Struggling with new job

Hi
I'm new to the forum and hope I'm posting in the correct place.
I've joined this forum in the hope I can get some advice as really struggling in my job at the moment.
I started a job last year as a carton printer working on Roland 900s having worked on Komori for the previous 9 years. It's my dream job working for a massive company with good rates of pay.
Problem is, I'm having a tough time. I feel my quality is good but for the first time, I have two no2s to organise ( I've always worked alone or with another no1) and being quite quiet I'm finding it hard to boss them about when they aren't doing there jobs. Instead I find myself covering up for them by doing it for them which is slowing my production down ( all our run speeds, downtime etc is analysed).
I currently work with an experienced no2 who retires soon and does as little as possible plus I have had a trainee for the past two months. The trainee struggles keeping the feeder going and as I only had a month on the back I'm no expert myself. So I rely on the other no2 more Than I should to keep it going. Problem is he won't go down there and help unless I ask him to. I end up going down to the feeder looking for something that would be obvious to the guy that's worked on them all his life.


My other problem is I'm on a 20 year old press which is falling apart. Every day something goes down which in turn slows me down as I'm no expert on Roland's and how to get around the problems. I'm experiencing print problems I haven't come across on the presses I have previously run. I probably look stupid when I can't fix something that would be obvious to someone whose worked on the presses longer than me and I feel this is being noticed by management.

Well everything has come to a head and I've been told I have 6 weeks to improve and ultimately save my job.
4 weeks with an experienced no1 and then I'm on my own for 2 weeks with my crew.

I joined as a print operator initially. Within a month I stepped up to run the press. Very few no2s want to run the press due to the pressure but I was willing to put my neck on the block. I wanted to progress at the company and rather than being comfortable as a no2 I hoped to learn on the job as I was confident in my abilities.

Now my eagerness seems to have backfired. Maybe I should have learnt off an experienced no1 rather than experienced no2s who don't want to be there and who don't care about my production figures. If these next 6 weeks don't go to plan I will be fired. I don't get to go back to being a no2 and then get another chance further down the line once I'm more experienced.I'm out the door. With children and a massive mortgage I will potentially lose everything. I'm worried sick. I know I would make a good no2 if I'm not ready to run the press on my own and learning from another experienced printer would help if I got the opportunity again to run it. So I'm bitterly dissapointed that I get fired if the next 6 weeks don't go to plan.

I'm desperate to do well and show that I can be an asset to the company. I'm trying not to get downhearted. At least I've got the opportunity to save my job and I wasn't sacked on the spot. It's my position to save.

Has anyone gone through this? How can I turn this situation around? Are there any management on here that have dealt with printers in a similar situation? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

I once hired a pressman that had come from another company, he was use to long runs, so there wasn't much setup, basically set up and watch it run. His company closed and he came to work for us. Knowledgeable man. In all my years of hiring, I have never had an employee break down in front of me. He was afraid he just wasn't going to get it. Our company is a short run, several setup type operation, so although he knew what he was doing he was slow and knew that. I could see that he had the skill and the talent to run that machine and get where he needed to be. My words to him were, "you'll get there just give yourself a break and feel the confidence I have that one day you will get it" It took him a long time but he got there, was one of my best operators and retired several years ago. You sound like you know where your shortcomings are and what to do about them, the only thing you don't have is some support from management. I would suggest a "sit down" outlining that you want to do what the company wants you to do, you've got some problems that need to be addressed, (equipment downtime, an unmotivated coworker, and training.) getting on the same page so to speak. Rather than run behind the problem, get in front of it. You sound like you have the talent to get where you want to be.

I would never want one of my people to feel what your feeling right now, I suspect your company doesn't either.

Hope some of my rambling helps, good luck to you

 

Thank you for the feedback. I'll take it on board over the next few weeks and hopefully I will see improvement