The Case of the "Simple" Disconnection: Why Process Beats Heroics
In critical technical fields, we often talk about "heroics," but true professionalism is found in disciplined process and sound judgment. I want to share a recent experience that highlights why relying on checklists and knowing when to pause is crucial.
During a recent weekend shift, I was tasked with performing scheduled maintenance on seven radios. I successfully completed six, but the seventh unit showed immeasurable transmit power and sensitivity. As I was running short on time and the specific equipment was outside my core certification scope, I made the call to pause the procedure. The written guidance indicated opening a formal Fault Card, but my intuition suggested that it might be a simple misconfiguration or a change done to the radio that I am not aware of. Because a functioning backup unit was online, the operational impact was zero. I handed the unit over to the night shift, handing over all my findings.
Over the next 24 hours (shifts involving a total of six technicians), the problem remained a mystery. Complex theories were forming. During my next shift, I made a strategic decision: I paused the ongoing troubleshooting cycle entirely. I decided to wait until Monday when the regular day shift techs and supervisors could provide a truly "fresh set of eyes" without the existing cognitive biases. The result? The first regular technician to look at the unit Monday morning solved the issue in less than five minutes after I explained the scenario: an internal antenna port had been physically disconnected by a previous unknown interaction.
The core takeaway isn't about individual skill; it’s a powerful reminder that relying on sound judgment, managing risk, and knowing when to pause can save immense time and resources. Sometimes, the most professional action is a calculated pause. Opening the radio on a weekend may have solved or escalated the problem, I can never know at that time and is an unnecessary risk. The right call was to wait it out.