The mining and heavy equipment industries are facing a quiet crisis: a severe and costly turnover of skilled mechanics and tradespeople. This constant churn is more than an HR headache; it costs companies millions in lost productivity, recruitment, and training, directly impacting the bottom line. For decades, many operators have accepted this as an unavoidable “cost of doing business.”
Maynard Hebert, a veteran consultant with over 30 years of experience on the mine site and shop floor, argues that this problem is not only solvable but that its roots are almost entirely misunderstood. His new handbook, “Onward, Buttercups! A layman’s guide to building a stable mechanic crew,” tackles this issue head-on. He provides a practical, no-jargon guide for leaders, arguing that the solution to retention isn’t technical—it’s human. We spoke with Maynard about his new book and his common-sense approach to building a stable crew.
Q: After three decades as a maintenance consultant, what is the single biggest mistake you see mine managers make that leads to high mechanic turnover?
Maynard Hebert:
After three decades walking the floor, turning wrenches, and later consulting across multiple mine sites, the single biggest mistake I see mine managers make is treating mechanics like replaceable parts instead of critical assets.
They’ll pour millions into equipment but ignore the people keeping that iron alive. You’ll hear talk about KPIs, utilization, and uptime — but not nearly enough about morale, mentorship, or burnout. Managers forget that a good mechanic doesn’t quit because of the work; they quit because they stop feeling valued or heard.
When you’ve got a crew that’s constantly on night shift, dealing with poor planning, and feeling disconnected from leadership — turnover isn’t a mystery; it’s math. Mechanics want structure, fairness, and someone who actually understands what their day looks like under a shovel or in a haul-truck bay at 2 a.m.
The sites that keep their people are the ones where leadership spends time in the shop, knows their crew by name, and fixes processes instead of just blaming people. The iron will always need fixing — but it’s the trust between management and the trades that keeps a mine running long term.
Q: The title of your book, “Onward, Buttercups!”, is very memorable. What is the philosophy behind it, and why did you feel a “layman’s guide” was needed instead of a traditional management textbook?
Maynard Hebert:
The title “Onward, Buttercups!” actually came from a saying I used on job sites when things went sideways — you know, when the weather’s miserable, the equipment’s buried in mud, and morale’s sliding faster than a haul truck on ice. I’d clap my hands and say, “Alright, Buttercups — onward!” It was my way of breaking tension and reminding the crew that no matter how rough it gets, we push forward together.
The philosophy behind it is simple: real leadership isn’t about titles or textbooks — it’s about people. It’s about grit, humour, and trust. Over the years, I watched too many managers try to fix human problems with spreadsheets and policies. Meanwhile, the folks actually doing the work just wanted honesty, respect, and someone who’s willing to get a little dirty beside them.
That’s why I called it a layman’s guide. The industry didn’t need another buzzword-filled leadership manual written from an office. It needed something real — something a foreman, mechanic, or supervisor could actually read on their lunch break and say, “Yep, that’s exactly what it’s like out here.”
The goal wasn’t to impress academics; it was to help crews work better, laugh more, and remember that teamwork is still the best tool in the box.
Q: Your book argues that turnover is a “human, not a technical” problem. What practical, human-centric solutions do you offer that companies are currently overlooking?
Maynard Hebert:
That’s right — turnover isn’t a technical failure; it’s a human one. You can have the best maintenance plan, the newest trucks, and the cleanest shop in the province — but if people don’t feel respected or part of something that matters, they’ll walk.
The practical fixes are surprisingly simple — but they require heart, not a budget line.
- Listen before leading. Spend a week on the floor with your crew, not in a boardroom. You’ll learn more about morale and process breakdowns in one shift than in a dozen meetings.
- Bring back mentorship. We’ve lost that old-school passing-of-the-torch. Pair your seasoned hands with your apprentices — not just for skills, but for culture.
- Communicate like humans. Stop sending top-down emails and start real conversations. People don’t quit when they feel heard and respected.
- Fix systems, not people. If three good mechanics leave for the same reason, it’s not an attitude problem — it’s a leadership blind spot.
- Celebrate the small wins. Recognition doesn’t need to be fancy. Sometimes just saying, “Nice catch on that breakdown — saved us a ton,” builds more loyalty than any bonus.
Companies keep looking for technical levers — software, consultants, policies — but the solution is staring them in the face. It’s called trust. When leadership rebuilds that, retention takes care of itself.
Q: How does your handbook specifically help a new frontline maintenance supervisor or manager—the ones directly responsible for the crew—build a more stable and productive team from day one?
Maynard Hebert:
That’s exactly who I wrote Onward, Buttercups! for — the brand-new frontline supervisors who get handed the keys to a crew and told, “Good luck.” No manual, no mentorship, just a clipboard and chaos.
The handbook helps them avoid the two traps most rookies fall into: trying to be everyone’s buddy, or trying to be everyone’s boss. It walks them through how to earn respect before demanding it, how to communicate like a human instead of a policy manual, and how to spot problems before they become people problems.
From day one, it gives them tools they can actually use in the field — things like:
- The 10-minute morning check-in: how to set tone, expectations, and humour for the day.
- “The 3-minute correction” method: how to deal with mistakes without crushing morale.
- Real-world trust builders: ways to show fairness and consistency even under pressure.
It’s not theory — it’s every lesson I learned the hard way after decades in the mud, the cold, and the noise. My goal was to help new leaders skip the trial-by-fire and start strong with a team that trusts them, laughs with them, and actually wants to follow them. Because when you build that kind of crew, productivity isn’t something you chase — it’s something that just happens.
Q: For the senior mining executives who may believe that high turnover is just an unavoidable cost of a tough industry, what is the most important message you hope they take from your work?
Maynard Hebert:
If there’s one message I want senior leaders to take away, it’s this: turnover isn’t the cost of doing business — it’s the invoice for poor leadership.
I’ve worked in mines across the country, and I’ve yet to meet a mechanic who left because the work was too hard. They leave because they’re tired of being a number, tired of being unheard, and tired of watching leadership talk about safety and culture while quietly cutting corners on both.
The truth is, retention isn’t about pay — it’s about purpose. When people feel trusted, included, and respected, they’ll go to the wall for the company. But when they feel like replaceable labor, they’ll give you exactly what you paid for — and nothing more.
My work — through Onward, Buttercups! and Gears of Trust — is about showing that culture isn’t a “soft” issue. It’s a performance lever. A stable, loyal crew isn’t luck — it’s the result of consistent leadership habits: listening, fairness, mentorship, and communication that sounds like it came from a person, not a PowerPoint.
The companies that get this right don’t just keep their people longer — they outperform everyone else. Because when your people trust you, you stop fighting fires and start building legacies.
The insights from Maynard Hebert reframe the stubborn problem of mechanic turnover not as an operational expense, but as a direct failure of leadership. His work suggests that the millions of dollars lost to this “churn” are not inevitable, but are rather the result of overlooking the human element that truly drives a successful maintenance operation. By focusing on practical, on-the-ground leadership, Hebert’s “layman’s guide” provides a much-needed alternative to the complex theories that often fail in the real world.
“Onward, Buttercups!” serves as a crucial playbook for any manager in a “blue-collar” industry who is tired of the revolving door of skilled trades. It’s a call to action to move beyond spreadsheets and to start building a culture of stability and respect. Ultimately, Hebert’s message is clear: the most powerful tool a manager has for retention is not a bigger budget, but a better understanding of their people.
To learn more, visit https://www.maynardhebert.com/.
