we don’t adequately equip them, how can they be expected to enable their people? To facilitate growth? Or encourage a proactive approach? How can the leaders support their teams on the journey towards “competent and confident” in a new way of working, if they themselves feel unqualified?
Knowledge is power, and we need to empower the ones who are leading the pack.
Contact Absolute Autonomous to discuss the proven programs we have to invigorate and empower AHS leaders to extract maximum performance from autonomous assets.
